Foods highest in Phosphorus
Phosphorus works alongside calcium to build bone and stores energy in every cell.
Below are the whole foods with the most phosphorus per 100 g, straight from USDA FoodData Central — plus how much you need and how to keep track without doing any math.
What phosphorus does
Phosphorus works alongside calcium to build bone and stores energy in every cell.
Outright deficiency is rare — this page is mostly a map of where it comes from.
How much you need
The Daily Value used on food labels is 1,250 mg a day for adults. The tolerable upper limit is about 4,000 mg — with phosphorus, more isn't better.
Your real target depends on your age, sex and body — Healthy Squirrel sets it for you from NIH / Institute of Medicine reference intakes, then shows every food against your number, not a generic one.
Foods highest in phosphorus (per 100 g)
| Food | per 100 g | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Seeds, hemp seed, hulled | 1,650 mg | 132% |
| Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added | 1,174 mg | 94% |
| Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, with salt added | 1,158 mg | 93% |
| Seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), raw | 1,150 mg | 92% |
| Cheese spread, American or Cheddar cheese base, reduced fat | 931 mg | 74% |
| Cheese, parmesan, low sodium | 807 mg | 65% |
| Seeds, cottonseed kernels, roasted (glandless) | 800 mg | 64% |
| Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, type of kernels unspecified | 790 mg | 63% |
| Seeds, sesame seed kernels, toasted, with salt added (decorticated) | 774 mg | 62% |
| Cheese, romano | 760 mg | 61% |
| Seeds, sunflower seed, kernel, raw | 732 mg | 59% |
| Cheese, mexican, queso cotija | 729 mg | 58% |
Amounts are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central (whole foods), sorted highest first. In the app, every amount scales to the exact serving you log — no conversions.
Track phosphorus free
Healthy Squirrel is a free food tracker that fills in Phosphorus — and every other vitamin and mineral — automatically as you log meals, so you can see where your day actually lands. No account needed to start, no ads, nothing sold.
Open Healthy Squirrel and log a food to see your phosphorus for the day.
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