Foods high in Phosphorus
Major mineral for bones, energy storage (ATP), and cell membranes. Widespread in protein-rich foods.
About Phosphorus
Phosphorus pairs with calcium in bone mineral and forms the backbone of DNA, cell membranes, and ATP, the body's energy currency. About 85% of total body phosphorus is in skeletal tissue.
Protein-rich foods are the densest sources: meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, nuts, and whole grains all supply abundant phosphorus. Many processed foods also use phosphate additives for preservation or texture, which contribute meaningfully to total intake.
UK adult RI: 700 mg/day. Deficiency is rare in well-nourished populations. Excess is a concern in chronic kidney disease, where the kidneys can't excrete it efficiently, those patients are often advised to limit phosphate-rich processed foods.
Foods high in phosphorus, yeast, yeast, roe, and more
Ranked by how much you get per calorie, so foods are not rewarded for simply being dry or concentrated. Values from USDA FoodData Central, McCance & Widdowson's CoFID, ANSES Ciqual, and other public nutrition databases. Amounts in milligrams.
Per calorie is the default here because it answers what to eat: ranked purely by amount, a list of the richest foods fills up with dried and concentrated things nobody eats a plateful of. Switch to per 100 grams above if concentration is what you are after. Our foods low in phosphorus list is measured per 100 grams instead, and that is deliberate too: per calorie would reward a food for carrying plenty of energy and none of the nutrient, which puts cooking oil below lettuce on a low-sodium list.
- Yeast, dried 763.31mg per 100 grams
- Yeast, bakers, compressed 735.85mg per 100 grams
- Roe, herring, soft, raw 681.32mg per 100 grams
- Cereals ready-to-eat, SUN COUNTRY, KRETSCHMER Toasted Wheat Bran 657mg per 100 grams
- Mushrooms, morel, raw 625.81mg per 100 grams
- Mangrove worm 625.72mg per 100 grams
- KRAFT FREE Singles American Nonfat Pasteurized Process Cheese Product 623.65mg per 100 grams
- Mushroom, dried 610.06mg per 100 grams
- Bran, wheat 579.57mg per 100 grams
- Boal, raw 569.77mg per 100 grams
- Prawn, banana, wild, flesh, raw 560.69mg per 100 grams
- Kalabasu, raw 558.82mg per 100 grams
Common questions about Phosphorus
- How much phosphorus do I need?
- UK adult RI: 700 mg/day. Deficiency is rare in well-nourished populations.
- What foods are highest in phosphorus?
- Protein-rich foods supply abundant phosphorus, meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, nuts, and whole grains. Many processed foods also use phosphate additives for preservation or texture.
- Are phosphate additives in processed food bad?
- For healthy kidneys, normal intake is fine. People with chronic kidney disease are often advised to limit phosphate-rich processed foods because their kidneys can't excrete it efficiently.
- Why does phosphorus matter?
- It pairs with calcium in bones, forms the backbone of DNA and cell membranes, and is part of ATP, the body's energy currency.