10 Foods That Support Eye Health and Protect Your Vision

“Eat your carrots, they’re good for your eyes.” If you grew up hearing this, you’re not alone. My mother used to say it all the time, and like most kids, I didn’t exactly jump for joy at the thought of eating vegetables. Back then, it sounded like one of those things parents just said to get you to eat something healthy. But as it turns out, she was right, there’s real science behind it.

Carrots are packed with beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A. This is key for keeping your cornea (the clear outer layer of your eye) healthy and helping you see in low light. Without enough vitamin A, your vision can suffer, especially at night.

But it’s not just kids who benefit. As we get older, our eyes go through changes, and the risk of conditions like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) increases. Carrots contain lutein, an antioxidant that helps protect the eyes from damage and can lower the risk of AMD.

So, while it may have felt like just another thing parents nagged us about, eating carrots does help protect your vision, especially as you age.

Also Read: 7 Best Foods to Strengthen Bones and Joints as You Age

Since starting my health journey in 2024, I’ve learned one thing, salmon is a superfood. No matter what lecture or research I look at, salmon almost always shows up on the list of foods that help with heart health, brain function, and even diabetes. And unsurprisingly, one of its other benefits is eye health (of course it is). 

Salmon, sardines, and even canned tuna are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation, support the retina, and prevent dry eyes. Your retina is the part of your eye that helps turn light into images, so keeping it healthy is important, especially as you get older.

These fish also contain vitamin D, which helps protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is a condition that can make it harder to see clearly as you age.

If salmon is too expensive (the price keeps going up where I live), sardines or canned tuna can be great alternatives. Studies even show that people who eat canned tuna at least once a week may have a 40% lower risk of developing AMD compared to those who eat it less often.

So, whether it’s fresh salmon, sardines, or a can of tuna, adding these to your diet can help protect your eyes for years to come.

If you’ve ever looked up “healthy foods,” you’ve probably seen kale on the list. It’s everywhere. But let’s be honest, it doesn’t taste as good as salmon. That’s why I’m glad spinach offers the same eye health benefits while being much easier to eat.

Both spinach and kale are packed with lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants help protect your eyes from harmful light (like UV rays and blue light from screens) and reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, two big problems that can affect vision as you get older.

These greens also contain vitamin C, which helps keep blood vessels in your eyes healthy, and vitamin E, which protects your eye cells from damage.

The best part is that spinach is cheap and quick to use. You can throw it on a sandwich, mix it into a stir-fry, add it to scrambled eggs, or even blend it into a smoothie. It’s one of the simplest ways to protect your eyesight without changing much in your daily routine or bumping up your shopping budget. 

This one surprised me, walnuts and almonds are great for eye health. I always thought of nuts as a good snack, great for digestion, but I didn’t realize they had the same omega-3 fatty acids as fish. That means they help reduce inflammation and support the retina, just like salmon or sardines.

Both walnuts and almonds are also packed with vitamin E, which protects eye cells from damage. As we age, our eyes face more stress from things like screen time, UV rays, and natural aging. Vitamin E helps fight this by keeping your eye tissues strong and healthy.

I’ll admit, adding nuts to my diet wasn’t easy at first. They’re not the cheapest snack, and it’s always easier to grab a bag of chips. But here’s the good news, you don’t need a lot. Just 4 to 10 walnuts or almonds a day can make a real difference. So, whether you snack on them plain or toss them into yogurt or a salad, this small addition to your diet can help keep your eyes in good shape.

Also Read: 7 Best Foods for Prostate Health and Wellness

Since being diagnosed with diabetes in 2024, I’ve been sent to five different food talks in just four months. One thing they keep pushing, beans and lentils as healthy swaps for things like pasta and white potatoes. But out of all the beans, kidney beans stood out, especially when it comes to eye health.

Kidney beans help slow down vision loss from conditions like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Macular degeneration affects the center of your vision, making it harder to see details. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by high blood sugar damaging the tiny blood vessels in your eyes, leading to blurry vision and even blindness. Kidney beans are packed with fiber and protein, which help keep blood sugar levels steady, reducing the risk of these problems.

Luckily for me, kidney beans go perfectly in chili, one of my favorite dishes. Outside of that, I had to look up other recipes (apparently, there’s a vegan kidney bean curry, but I think I’ll stick to chili). But if you’re looking for an easy way to bolster eye health, adding kidney beans to your diet is a simple and tasty option (plus, they’re a cheap superfood). 

Since cutting out processed sugar, I’ve been looking for natural sweet treats. Blueberries have become my go-to. Whether mixed into Greek yogurt or porridge, they add a sweet pop of flavor, and the best part, they’re packed with nutrients that help protect your eyesight.

Blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that improves blood flow to the eyes. Good blood flow is key for keeping your retina healthy and may even help prevent macular degeneration, which can cause vision loss as you age.

They’re also loaded with vitamin C, which helps protect against cataracts and supports overall eye health. Cataracts cause cloudy vision, making it harder to see clearly, especially as you get older.

Blueberries aren’t always cheap, but they’re worth it. They’re a superfood for a reason, and their eye-protecting benefits are just one more reason to add them to your diet. 

One of the hardest parts of changing my diet was cutting out bad snacking habits. To help, I started keeping a fruit bowl within eye-shot of my usual vegging-out position in front of the TV. This gave me something easy to grab when hungry. And one fruit that’s always included, is oranges.

Oranges are packed with flavonoids, which help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD can make it harder to see details, especially as you get older. These antioxidants help protect the cells in your eyes, keeping your vision clearer for longer (antioxidants are beneficial in so many ways). 

Oranges are also loaded with vitamin C, which supports blood vessels in the eyes and may help prevent cataracts. Cataracts can cause cloudy vision, making everyday tasks harder over time.

So, if you’re looking for a healthy, easy snack that also helps protect your eyesight, grab an orange. It’s a simple way to give your eyes the nutrients they need, even if sometimes they can be a mess to peel. 

Eggs were a bit of a surprise when I learned about foods that support eye health. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, there was always talk about how bad egg yolks were. Now, they’re back on the “good food” list. turns out, they’re packed with nutrients that help protect your vision.

Eggs are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that help reduce the risk of macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, both of which can cause vision loss as you age. These nutrients also help filter harmful blue light, which is important with all the screen time most of us have these days.

They’re also a great source of vitamin A, which helps keep your cornea healthy and supports low-light vision, so you can see better in dim lighting.

The best part is that eggs are mostly affordable and easy to add to meals. Whether scrambled for a healthy breakfast, boiled for a snack, or added to a salad, a few eggs each week are a simple way to protect your eyesight as you age.

The emphasis is on lean beef. Each time I look at picking up some beef at the store, my wife always says “Remember what the doctor said”, and it’s immediately put back down. We all know that beef has a bad reputation when it comes to healthy eating, and I’ve cut it out for heart health reasons. But when I looked into foods that support eye health, lean beef was the only meat that showed the best benefits.

Lean beef is rich in zinc, which helps slow the progression of sight loss conditions like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Zinc is essential for keeping retinal cells healthy, which is important as you age. It also helps vitamin A work properly in the eyes, supporting clear vision.

Of course, lean beef doesn’t mean a big steak. And if beef isn’t an option for you, there are other ways to get zinc, like nuts, seeds, and legumes. But if your diet allows it, lean beef could be a helpful addition to protect your eyesight as you get older.

Also Read: 10 Fascinating Facts About Energy in Food and Diet

Broccoli is one of my top three superfoods (right behind salmon and blueberries). It’s cheap, easy to cook, and works with almost anything, I’ve had it in curries, roast meals, and even smoothies. And now, I’ve learned it’s great for eye health too.

Broccoli contains indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound that helps protect the retina from toxins. It triggers a detox process in the eyes, which may help slow down age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD affects central vision, making it harder to read, drive, or see details as you age.

With so many health benefits, broccoli is worth adding to your diet. Whether steamed, roasted, or grilled, it’s a simple and affordable way to support your health.