Reviewed and updated 21 September 2026.
Vegetables naturally contain nitrate. The amount varies with the type of vegetable and growing conditions, so a single figure cannot reliably describe every portion you buy.
EFSA’s assessment found that the benefits of eating vegetables and fruit outweigh the potential risks from nitrate in vegetables. Leafy vegetables can contain higher amounts, but that alone is not a reason to exclude them from your diet. Read EFSA’s assessment.
About the earlier table
The old table of precise milligrams per kilogram has been removed. It was presented without enough context about sampling and variation, and should not have been used to set a personal nitrate target.
If a clinician has advised a particular diet for you, ask them how it applies to your food choices. This general article is not an infant-feeding guide.
For the food-additive names, see what are nitrates?