As another Thanksgiving approaches, food is on all of our minds; but what does that mean for our eyes? There are plenty of ways to whip up your Thanksgiving “must-haves” with an eye-healthy twist.* Learn how to enjoy your favorite holiday foods with easy modifications to support your vision health this season.

Popular Thanksgiving dishes that are good for eye health

Did you know that several traditional holiday dishes are great for your eyes? These Thanksgiving staples support eye health through specific vitamins and nutrients they contain, which can help delay or prevent certain eye diseases, including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration, as well as generally support your vision.

Turkey

As the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving spread, turkey is full of zinc and niacin (a B vitamin). This vitamin and mineral combination helps prevent cataracts from forming. Zinc also helps vitamin A to produce melanin that protects your eyes and has been found to improve your nighttime vision.

Green beans

Whether you prefer a simple green bean dish or an indulgent green bean casserole, you’ll be loading your body up with lutein and zeaxanthin. These two nutrients are carotenoids that occur in certain fruits and vegetables and have antioxidant properties, and they are known to protect your eye health, specifically your retina.

Lutein and zeaxanthin lessen the risk of light-induced oxidative damage to your eyes, as they block blue light from reaching the retina. In doing so, these nutrients can help prevent macular degeneration, which deteriorates your central vision.

Potatoes

Despite how delicious they taste prepared in a variety of different ways, normal, or white, potatoes have little nutritional value. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are bursting with vitamin A, C, and E. Swap your normal mashed potatoes out for a sweet potato version, or make sure to include a traditional sweet potato casserole dish to get a healthy dose of these vitamins in.

These three vitamins can help prevent or delay both cataracts and macular degeneration. Sweet potatoes also contain beta-carotene, another carotenoid and antioxidant, which promotes night vision and good vision overall. 

Other vegetables that contain plenty of beta-carotenoid—and are great for people with glaucoma—include:

• Collard greens
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Celery
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Beets

Cranberries

Homemade cranberry sauce is a must, thanks to the bioflavonoids cranberries contain. Bioflavonoids are a type of antioxidant that contains vitamin C. It’s typically found in the pulp, rind, or skin of certain foods. 

Together, flavonoids and vitamin C ward off “free radical damage caused by pollution and the body’s normal metabolic processes,” as stated by Your Sight Matters. Bioflavonoids may also reduce your risk of developing cataracts and macular degeneration.

Another great way to great more vitamin C, which can help reduce your risk of glaucoma, is through broccoli and sweet, or bell, peppers.

Pumpkin pie

There’s no reason to ever feel bad about going for a big slice of pumpkin pie at the end of your Thanksgiving meal—it’s full of vitamin A! The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) lists pumpkin pie on their vitamin A fact sheet, which states that one slice of commercially prepared pumpkin pie gives you 54% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A.

Vitamin A protects and nourishes your eye’s:

• Macula
• Lens
• Cornea

It also has a positive effect on low light vision and night vision. Moreover, pumpkin contains beta-carotene, which the body turns into additional vitamin A.

*Your Sight Matters. (2017, Nov. 20). Your Guide to Creating an Eye-Healthy Thanksgiving Table. https://yoursightmatters.com/guide-creating-eye-healthy-thanksgiving-table/

Any sources from outside of Prevent Blindness do not imply an endorsement from Prevent Blindness. The contents of the material used are the responsibility of the authoring organization, Responsum Health.