Last updated: October 12, 2026. Information checked at the time of writing.
Short answer: in Health Canada’s 2026 Canadian Nutrient File, the richest common food is “Seeds, hemp seeds, hulled”, at 1,650 mg per 100 g. The Daily Value used on Canadian labels is 1250 mg. The table ranks 30 foods by amount per 100 g and shows the amount in a typical serving.
The ranking
| Rank | Food (CNF) | Serving | Per serving | % DV per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seeds, hemp seeds, hulled | 60 ml | 669 mg | 54% | 1,650 mg |
| 2 | Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted | 60 ml | 676 mg | 54% | 1,174 mg |
| 3 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted | 60 ml | 375 mg | 30% | 1,155 mg |
| 4 | Seeds, chia seeds, dried | 60 ml | 372 mg | 30% | 860 mg |
| 5 | Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, roasted and toasted kernels | 30 ml | 223 mg | 18% | 732 mg |
| 6 | Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched | 60 ml | 257 mg | 21% | 725 mg |
| 7 | Cheese, parmesan, hard | 50 g | 347 mg | 28% | 694 mg |
| 8 | Seeds, flaxseed (linseed), whole and ground | 60 ml whole | 274 mg | 22% | 642 mg |
| 9 | Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, roasted and toasted | 60 ml | 243 mg | 19% | 638 mg |
| 10 | Cheese, cheddar, medium | 100 ml shredded | 285 mg | 23% | 597 mg |
| 11 | Nuts, pine nuts, pignolia, dried | 60 ml | 197 mg | 16% | 575 mg |
| 12 | Cheese, mozzarella, partly skimmed (17% M.F.) | 50 g | 266 mg | 21% | 531 mg |
| 13 | Nuts, cashew nuts, dry roasted | 60 ml whole or halves | 170 mg | 14% | 490 mg |
| 14 | Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone | 75 g | 368 mg | 29% | 490 mg |
| 15 | Beef, liver, pan-fried | 75 g | 364 mg | 29% | 485 mg |
| 16 | Veal, liver, pan-fried | 75 g | 362 mg | 29% | 483 mg |
| 17 | Nuts, almonds, dried, unblanched, unroasted | 60 ml whole | 173 mg | 14% | 481 mg |
| 18 | Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted | 60 ml | 146 mg | 12% | 469 mg |
| 19 | Cereal, ready to eat, Cheerios, General Mills (fortified) | 250 ml | 133 mg | 11% | 448 mg |
| 20 | Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried | 75 g | 332 mg | 27% | 442 mg |
| 21 | Cheese, swiss (emmental) | 50 g | 219 mg | 18% | 438 mg |
| 22 | Lamb, liver, pan-fried | 75 g | 320 mg | 26% | 427 mg |
| 23 | Egg, chicken, yolk, cooked | 1 yolk | 65.0 mg | 5% | 381 mg |
| 24 | Fish, salmon, pink, canned, drained solids with bone | 75 g | 284 mg | 23% | 379 mg |
| 25 | Fish, salmon, chinook (spring), baked or broiled | 75 g | 278 mg | 22% | 371 mg |
| 26 | Beef, thymus, braised | 75 g | 273 mg | 22% | 364 mg |
| 27 | Peanuts, all types, dry roasted | 60 ml | 134 mg | 11% | 363 mg |
| 28 | Fish, caviar, black and red, granular | 15 ml | 58.0 mg | 5% | 356 mg |
| 29 | Nuts, walnuts, English or Persian | 60 ml chopped | 103 mg | 8% | 346 mg |
| 30 | Mollusks, clam, mixed species, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 254 mg | 20% | 338 mg |
Source: Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition). Amounts per 100 g and per serving as listed by the CNF; servings use CNF measures such as one Canada’s Food Guide serving of meat (75 g).
What to know
- Seeds lead per 100 g; hard cheese, sardines and liver follow.
- People with kidney disease are often told to limit phosphorus; follow your care team’s advice.
See also: the beef liver guide, the organ meats guide and the best beef liver supplements in Canada.
FAQ
What food has the most phosphorus?
Hulled hemp seeds, then roasted pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, in the Canadian Nutrient File 2026.
How much phosphorus do I need a day?
The Daily Value on Canadian labels is 1,250 mg.
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Written by the team at Rise Nutrition, Toronto, Canada’s single-ingredient ancestral nutrition brand. Questions: ray@risenutritions.ca
