Last updated: October 11, 2026. Information checked at the time of writing.
Short answer: in Health Canada’s 2026 Canadian Nutrient File, the richest common food is “Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched”, at 1,917 mcg per 100 g. The Daily Value used on Canadian labels is 55 mcg. 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 | Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched | 60 ml | 681 mcg | 1,237% | 1,917 mcg |
| 2 | Pork, kidney, braised | 75 g | 234 mcg | 425% | 312 mcg |
| 3 | Lamb, kidney, braised | 75 g | 164 mcg | 298% | 219 mcg |
| 4 | Beef, kidney, simmered | 75 g | 126 mcg | 229% | 168 mcg |
| 5 | Mollusks, oyster, pacific, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 116 mcg | 210% | 154 mcg |
| 6 | Lamb, liver, pan-fried | 75 g | 87.1 mcg | 158% | 116 mcg |
| 7 | Fish, tuna, yellowfin, baked or broiled | 75 g | 81.2 mcg | 148% | 108 mcg |
| 8 | Beef, spleen, braised | 75 g | 68.5 mcg | 125% | 91.4 mcg |
| 9 | Mollusks, mussel, blue, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 67.2 mcg | 122% | 89.6 mcg |
| 10 | Mollusks, octopus, common, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 67.2 mcg | 122% | 89.6 mcg |
| 11 | Chicken, liver, all classes, cooked, pan-fried | 75 g | 66.2 mcg | 120% | 88.2 mcg |
| 12 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted | 60 ml | 25.7 mcg | 47% | 79.3 mcg |
| 13 | Crustaceans, lobster, american (northern), boiled or steamed | 75 g | 54.8 mcg | 100% | 73.1 mcg |
| 14 | Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained, salt added | 75 g | 53.0 mcg | 96% | 70.6 mcg |
| 15 | Egg, chicken, yolk, cooked | 1 yolk | 11.7 mcg | 21% | 68.9 mcg |
| 16 | Fish, anchovy, european, canned with olive oil, drained solids | 15 g | 10.2 mcg | 19% | 68.1 mcg |
| 17 | Pork, liver, braised | 75 g | 50.6 mcg | 92% | 67.5 mcg |
| 18 | Fish, caviar, black and red, granular | 15 ml | 10.6 mcg | 19% | 65.5 mcg |
| 19 | Mollusks, clam, mixed species, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 48.0 mcg | 87% | 64.0 mcg |
| 20 | Fish, halibut, Atlantic or Pacific, baked or broiled | 75 g | 41.5 mcg | 75% | 55.4 mcg |
| 21 | Seeds, chia seeds, dried | 60 ml | 23.9 mcg | 43% | 55.2 mcg |
| 22 | Fish, tilapia, baked or broiled | 75 g | 40.8 mcg | 74% | 54.4 mcg |
| 23 | Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone | 75 g | 39.5 mcg | 72% | 52.7 mcg |
| 24 | Fish, herring, Atlantic, kippered | 75 g | 39.5 mcg | 72% | 52.6 mcg |
| 25 | Fish, mackerel, atlantic, baked or broiled | 75 g | 38.7 mcg | 70% | 51.6 mcg |
| 26 | Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 37.1 mcg | 67% | 49.5 mcg |
| 27 | Lamb, heart, braised | 75 g | 35.2 mcg | 64% | 47.0 mcg |
| 28 | Fish, herring, Atlantic, baked or broiled | 75 g | 35.1 mcg | 64% | 46.8 mcg |
| 29 | Fish, smelt, rainbow (american, capelin), baked or broiled | 75 g | 35.1 mcg | 64% | 46.8 mcg |
| 30 | Fish, tuna, bluefin, fresh, baked or broiled | 75 g | 35.1 mcg | 64% | 46.8 mcg |
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
- Brazil nuts are extraordinarily high: one 60 ml serving is above the adult upper limit of 400 mcg a day, so a few nuts go a long way.
- After Brazil nuts, kidneys lead, then seafood.
See also: the beef liver guide, the organ meats guide and the best beef liver supplements in Canada.
FAQ
What food has the most selenium?
Brazil nuts, then pork, lamb and beef kidney, in the Canadian Nutrient File 2026.
How much selenium do I need a day?
The Daily Value on Canadian labels is 55 mcg; the adult upper limit is 400 mcg a day.
Can you eat too many Brazil nuts?
Yes. A 60 ml serving exceeds the selenium upper limit, so stick to a few.
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Written by the team at Rise Nutrition, Toronto, Canada’s single-ingredient ancestral nutrition brand. Questions: ray@risenutritions.ca
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