The Best Yellow Foods (30 Yellow Foods You Should Know About)

One of the best things about food is how vibrant and colorful it can be. No color says that better than yellow.

Perfect for adding a ray of sunshine to a dish, there are a huge variety of yellow foods to choose from, all coming from a wide range of different food classifications.

That’s not all though, most yellow foods, whether it be a vegetable, fruit, or condiment are also super healthy, offering us our daily dose of nutrients and minerals.

To give you an idea of just how many yellow foods there are, we’ve done the research and compiled a list of the best 30. In this post, we’ll take you through each one!

Quick Answer: The Best Yellow Foods (30 Yellow Foods You Should Know About): Some of the best foods that are yellow include – Asian pears, butter, cheese, corn, cornflakes, durian, eggs, eggfruit, French fries, honey, jackfruit, golden zucchini, lemon, mango, mustard, passion fruit, olive oil, Peter’s honey fig, pineapple, and Yukon gold potatoes. 

Stick around if you have the time because we’ll look at these yellow foods and others in more detail. 

A Quick Comparison

Below you’ll find a table that compares the different yellow foods we’ll be looking at in this post. It shows what food class the food falls into and how many calories you can expect per 100 grams. 

Yellow Food	Food Class	Calories (Per 100 g)
Banana	Fruit	89
Butter	Dairy Product	717
Asian Pears	Fruit	42
Chrysanthemum Flower Tea	Beverage	27
Cheese	Dairy Product	402
Corn	Vegetable And Cereal Grain	96
Durian	Fruit	147
Corn Flakes	Cereal	357
Eggs	Protein	155
Eggfruit	Fruit	138
Golden Zucchini	Vegetable	16
French Fries	Vegetable	312
Jackfruit	Fruit	94
Honey	Sugar And Sweetener	304
Lemon	Fruit	29
Longan	Fruit	60
Loquats	Fruit	47
Mirabelle Plum	Fruit	77
Mango	Fruit	60
Olive Oil	Fruit	884
Mustard	Herbs And Spices	68
Rutabaga	Vegetable	38
Passion Fruit	Fruit	97
Peter’s Honey Fig	Fruit	74
Pineapple	Fruit	50
Yellow Rice	Grains	95
Starfruit	Fruit	31
Yellow Squash	Fruit	16
Yukon Gold Potatoes	Vegetable	100
Saffron	Herbs And Spices	310

1. Banana

There seems no better place to start than the world-famous banana. Arguably the most popular yellow food in the world, the banana is a curvy yellow fruit packed with flavor and goodness.

Part of the Musaceae family, this yellow fruit is a tropical flowering plant that provides us with our daily supply of minerals and vitamins.

Packed with antioxidants and potassium, bananas also contain a healthy dose of vitamin C, B6, and magnesium. These help to protect us from hypertension.

When ripe, bananas have a wonderfully sweet taste. However, when the skin turns brown, they have a flavor similar to vanilla and honey.

2. Butter

Another popular yellow food is butter. Butter is one of the most versatile foods we can use. Offering a savory flavor, butter can be used in a wide range of cooking and baking. It is primarily used in baking to ensure our cakes rise.

A rich type of dairy product, butter is made out of the protein and fat of milk or cream. It can also be made from almonds for those that can’t eat dairy. 

Ranging in colors from pale yellow to deep yellow, butter is approximately 80% fat. Despite being linked to weight gain, butter is a good source of Vitamins A, D, E, K2, and B12.

3. Asian Pears

Next up, we have Asian pears. Also commonly known by the names Korean, Taiwan, and Japanese pear, Asian pears are interestingly more like a type of apple than a pear. 

Having said that, despite its yellow apple-like appearance, the Asian pear has a more aromatic, sweet-tart taste. 

Belonging to the Rosaceae family, this fruit is a great source of Vitamin C and also contains an abundance of antioxidants that help to support the immune system. They are also known to promote healthy skin.

They go beautifully in a pie or when served with other fruits and yogurt.

4. Chrysanthemum Flower Tea

Containing just 27 calories per 100 g, chrysanthemum flower tea has been used as a traditional medicine for thousands of years. 

Most popular in China, it is believed to lower blood pressure, reduce stress levels, settle the nerves, and reduce inflammation. It is also rich in various minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. 

Naturally caffeine-free and pale yellow in color, chrysanthemum flower tea is a herbal beverage made from the flowers of the chrysanthemum plant. The tea has a mildly sweet taste, with a delicate hint of butter. 

The flavor isn’t too dissimilar to that of the jasmine or lavender flower.

5. Cheese

Of course cheese was going to make our list. After all, it is one of the tastiest yellow foods the world has to offer. 

Another dairy product, cheese is made by coagulating protein casein from cow, sheep, goat, or buffalo milk. Originally white in color, annatto can then be added to the cheese to make it yellow in color. Some cheeses are even made red in color. 

There are a number of yellow cheeses on offer but the most popular has to be cheddar cheese. 

One of the most used food products globally, cheddar cheese has an extensive list of cooking uses. This is great as it contains high amounts of protein and calcium. 

6. Corn

More commonly known as sweetcorn or maize, corn is recognized as a type of vegetable and cereal grain. 

It may surprise you but corn is actually the United States’ most important crop. This is because it is a staple food all over the world. Yellow corn or sweetcorn is typically grilled or boiled and served with salt and butter.

Aside from having a number of roles in the kitchen, corn is also used to feed our livestock. It can even be used to make biofuel. 

A good source of Vitamin B, niacin, thiamin, and folate, corn has a sweet, yet soft buttery flavor.

7. Durian

Unless you’ve been to Asia, then chances are you won’t have heard of or seen the durian fruit before. Also known as “the king fruit” or “smelly fruit”, the durian is a large yellow, thorn-covered fruit.

It gets the name “smelly fruit” as a consequence of its awful, rotting flesh-like, sewer-like odor. 

However, ask any durian lover and they’ll tell you just how good it tastes. This sweet, creamy-tasting fruit can be eaten raw, baked into a dessert, or even put on a pizza.

It’s full of Vitamin B, C, nutrients, and fiber. 

8. Corn Flakes

Invented in the 1870s, cornflakes are a hugely popular breakfast favorite made from corn grits. 

To make the cereal, the corn grits are rolled before being cooked, dried, and finally toasted. They are then ready to serve with milk. 

Despite coming with a range of beneficial vitamins, most brands of corn flakes also come with a lot of added sugar. They are also surprisingly low in fiber.

However, corn flakes still make up part of a healthy diet, particularly when eaten with fruit.

9. Eggs

Next on our list of yellow foods is eggs. Eggs make our list thanks to their vibrant yellow-orange yolks. These yolks lend themselves perfectly to a wide range of delicious, and incredibly healthy dishes.

Of course, the most common and versatile of those is the omelet or scrambled eggs. 

Nutritionally, eggs provide a wonderful source of protein. However, they also contain essential omega-3 fatty acids and tonnes of nutrients. 

Thanks to how filling they are, they also help with weight loss as they help stave off hunger. 

10. Eggfruit

Sticking to the theme of eggs, next up, we have eggfruit. If you’ve never heard of the eggfruit before it’s probably because you know it as the Canistel fruit. 

This oval-shaped fruit, with a pointed tip, is known as the eggfruit because its bright flesh shares a similar texture to a hard-boiled egg yolk.

Belonging to the Sapotaceae family, eggfruit has a sweet taste with subtle undertones that resemble the flavor of pumpkin, sweet potato, and mango. 

Typically eaten on its own, the eggfruit is full of beta carotene. This helps to provide our bodies with a good dose of calcium and phosphorus. 

11. Golden Zucchini

The next yellow-colored food item on this list is the golden zucchini. Also known by the names baby marrow and courgette, the golden zucchini is a vegetable and a variety of summer squash.

Deep yellow or even orange in color, this type of zucchini looks a little bit like a straighter banana. 

The best thing about it is that everything from the skin, seeds, and flesh can be eaten. Low in calories, this vegetable is also incredibly healthy. It provides decent levels of pro-vitamin 

A, potassium, and folate.

12. French Fries

Moving on to a more unhealthy yellow food that we all love, French fries are another yellow food. 

Arguably everyone’s favorite junk food, these potato slices aren’t very healthy but they taste great. In fact, is there anything better than biting into a hot, fresh, salty fry? We find them hard to beat.

While French fries are generally considered bad for our health, research on blood parameters found that when compared to other forms of carbohydrates, French fries actually help reduce blood pressure, insulin, and glucose levels more. 

This is good to know the next time you want a guilt-free treat.

13. Jackfruit

Another incredibly vibrant fruit is jackfruit. This large, oval-shaped spiky fruit may have a green exterior but inside you’ll find a bright yellow flesh.

Potentially weighing up to 100 lbs, this yellow flesh as well as the seeds and pods are 100% edible. The jackfruit is so popular in parts of Asia that it is even the national fruit of both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

When fully ripe, jackfruit has a pineapple-like texture and sweet taste. However, it is most commonly used in the Western world as a meat alternative. Therefore, it is eaten before it is ripe as it has a more savory taste. 

It is also rich in potassium and Vitamin C.

14. Honey

The chances are we all know what honey is, but if not, honey is a type of natural sweetener produced by honey bees. It comes from honeydew or floral nectar. 

A lot of people would argue that honey has a more orangey color but it is also available in a much lighter yellow color. This sticky, delicious sweetener has a super sweet taste that goes well in a wide range of dishes and medicines.

More simply, it tastes awesome on a slice of toast. 

In terms of what else honey offers, it contains an amazing supply of antioxidants and low levels of fat.

15. Lemon

A type of citrus fruit, lemon might just be the most yellow of yellow foods. Not only does it have a vibrant yellow exterior, but its flesh is also incredibly bright and yellow.

Accompanying fish and meat dishes perfectly, lemons have a sharp, sour, and acidic flavor. This strong flavor is used to marinade flesh and eliminate any strong smells. 

Packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C, some of the main health benefits associated with lemon include well-regulated blood pressure, a stronger immune system, and weight loss. 

Not only used in cooking, lemon also has strong properties that work in cleaning agents.

16. Longan

Native to Asia, longan is a type of fruit that comes from the Dimocarpus longan plant. Small and circular in shape, they have yellow and brown skins that change color as the fruit matures. 

Inside, each longan fruit has a white, juicy flesh that looks and tastes like a lychee. 

This wonderful tropical fruit comes with a number of excellent health benefits which we have the high levels of antioxidants and Vitamin C to thank.

Once used in traditional medicine, today, the longan fruit is primarily used in dessert recipes and smoothies. Some people even make sweet longan bread.

17. Loquats

Loquats are an unusual species of fruit that belong to the Rosaceae family. Native to South Central China, this type of fruit has smooth yellow skin and juicy sweet flesh. However, depending on the cultivar, the flesh can also be quite sour.

For those that have tried the mangosteen before, the loquats won’t look too strange. They are essentially a yellow version. Those that haven’t seen this fruit before though will find it very odd.

Also known as the Japanese plum, Chinese plum, and Japanese medlar, loquats are a healthy addition to any diet as they contain dietary fiber, Vitamin B16, Vitamin A, and potassium.

18. Mirabelle Plum 

When we think about varieties of plum, most of us picture a classic deep purple-colored fruit. When it comes to the mirabelle plum, those assumptions couldn’t be any further from the truth.

Mirabelle plums are bright yellow in color. When fresh, this soft, juicy fruit has a sweet and tangy taste that goes brilliantly in pies and preserves. Mirabelle plum juice can even be fermented and later used to make a delicious wine or brandy. 

Aside from taste, this variety of plum is packed with potassium and vitamin C. Both help support the immune system and heart.

19. Mango

Typically cultivated across Southeast Asia, the mango is a large tropical fruit known for its leathery yellow rind with a waxy texture and sweet flesh. Also available in red and pink, the mango and its fibrous texture can be eaten fresh or dried. 

While most people eat it for breakfast, others like to include it in a fresh fruit salad for dessert. 

Unripe mango is also used in Asian cuisine to add a sour kick to a range of chili sauces. 

A super healthy fruit, mangos contain plenty of prebiotic dietary fiber, vitamins, and potassium.

20. Olive Oil

The next yellow food on our list may seem pretty unusual, but seeing as though it’s made out of olives and is yellow in color, it makes our list.

Depending on its quality, olive oil is available in a range of different colors. The most popular of these are yellow and green. This olive-based food product is an essential component of a Mediterranean diet. This is because it contains lots of nutrients that support health. 

Some of the nutrients olive oil contains are antioxidants, and Vitamins A, D, E, and K. However, it must be eaten in moderation as it is calorific. 

With quite a neutral taste, olive oil is also good for the skin. 

21. Mustard

A type of condiment, mustard is one of the most popular sauces we use for meats and salads. 

Incredibly yellow in color, the sauce gets its name from its key ingredient. This key ingredient happens to be the seeds from the mustard plant. These seeds give the sauce a spicy kick that enhances the overall flavor of most dishes.

Other key ingredients include lemon juice, salt, and vinegar. 

Aside from giving food a boost in flavor, mustard is believed to contain omega-3 fatty acids, which give us our daily dose of nutrients. 

22. Rutabaga

You probably know the rutabaga by one of its other names such as Swede or Swedish turnip. 

This yellow root vegetable gets its name from the Swedish word “rotabagge”. Unlike most of the foods on this list so far, the rutabaga isn’t very vibrant. Instead, it is a pale yellow color with patches of purple. They resemble the flavor of cabbage but with an extra hint of sweetness.

Best served as a side dish, roasted or mashed is when they taste best. Packed with calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and magnesium, this vegetable is also a great low-carb potato alternative.

23. Passion Fruit

Next on this list is another yellow fruit. The passion fruit belongs to the Passifloraceae family, otherwise known as the Passion Flower family. 

Round in shape, the passion fruit has a thick skin that can be yellow and smooth or purple and bumpy. The appearance of the passion fruit depends on its variety. Inside the passion fruit lies hundreds of black seeds surrounded by a yellow pulp.

Both the pulp and seeds are edible. Both also feature a sweet and acidic taste. 

In terms of health benefits, passion fruits contain amino acids, riboflavin, and niacin.

24. Peter’s Honey Fig

Peter’s honey fig isn’t too different from any other variety of fig. Like other figs, it is super juicy and beautifully sweet. 

The main difference between this fig and the more traditional variety of figs is that this one isn’t purple. Instead, Peter’s honey fig is yellowy-red in color. Some describe the taste of this fig as a combination of honey and syrup.

Despite its sweet taste, this variety of figs is healthy. Containing antioxidants, calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, and Vitamins B and K, this fig also contains high levels of fiber which help the digestive system. 

Most people eat the fig on its own or put it in a pie. Some even make fig jam.

25. Pineapple

Did you know that the pineapple is the third most-produced tropical fruit in the world? Quite impressive isn’t it, especially when you consider how hard they are to grow if conditions aren’t perfect.

The flesh of a pineapple is an extremely yellow and sweet fruit that has many uses in cooking all over the world. In most countries, people eat pineapple fresh, include it in a fruit salad, or use it as a pizza topping. 

Primarily exported from Costa Rica, Brazil, Hawaii, and the Philippines, pineapple and pineapple juice is an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamins so be sure to indulge in your fair share.

26. Yellow Rice

As the name would suggest, the next yellow food on our list is rice that is yellow in color. Made from white rice, yellow rice is a staple part of most cuisines.

In Moroccan cuisine, it is flavored with saffron and ginger, whilst in Spain yellow rice is used to make Spanish Arroz Amarillo. 

In Indian and Indonesian cuisines, yellow rice is used to make rich dishes like biryani and nasi kuning.

Getting its color from turmeric and saffron, yellow rice offers all the usual carbohydrate benefits expected from complex carbs. It also contains antioxidants and nutrients.

27. Starfruit

This vibrant yellow, unusually shaped fruit is also known by the name carambola. Native to Southeast Asia, it has a sweet, but sour taste that goes nicely in a smoothie or on its own.

Despite the name, at first glance, the starfruit doesn’t look anything like a star. Only when it’s cut can we see where it gets its name from. When sliced, the small pieces of fruit are uniquely shaped like a star. 

Starfruit is a fantastic source of Vitamin C and fiber, but it does tend to contain high levels of oxalates too. Therefore, anyone with kidney problems should consult a doctor before eating the fruit. 

This is because the high levels of oxalates could cause toxicity.

28. Yellow Squash

Another yellow variety of summer squash is, of course, the yellow squash. Ranging from pale yellow, all the way to green, the yellow squash has a soft, thin skin that can be eaten. 

Despite being related to the golden zucchini, the yellow squash shares more characteristics with a squash fruit. 

As well as the skin, the yellow squash pulp can be used to make a wide range of different dishes. Thanks to its versatility, the yellow squash can be roasted, grilled, fried, or eaten raw. 

In regard to flavor, it tastes sweet but also has nutty undertones. 

29. Yukon Gold Potatoes

The penultimate yellow food on our list is Yukon gold potatoes. While most potatoes have flesh that is relatively yellow in color, the yellowest of them all is the famous Yukon gold potato. 

Originally developed in Ontario, Canada, this variety of potatoes is recognized for its eye-free, smooth, thin skin. Perfect for making home fries, this skin goes amazingly crispy and the flesh helps to create that divine yellow-colored fry we all love. 

This potato, like others, is high in potassium and Vitamin C. Other uses for the Yukon gold potato include making roast potatoes and mash. 

30. Saffron

The final yellow food on our list is saffron. Saffron is a yellow spice most well known for being the most expensive spice in the world. 

While this may seem surprising, when you consider it takes 75,000 individual saffron flowers to make one pound of the spice, it’s not hard to see why. 

The spice originated in Greece but today over 90% of its production comes from Iran. 

Rich in antioxidants, the spice gets its deep yellow color from a carotenoid pigment found in the flowers. 

When researched, studies have found that the chemical ingredients in saffron help control hunger and promote weight loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Healthiest Yellow Foods?

There are more healthier yellow foods than unhealthy ones, with most containing plenty of Vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. Of all the yellow foods out there, some of the healthiest are bananas, yellow squash, corn, mangos, and lemons.

Why Are Foods Yellow In Color?

Yellow foods get their color from a wide range of molecules. This includes carotenoids, betalains, and anthocyanins. The most important of these molecules when it comes to making foods yellow are carotenoids.

What Is The Benefit Of Yellow Foods?

Yellow foods not only contain a wide variety of essential nutrients and Vitamins, but they also have an instant impact on our mood. That’s not all though! They are also essential for maintaining healthy skin, bones, and hair. 

What Snacks Are Yellow?

Some of the best yellow snacks are tortilla chips, banana pudding, pineapple rings, vegetable sticks, cornbread, and lemon Jell-O Jigglers.