The only true collagen rich foods are animal parts with connective tissue: skin, bones, tendons, tough cuts of meat, fish skin, bone broth and gelatin. Fruit, vegetables, beans and nuts contain no collagen at all, yet they still matter, because they supply the vitamin C, zinc, copper and protein your body needs to build its own.
So there are two lists worth knowing. One is foods that contain collagen. The other is foods that help you make it. Below you will find both, plus an easy bone broth you can make at home, and a plain answer on gelatin versus collagen.
At a glance
Foods with collagen
Chicken feet and wings, pork and chicken skin, fish skin, oxtail, shin and other tough cuts, bone broth, gelatin.Foods that help you make it
Citrus, guava, peppers and amla for vitamin C; shellfish, pulses and seeds for zinc and copper; eggs, dairy, soy and fish for protein.Gelatin vs collagen
Gelatin is cooked, partly broken down collagen that sets when cool.Bone broth
Contains collagen as gelatin, but the amount varies widely from pot to pot.What happens when you eat it
Collagen from food is digested into amino acids and small peptides; it does not travel straight to your skin.
Collagen rich foods: the full table
The table splits foods by what they give you. "Collagen itself" means the food contains collagen or gelatin. "Building blocks" means it gives the nutrients your body uses to build collagen.
| Food | What it gives | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken feet | Collagen itself | Mostly skin, tendon and cartilage; a classic soup base in Chinese, Korean, South African and Latin American cooking |
| Pork skin, pig trotters | Collagen itself | Very high in connective tissue; not suitable for halal, kosher or vegetarian diets |
| Chicken wings and skin | Collagen itself | Skin and joints carry collagen; the meat adds complete protein |
| Fish skin and small whole fish | Collagen itself | Fish skin is mostly type I collagen; eating small fish whole adds calcium too |
| Oxtail, beef shin, brisket, cheek | Collagen itself | Tough cuts that turn soft with slow, wet cooking as collagen melts into gelatin |
| Bone broth | Collagen itself (as gelatin) | Contains gelatin and amino acids, in amounts that vary a lot |
| Gelatin, jelly desserts | Collagen itself | Partly broken down collagen; sweet jellies are mostly sugar, so plain gelatin is better |
| Eggs | Building blocks | Complete protein with plenty of glycine and proline |
| Milk, yoghurt, paneer, cheese | Building blocks | Complete protein; dairy is rich in proline |
| Fish, chicken, lean meat | Building blocks | Complete protein plus zinc |
| Oysters, crab, lobster | Building blocks | Among the richest sources of zinc and copper |
| Lentils, chickpeas, beans, soy, tofu | Building blocks | Plant protein, zinc and copper |
| Pumpkin seeds, cashews, sesame | Building blocks | Zinc, copper and manganese |
| Citrus, guava, kiwi, strawberries, amla | Building blocks | Vitamin C, which collagen making enzymes cannot work without |
| Bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, leafy greens | Building blocks | Vitamin C plus other protective plant compounds |
The US NIH puts daily vitamin C needs at 75 mg (women) and 90 mg (men), and smokers need extra. One orange, a handful of strawberries or half a bell pepper goes a long way.
Where does collagen come from in food?
Collagen in food comes from the same places it sits in an animal's body: skin, bone, tendons, cartilage and the connective tissue that wraps muscle. That is why a lean chicken breast has little, while a chicken foot is mostly collagen.
Muscle meat itself is not a big source. The collagen is in the parts many people throw away. Cooking traditions around the world use them for exactly that reason: Korean beef bone soup, Indian paya made from goat or lamb trotters, Filipino bulalo, Jewish chicken soup, Vietnamese pho made from beef bones, and Chinese braised fish maw. If you eat meat, putting these back on the menu is the most natural source of collagen there is.
Does bone broth have collagen?
Yes, but not in a dependable amount. Bone broth collagen is present as gelatin, and how much ends up in the cup depends on the bones used, the water ratio and how long it simmered. A study that tested homemade, café and shop broths found big differences between batches, and shop broths had less than home recipes. Researchers concluded bone broth is not a reliable source if you want a set daily amount.
That does not make it worthless. A broth that sets firm in the fridge has plenty of gelatin, and broth is a warm, filling way to get protein and minerals. Just do not treat one cup as equal to a measured scoop. If you want a known number of grams, a collagen powder lists it on the label.
Gelatin vs collagen: is gelatin collagen?
Gelatin starts as collagen, then heat partly breaks it down. It still has long chains, so it dissolves in hot water and sets into a jelly when it cools. Hydrolyzed collagen, the powder on supplement shelves, is cut further into short fragments, which is why it dissolves in cold drinks and never sets.
| Feature | Gelatin | Collagen peptides |
|---|---|---|
| Made from | Animal skin and bones | Animal skin, bones or fish scales |
| Chain length | Long | Short |
| Dissolves in | Hot liquid only | Hot or cold liquid |
| Sets when cool | Yes | No |
| Used in | Jellies, gummies, broths, desserts | Powders, capsules, drinks |
| Amino acids | The same building blocks | The same building blocks |
So does gelatin have collagen? It is collagen, in a partly cooked form. Both are digested into similar amino acids. A collagen jelly made from plain gelatin and fruit is a reasonable snack; a bright, sweet packet jelly is mostly sugar.
What happens to collagen from food in your body
When you eat collagen, your stomach and gut break it into single amino acids and very short chains. These go into the blood and are used wherever the body needs them, whether that is skin, muscle, gut lining or something else. Your body decides; your plate does not. The Harvard Nutrition Source makes the same point about collagen in food and supplements.
Some of those short chains may act as signals that encourage skin cells to make more collagen, which is the idea behind the supplement trials. There are no good trials on collagen rich foods for skin. For the evidence on pills and powders, read do collagen supplements work.
Collagen also misses one essential amino acid, tryptophan, so a collagen diet built on broth and gelatin alone would leave you short. Round out those meals with complete proteins such as eggs, milk, beans with grains, fish or chicken.
Collagen rich foods for vegetarians
Vegetarians cannot get collagen from food, because plants do not make it. What you can do is make sure your body has everything it needs to build its own:
- Protein at each meal: dal, chickpeas, rajma, tofu, tempeh, paneer, curd, eggs if you eat them.
- Vitamin C daily: amla, guava, oranges, lemon on your food, tomatoes, capsicum.
- Zinc and copper: cashews, til (sesame), sunflower seeds, millets, pulses.
Our page on vegan collagen explains what plant based "collagen" products contain and whether they are worth it.
Food or supplement: what to choose
Use this quick guide.
| If you | Then |
|---|---|
| Eat meat and enjoy slow cooking | Add bone broth, trotters, wings or fish skin a few times a week |
| Want a measured daily amount to match the trials | A hydrolyzed powder gives a known gram count per scoop |
| Are vegetarian or vegan | Focus on protein along with zinc, copper and vitamin C |
| Are halal or kosher | Avoid pork; check certification on gelatin and supplements |
| Have gout or kidney problems | Ask your doctor before eating lots of broth, organ meats or collagen |
Whatever you eat, sunscreen and not smoking protect collagen more than any single food. The bigger picture is on what collagen is, and facial skin gets its own page, collagen for skin.
Questions people ask
What foods are highest in collagen?
The richest are animal parts packed with connective tissue: chicken feet, pork skin and trotters, fish skin, oxtail, beef shin and cheek, plus bone broth and plain gelatin. Lean muscle meat has much less. Plant foods have none.
What are the best collagen rich foods for skin?
No food has been shown in trials to improve skin through collagen. A sensible diet for skin includes some collagen foods if you eat meat, plus daily vitamin C from produce and enough protein. Daily sunscreen does more for skin collagen than any food.
Is chicken feet collagen good for you?
Chicken feet are mostly skin, tendon and cartilage, so a broth made from them is rich in gelatin. They are a traditional, low cost soup base. Cook them well and remove the nails first.
How much collagen is in a cup of bone broth?
It varies too much to give one figure. Tests of different broths found large differences between recipes and between home and shop versions. If the broth sets firmly when cold, it holds a good amount of gelatin.
Can I get collagen from fruit?
No. Fruit contains no collagen. Fruits rich in vitamin C, such as guava, amla, oranges and kiwi, help your body make collagen because the enzymes that build it need vitamin C.
Is collagen jelly a good source?
A jelly made from plain gelatin does contain collagen in gelatin form. Most packet jellies are mainly sugar and colouring, and sugar itself can stiffen collagen over time. Make your own with plain gelatin and fruit if you enjoy it.