Red meat and poultry dominate this ranking because their iron binds easily to the proteins that carry oxygen through your blood. Animal tissues contain haem iron, the form your body absorbs with the fewest obstacles. Plant foods hold non-haem iron, which your gut takes up less readily and only when other compounds in the meal do not block it.
Iron concentrates in organ meats, then muscle meats, then leafy greens and legumes. A single ranking cannot show you absorption rates. Two foods with the same iron count per 100 g deliver different amounts to your bloodstream depending on what else you eat alongside them.
Without animal foods, you lose access to haem iron. Plant sources and fortified foods supply non-haem iron instead, which your body absorbs at a lower rate and loses to interference from phytates, tannins and polyphenols in the same meal. Eating vitamin C alongside iron-rich plants improves uptake substantially. Many fortified cereals and plant milks contain added iron in amounts comparable to meat, but absorption remains the limiting factor on a vegetarian or vegan diet.
FDA daily value: 18 mg
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Showing 501–550 of 6,739 foods
| # | Food | Category | Per 100 g | % DV | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | Leeks, (bulb and lower-leaf portion), freeze-dried | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 7.60 mg | 42% | USDA_SR |
| 502 | Leeks (bulb and lower-leaf portion), freeze-dried | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 7.60 mg | 42% | CNF |
| 503 | Mungo beans, mature seeds, raw | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.57 mg | 42% | USDA_SR |
| 504 | Beans, mungo, raw | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.57 mg | 42% | CNF |
| 505 | Flour, amaranth | Cereal Grains and Pasta | 7.56 mg | 42% | USDA_FF |
| 506 | Grains, amaranth, flour | Cereals, Grains and Pasta | 7.55 mg | 42% | CNF |
| 507 | Lima beans, large, mature seeds, raw | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.51 mg | 42% | USDA_SR |
| 508 | Beans, lima, dry, large, raw | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.51 mg | 42% | CNF |
| 509 | Babyfood, cereal, oatmeal, with applesauce and bananas, junior, fortified | Baby Foods | 7.50 mg | 42% | USDA_SR |
| 510 | Babyfood, cereal, oatmeal, with applesauce and bananas, strained | Baby Foods | 7.50 mg | 42% | USDA_SR |
| 511 | Infant formula, MEAD JOHNSON, ENFAMIL, ENFAGROW, GENTLEASE, Toddler transitions, with ARA and DHA, powder | Baby Foods | 7.50 mg | 42% | USDA_SR |
| 512 | Gravy, brown instant, dry | Soups, Sauces, and Gravies | 7.40 mg | 41% | USDA_SR |
| 513 | Toddler formula, MEAD JOHNSON, ENFAGROW, Toddler Transitions, with ARA and DHA, powder | Baby Foods | 7.40 mg | 41% | USDA_SR |
| 514 | Gravy, brown instant, dry | Soups, Sauces and Gravies | 7.40 mg | 41% | CNF |
| 515 | Lentils, pink or red, raw | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.39 mg | 41% | USDA_SR |
| 516 | Lentils, pink, raw | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.39 mg | 41% | CNF |
| 517 | Cereal, ready to eat, Muslix: Almond Raisin, Kellogg's | Breakfast cereals | 7.35 mg | 41% | CNF |
| 518 | Flour, soy, defatted | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.34 mg | 41% | USDA_FF |
| 519 | Wheat flour, white, cake, enriched | Cereal Grains and Pasta | 7.32 mg | 41% | USDA_SR |
| 520 | Beans, Dry, Light Tan (0% moisture) | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.29 mg | 40% | USDA_FF |
| 521 | Beans, Dry, Light Tan (0% moisture) | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.29 mg | 40% | USDA_FF |
| 522 | Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried | Nut and Seed Products | 7.28 mg | 40% | USDA_SR |
| 523 | Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried | Nuts and Seeds | 7.28 mg | 40% | CNF |
| 524 | Seasoning mix, dry, taco, original | Spices and Herbs | 7.20 mg | 40% | USDA_SR |
| 525 | Seasoning mix, taco, dry mix | Spices and Herbs | 7.20 mg | 40% | CNF |
| 526 | Elk, free range, ground, raw (Shoshone Bannock) | American Indian/Alaska Native Foods | 7.17 mg | 40% | USDA_SR |
| 527 | Lentils, dry | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.16 mg | 40% | USDA_FF |
| 528 | Babyfood, cereal, ready to eat, 'O' shaped | Babyfoods | 7.14 mg | 40% | CNF |
| 529 | Pancakes, whole wheat, dry mix, incomplete | Baked Products | 7.11 mg | 40% | USDA_SR |
| 530 | Desserts, rennin, tablets, unsweetened | Sweets | 7.07 mg | 39% | USDA_SR |
| 531 | Dessert, rennin, tablets, unsweetened | Sweets | 7.07 mg | 39% | CNF |
| 532 | Spices, allspice, ground | Spices and Herbs | 7.06 mg | 39% | USDA_SR |
| 533 | Spices, allspice, ground | Spices and Herbs | 7.06 mg | 39% | CNF |
| 534 | Wheat flour, white, tortilla mix, enriched | Cereal Grains and Pasta | 7.05 mg | 39% | USDA_SR |
| 535 | Potatoes, baked, skin only, with salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 7.04 mg | 39% | USDA_SR |
| 536 | Potatoes, baked, skin, without salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 7.04 mg | 39% | USDA_SR |
| 537 | Potato, skin, baked, with salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 7.04 mg | 39% | CNF |
| 538 | Potato, skin, baked | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 7.04 mg | 39% | CNF |
| 539 | Beans, yellow, mature seeds, raw | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.01 mg | 39% | USDA_SR |
| 540 | Beans, yellow, raw | Legumes and Legume Products | 7.01 mg | 39% | CNF |
| 541 | Sesame butter, creamy | Nut and Seed Products | 7.00 mg | 39% | USDA_FF |
| 542 | Sea lion, Steller, kidney (Alaska Native) | American Indian/Alaska Native Foods | 7.00 mg | 39% | USDA_SR |
| 543 | Beans, Dry, Light Red Kidney (0% moisture) | Legumes and Legume Products | 6.95 mg | 39% | USDA_FF |
| 544 | Beans, Dry, Light Red Kidney (0% moisture) | Legumes and Legume Products | 6.95 mg | 39% | USDA_FF |
| 545 | Waffles, plain, frozen, ready -to-heat, toasted | Baked Products | 6.91 mg | 38% | USDA_SR |
| 546 | Waffle, plain, frozen, ready-to-heat, toasted | Baked Products | 6.91 mg | 38% | CNF |
| 547 | Babyfood, cereal, mixed, with applesauce and bananas, junior, fortified | Baby Foods | 6.81 mg | 38% | USDA_SR |
| 548 | Babyfood, cereal, mixed, with applesauce and bananas, strained | Baby Foods | 6.81 mg | 38% | USDA_SR |
| 549 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt | Nut and Seed Products | 6.81 mg | 38% | USDA_SR |
| 550 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 6.81 mg | 38% | USDA_SR |
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