Vegan foods high in Iron

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 1951–2000 of 6,739 foods

#	Food	Category	Per 100 g	% DV	Source
1951	Buckwheat, whole grain	Cereal Grains and Pasta	2.44 mg	14%	USDA_FF
1952	Sweet rolls, cinnamon, refrigerated dough with frosting	Baked Products	2.44 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1953	Rice and vermicelli mix, rice pilaf flavor, unprepared	Meals, Entrees, and Side Dishes	2.44 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1954	Snacks, oriental mix, rice-based	Snacks	2.44 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1955	Snacks, granola bars, soft, uncoated, raisin	Snacks	2.44 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1956	Grains, rice and vermicelli mix, pilaf flavour, unprepared	Cereals, Grains and Pasta	2.44 mg	14%	CNF
1957	Hummus, commercial	Legumes and Legume Products	2.44 mg	14%	CNF
1958	Snacks, oriental mix, rice-based	Snacks	2.44 mg	14%	CNF
1959	Sweet roll, cinnamon, refrigerated dough, with icing (frosting)	Baked Products	2.44 mg	14%	CNF
1960	Flour, semolina, fine	Cereal Grains and Pasta	2.43 mg	14%	USDA_FF
1961	Cookies, shortbread, commercially prepared, pecan	Baked Products	2.43 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1962	Cake, coffeecake, fruit	Baked Products	2.43 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1963	Crackers, crispbread, rye	Baked Products	2.43 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1964	Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched	Nut and Seed Products	2.43 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1965	Nuts, coconut meat, raw	Nut and Seed Products	2.43 mg	14%	USDA_SR
1966	Cracker, crispbread, rye	Baked Products	2.43 mg	14%	CNF
1967	Cookie, shortbread, pecan, commercial	Baked Products	2.43 mg	14%	CNF
1968	Coffee cake, fruit	Baked Products	2.43 mg	14%	CNF
1969	Bread, pumpernickel, toasted	Baked Products	2.43 mg	14%	CNF
1970	Nuts, coconut meat, raw	Nuts and Seeds	2.43 mg	14%	CNF
1971	Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched	Nuts and Seeds	2.43 mg	14%	CNF
1972	Rolls, dinner, whole-wheat	Baked Products	2.42 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1973	Doughnuts, french crullers, glazed	Baked Products	2.42 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1974	Bread, whole wheat, commercial	Baked Products	2.42 mg	13%	CNF
1975	Roll, dinner, whole wheat	Baked Products	2.42 mg	13%	CNF
1976	Doughnut (donut), French cruller, glazed	Baked Products	2.42 mg	13%	CNF
1977	Hummus, commercial	Legumes and Legume Products	2.41 mg	13%	USDA_FF
1978	Veggie burgers or soyburgers, unprepared	Legumes and Legume Products	2.41 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1979	Bacon, meatless	Legumes and Legume Products	2.41 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1980	McDONALD'S, QUARTER POUNDER	Fast Foods	2.41 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1981	Bread, oat (includes oatmeal and oat bran), commercial	Baked Products	2.41 mg	13%	CNF
1982	Muffin, chocolate chip, commercial	Baked Products	2.41 mg	13%	CNF
1983	Veggie / soy burger patty, unprepared	Legumes and Legume Products	2.41 mg	13%	CNF
1984	Meatless, bacon	Legumes and Legume Products	2.41 mg	13%	CNF
1985	Archway Home Style Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin	Baked Products	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1986	Lima beans, thin seeded (baby), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt	Legumes and Legume Products	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1987	Lima beans, thin seeded (baby), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	Legumes and Legume Products	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1988	Peas, edible-podded, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1989	Peas, edible-podded, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1990	Nuts, formulated, wheat-based, unflavored, with salt added	Nut and Seed Products	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1991	Dock, raw	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1992	Snacks, potato chips, fat-free, made with olestra	Snacks	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1993	Fireweed, leaves, raw	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	2.40 mg	13%	USDA_SR
1994	Cracker, roasted vegetable	Baked Products	2.40 mg	13%	CNF
1995	Cereal, ready to eat, Whole O's, Nature's Path	Breakfast cereals	2.40 mg	13%	CNF
1996	Peas, edible-podded (snow peas), frozen, boiled, drained, with salt	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	2.40 mg	13%	CNF
1997	Fireweed, native, leaves, raw	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	2.40 mg	13%	CNF
1998	Beans, lima, dry, baby, boiled, salted	Legumes and Legume Products	2.40 mg	13%	CNF
1999	Beans, lima, dry, baby, boiled	Legumes and Legume Products	2.40 mg	13%	CNF
2000	Nuts, simulated product, wheat-based, unflavoured, with salt	Nuts and Seeds	2.40 mg	13%	CNF

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Vegan foods high in Iron

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