Vegetarian 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 6051–6100 of 8,274 foods

# Food Category Per 100 g % DV Source
6051 Melons, cantaloupe, raw Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.38 mg 2% USDA_FF
6052 Melons, cantaloupe, raw Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.38 mg 2% USDA_FF
6053 Pie crust, standard-type, frozen, ready-to-bake, unenriched Baked Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6054 Soup, minestrone, canned, prepared with equal volume water Soups, Sauces, and Gravies 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6055 Cake, boston cream pie, commercially prepared Baked Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6056 Sauce, peanut, made from coconut, water, sugar, peanuts Soups, Sauces, and Gravies 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6057 Babyfood, juice, orange and apricot Baby Foods 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6058 Frozen novelties, KLONDIKE, SLIM-A-BEAR Vanilla Sandwich Sweets 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6059 Waxgourd, (chinese preserving melon), cooked, boiled, drained, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6060 Waxgourd, (chinese preserving melon), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6061 Potatoes, scalloped, dry mix, prepared with water, whole milk and butter Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6062 Cabbage, savoy, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6063 Pineapple, canned, extra heavy syrup pack, solids and liquids Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6064 Pineapple, canned, heavy syrup pack, solids and liquids Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6065 Couscous, cooked Cereal Grains and Pasta 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6066 Corn, sweet, white, canned, cream style, no salt added Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6067 Corn, sweet, yellow, canned, cream style, no salt added Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6068 Corn, sweet, yellow, canned, cream style, regular pack Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6069 Cabbage, savoy, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6070 Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6071 Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6072 Puddings, all flavors except chocolate, low calorie, instant, dry mix Sweets 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6073 Nance, frozen, unsweetened Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6074 Guava nectar, canned, with added ascorbic acid Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6075 Desserts, flan, caramel custard, prepared-from-recipe Sweets 0.38 mg 2% USDA_SR
6076 Sauce, peanut (made from coconut, water, sugar, peanuts) Soups, Sauces and Gravies 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6077 Waxgourd (Chinese perserving melon), boiled, drained, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6078 Corn, sweet, canned, cream style, unsalted Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6079 Cabbage, savoy, boiled, drained, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6080 Balsam-pear (bitter gourd, bitter melon), pods, boiled, drained, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6081 Dessert, flan, caramel custard, homemade Sweets 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6082 Dessert, pudding, all flavours except chocolate, dry mix, instant, low calorie, unprepared Sweets 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6083 Grains, couscous, cooked Cereals, Grains and Pasta 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6084 Cake, Boston cream pie, commercial Baked Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6085 Alcohol, table wine, rosé (11.5% alcohol by volume) Beverages 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6086 Potato, scalloped, dry mix, prepared with water, whole milk and butter Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6087 Corn, sweet, canned, cream style Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6088 Waxgourd (Chinese perserving melon), boiled, drained Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6089 Cabbage, savoy, boiled, drained Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6090 Balsam-pear (bitter gourd, bitter melon), pods, boiled, drained Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6091 Pineapple, canned, extra heavy syrup pack, solids and liquid Fruits and fruit juices 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6092 Pineapple, canned heavy syrup pack, solids and liquid Fruits and fruit juices 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6093 Apricot nectar, canned Fruits and fruit juices 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6094 Soup, minestrone, canned, condensed, water added Soups, Sauces and Gravies 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6095 Cheese, ricotta, with whole milk Dairy and Egg Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6096 Cheese, cream Dairy and Egg Products 0.38 mg 2% CNF
6097 Potatoes, gold, without skin, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.37 mg 2% USDA_FF
6098 Babyfood, vegetables, carrots, strained Baby Foods 0.37 mg 2% USDA_SR
6099 Fast foods, sundae, hot fudge Fast Foods 0.37 mg 2% USDA_SR
6100 Alcoholic beverage, wine, table, all Beverages 0.37 mg 2% USDA_SR

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