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 6401–6450 of 8,274 foods

# Food Category Per 100 g % DV Source
6401 Cabbage, chinese (pe-tsai), raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6402 Pineapple juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6403 Corn, sweet, white, canned, cream style, regular pack Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6404 Squash, winter, spaghetti, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6405 Mushrooms, portabella, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6406 Litchis, raw Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6407 Cheese, mozzarella, nonfat Dairy and Egg Products 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6408 Potatoes, yellow fleshed, hash brown, shredded, salt added in processing, frozen, unprepared Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6409 Fruit butters, apple Sweets 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6410 Pineapple juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened, with added ascorbic acid Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6411 Kiwifruit, green, raw Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.31 mg 2% USDA_SR
6412 Babyfood, vegetables, jarred, carrots, all stages Babyfoods 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6413 Potato, scalloped, dry mix, prepared with water, 2% milk and margarine Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6414 Potato, boiled without skin, flesh, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6415 Potato, boiled with skin, flesh, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6416 Cheese, mozzarella, nonfat Dairy and Egg Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6417 Mushroom, portabella (portobello), raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6418 Fast foods, side dish, potato, mashed Fast Foods 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6419 Fast foods, entree, salad, vegetable, no dressing, with cheese and egg Fast Foods 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6420 Sweets, fruit butters, apple Sweets 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6421 Juice drink, pineapple and grapefruit, vitamin C added, canned Beverages 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6422 Milk shake (fast food), chocolate Beverages 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6423 Squash, winter, spaghetti, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6424 Potato, boiled without skin, flesh Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6425 Potato, boiled with skin, flesh Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6426 Cabbage, Chinese (pe-tsai), raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6427 Pineapple juice, canned, added vitamin C Fruits and fruit juices 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6428 Lychee (litchi), raw Fruits and fruit juices 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6429 Kiwi fruit, raw Fruits and fruit juices 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6430 Gooseberry raw Fruits and fruit juices 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6431 Apple, dried, sulphured, stewed, added sugar Fruits and fruit juices 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6432 Soup, tomato rice, canned, condensed, water added Soups, Sauces and Gravies 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6433 Hot chocolate, cocoa, homemade, prepared with whole milk Beverages 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6434 Milk, dry, skim, powder, instant Dairy and Egg Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6435 Milk shake, chocolate, thick Beverages 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6436 Cheese, blue Dairy and Egg Products 0.31 mg 2% CNF
6437 Squash, winter, acorn, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 0.31 mg 2% USDA_FF
6438 Nectarines, raw Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.30 mg 2% USDA_FF
6439 Vitasoy USA, Vitasoy Light Vanilla Soymilk Legumes and Legume Products 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6440 Fruit salad, (peach and pear and apricot and pineapple and cherry), canned, water pack, solids and liquids Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6441 Soup, cheese, canned, prepared with equal volume water Soups, Sauces, and Gravies 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6442 Soup, tomato, canned, prepared with equal volume low fat (2%) milk Soups, Sauces, and Gravies 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6443 Beverages, Vegetable and fruit juice drink, reduced calorie, with low-calorie sweetener, added vitamin C Beverages 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6444 Beverages, V8 SPLASH Juice Drinks, Diet Strawberry Kiwi Beverages 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6445 Beverages, Fruit punch drink, frozen concentrate Beverages 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6446 Beverages, coconut milk, sweetened, fortified with calcium, vitamins A, B12, D2 Beverages 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6447 Apricots, canned, extra light syrup pack, with skin, solids and liquids (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6448 Apricots, canned, juice pack, with skin, solids and liquids Fruits and Fruit Juices 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6449 SILK Nog, soymilk Legumes and Legume Products 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR
6450 Cranberry juice cocktail, frozen concentrate Beverages 0.30 mg 2% USDA_SR

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