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

Selling a product with iron? Generate a print-ready nutrition label from your recipe.

Showing 51–100 of 8,274 foods

#	Food	Category	Per 100 g	% DV	Source
51	Spices, anise seed	Spices and Herbs	36.96 mg	205%	USDA_SR
52	Spices, anise seeds	Spices and Herbs	36.96 mg	205%	CNF
53	Spices, oregano, dried	Spices and Herbs	36.80 mg	204%	USDA_SR
54	Spices, oregano, ground	Spices and Herbs	36.80 mg	204%	CNF
55	Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, HERSHEY'S European Style Cocoa	Sweets	36.00 mg	200%	USDA_SR
56	Spices, poultry seasoning	Spices and Herbs	35.30 mg	196%	USDA_SR
57	Spices, poultry seasoning	Spices and Herbs	35.30 mg	196%	CNF
58	Babyfood, cereal, mixed grain, with milk powder and fruit, dry	Babyfoods	34.87 mg	194%	CNF
59	Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS, honey roasted	Breakfast Cereals	34.82 mg	193%	USDA_SR
60	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Blueberry MUFFIN TOPS Cereal	Breakfast Cereals	34.29 mg	190%	USDA_SR
61	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, HONEY GRAHAM SQUARES	Breakfast Cereals	33.81 mg	188%	USDA_SR
62	Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS, with almonds	Breakfast Cereals	33.80 mg	188%	USDA_SR
63	Babyfood, cereal, barley, with milk powder, dry	Babyfoods	33.75 mg	188%	CNF
64	Spices, fenugreek seed	Spices and Herbs	33.53 mg	186%	USDA_SR
65	Spices, fenugreek seed	Spices and Herbs	33.53 mg	186%	CNF
66	Cereals, farina, enriched, assorted brands including CREAM OF WHEAT, quick (1-3 minutes), dry	Breakfast Cereals	33.39 mg	186%	USDA_SR
67	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON CRISP RICE	Breakfast Cereals	32.73 mg	182%	USDA_SR
68	Spices, tarragon, dried	Spices and Herbs	32.30 mg	179%	USDA_SR
69	Spices, tarragon, dried	Spices and Herbs	32.30 mg	179%	CNF
70	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON TASTEEOS	Breakfast Cereals	32.14 mg	179%	USDA_SR
71	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER WHOLE HEARTS oat cereal	Breakfast Cereals	32.11 mg	178%	USDA_SR
72	Cereals, CREAM OF WHEAT, 2 1/2 minute cook time, dry	Breakfast Cereals	32.02 mg	178%	USDA_SR
73	Spices, chervil, dried	Spices and Herbs	31.95 mg	178%	USDA_SR
74	Spices, chervil, dried	Spices and Herbs	31.95 mg	178%	CNF
75	Cereals ready-to-eat, wheat, puffed, fortified	Breakfast Cereals	31.70 mg	176%	USDA_SR
76	Cereals ready-to-eat, rice, puffed, fortified	Breakfast Cereals	31.70 mg	176%	USDA_SR
77	Cereals, MALT-O-MEAL, Maple & Brown Sugar Hot Wheat Cereal, dry	Breakfast Cereals	31.29 mg	174%	USDA_SR
78	Babyfood, cereal, soya, with fruit, dry	Babyfoods	31.07 mg	173%	CNF
79	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Honey BUZZERS	Breakfast Cereals	31.03 mg	172%	USDA_SR
80	Babyfood, cereal, mixed grain, with milk powder, dry	Babyfoods	31.02 mg	172%	CNF
81	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, QUAKER CRUNCHY BRAN	Breakfast Cereals	30.98 mg	172%	USDA_SR
82	Cereals, MALT-O-MEAL, original, plain, dry	Breakfast Cereals	30.86 mg	171%	USDA_SR
83	Cereals, QUAKER, corn grits, instant, cheddar cheese flavor, dry	Breakfast Cereals	30.38 mg	169%	USDA_SR
84	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Grits Product with American Cheese Flavor, dry	Breakfast Cereals	30.38 mg	169%	USDA_SR
85	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, CINNAMON TOASTERS	Breakfast Cereals	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
86	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, COLOSSAL CRUNCH	Breakfast Cereals	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
87	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, COCO-ROOS	Breakfast Cereals	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
88	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, MARSHMALLOW MATEYS	Breakfast Cereals	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
89	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, BERRY COLOSSAL CRUNCH	Breakfast Cereals	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
90	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Grits, Butter flavor, dry	Breakfast Cereals	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
91	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Honey Nut SCOOTERS	Breakfast Cereals	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
92	Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, ALPHA-BITS	Breakfast Cereals	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
93	Babyfood, Multigrain whole grain cereal, dry fortified	Baby Foods	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
94	Babyfood, cereal, mixed, dry fortified	Baby Foods	30.00 mg	167%	USDA_SR
95	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, Toasted Multigrain Crisps	Breakfast Cereals	29.90 mg	166%	USDA_SR
96	Cereals, CREAM OF WHEAT, 1 minute cook time, dry	Breakfast Cereals	29.75 mg	165%	USDA_SR
97	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, QUAKER Honey Graham LIFE Cereal	Breakfast Cereals	29.73 mg	165%	USDA_SR
98	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, Oatmeal Squares, cinnamon	Breakfast Cereals	29.50 mg	164%	USDA_SR
99	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Frosted Mini SPOONERS	Breakfast Cereals	29.45 mg	164%	USDA_SR
100	Cereals, ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Blueberry Mini SPOONERS	Breakfast Cereals	29.45 mg	164%	USDA_SR

Need this on a label? Turn these foods into a print-ready Nutrition Facts label.

Make a label

Vegetarian foods high in Iron

Turn these foods into a print-ready nutrition label.