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 1501–1550 of 8,274 foods

# Food Category Per 100 g % DV Source
1501 Egg, yolk, raw, frozen, salted, pasteurized Dairy and Egg Products 3.40 mg 19% USDA_SR
1502 Bread, whole-wheat, prepared from recipe, toasted Baked Products 3.40 mg 19% USDA_SR
1503 Tennis Bread, plain (Apache) American Indian/Alaska Native Foods 3.40 mg 19% USDA_SR
1504 Jerusalem-artichokes, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 3.40 mg 19% USDA_SR
1505 Cereal, hot, oats, instant: Cookies and Cream, prepared, Quaker Breakfast cereals 3.40 mg 19% CNF
1506 Grains, wheat flour, whole-wheat Cereals, Grains and Pasta 3.40 mg 19% CNF
1507 Bread, whole wheat, homemade (2/3 whole wheat flour), toasted Baked Products 3.40 mg 19% CNF
1508 Beans, french, mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 3.40 mg 19% CNF
1509 Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke), raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 3.40 mg 19% CNF
1510 Snacks, granola bar, KASHI TLC Bar, chewy, mixed flavors Snacks 3.39 mg 19% USDA_SR
1511 Cereals, whole wheat hot natural cereal, dry Breakfast Cereals 3.39 mg 19% USDA_SR
1512 Snacks, trail mix, regular, with chocolate chips, unsalted nuts and seeds Snacks 3.39 mg 19% USDA_SR
1513 Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), toasted Nut and Seed Products 3.39 mg 19% USDA_SR
1514 Snacks, trail mix, regular, with chocolate chips, salted nuts and seeds Snacks 3.39 mg 19% USDA_SR
1515 Granola bar, All Bran, bars and snack bites, all flavours, Kellogg's Baked Products 3.39 mg 19% CNF
1516 Snacks, trail mix, regular with chocolate chips, unsalted Snacks 3.39 mg 19% CNF
1517 Snacks, trail mix, regular, with chocolate chips, salted nuts and seeds Snacks 3.39 mg 19% CNF
1518 Nuts, coconut meat, desiccated, toasted Nuts and Seeds 3.39 mg 19% CNF
1519 Nuts, chestnuts, japanese, dried Nut and Seed Products 3.38 mg 19% USDA_SR
1520 Nuts, Japanese chestnuts, dried Nuts and Seeds 3.38 mg 19% CNF
1521 Cereal, ready to eat, Flax Plus Red Berry Crunch, Nature's Path Breakfast cereals 3.38 mg 19% CNF
1522 Bread, white, commercially prepared Baked Products 3.36 mg 19% USDA_FF
1523 Archway Home Style Cookies, Dutch Cocoa Baked Products 3.36 mg 19% USDA_SR
1524 Wonton wrappers (includes egg roll wrappers) Baked Products 3.36 mg 19% USDA_SR
1525 Sorghum grain Cereal Grains and Pasta 3.36 mg 19% USDA_SR
1526 Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), creamed Nut and Seed Products 3.36 mg 19% USDA_SR
1527 Grains, sorghum Cereals, Grains and Pasta 3.36 mg 19% CNF
1528 Wonton wrapper (egg roll wrapper) Baked Products 3.36 mg 19% CNF
1529 Nuts, coconut meat, desiccated, creamed Nuts and Seeds 3.36 mg 19% CNF
1530 Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, as purchased Cereal Grains and Pasta 3.35 mg 19% USDA_SR
1531 Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, as purchased Cereals, Grains and Pasta 3.35 mg 19% CNF
1532 Crackers, whole-wheat Baked Products 3.34 mg 19% USDA_SR
1533 Bread, egg, toasted Baked Products 3.34 mg 19% USDA_SR
1534 Bread, multigrain, commercial, reduced sodium, toasted Baked Products 3.34 mg 19% CNF
1535 Cracker, whole-wheat Baked Products 3.34 mg 19% CNF
1536 Bread, multigrain, toasted Baked Products 3.34 mg 19% CNF
1537 Bread, egg, (challah), toasted Baked Products 3.34 mg 19% CNF
1538 Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt Legumes and Legume Products 3.33 mg 18% USDA_SR
1539 Bread, white, commercially prepared, toasted Baked Products 3.33 mg 18% USDA_SR
1540 Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, Shredded Wheat, bagged cereal Breakfast Cereals 3.33 mg 18% USDA_SR
1541 Bread, white, commercially prepared, toasted, low sodium no salt Baked Products 3.33 mg 18% USDA_SR
1542 Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt Legumes and Legume Products 3.33 mg 18% USDA_SR
1543 Rice, white, long-grain, parboiled, enriched, dry Cereal Grains and Pasta 3.33 mg 18% USDA_SR
1544 Pasta, whole grain, 51% whole wheat, remaining unenriched semolina, dry Cereal Grains and Pasta 3.33 mg 18% USDA_SR
1545 Lentils, boiled, salted Legumes and Legume Products 3.33 mg 18% CNF
1546 Lentils, boiled Legumes and Legume Products 3.33 mg 18% CNF
1547 Cereal, ready to eat, Muffets, Quaker Breakfast cereals 3.33 mg 18% CNF
1548 Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), not sweetened Nut and Seed Products 3.32 mg 18% USDA_SR
1549 Olives, ripe, canned (jumbo-super colossal) Fruits and Fruit Juices 3.32 mg 18% USDA_SR
1550 Spanish rice mix, dry mix, unprepared Meals, Entrees, and Side Dishes 3.32 mg 18% USDA_SR

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