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 1601–1650 of 8,274 foods

#	Food	Category	Per 100 g	% DV	Source
1601	Leavening agent, yeast, baker's, compressed	Baked Products	3.25 mg	18%	CNF
1602	Bread stuffing, cornbread, dry mix, unprepared	Baked Products	3.25 mg	18%	CNF
1603	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, MOTHER'S Cinnamon Oat Crunch	Breakfast Cereals	3.24 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1604	Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce	Legumes and Legume Products	3.24 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1605	Potatoes, raw, skin	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.24 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1606	Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce	Legumes and Legume Products	3.24 mg	18%	CNF
1607	Potato, skin, raw	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.24 mg	18%	CNF
1608	Flour, almond	Nut and Seed Products	3.23 mg	18%	USDA_FF
1609	Cookies, chocolate chip, commercially prepared, regular, lower fat	Baked Products	3.22 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1610	Nuts, mixed nuts, dry roasted, with peanuts, salt added, CHOSEN ROASTER	Nut and Seed Products	3.22 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1611	Bread, sprouted wheat, commercial	Baked Products	3.22 mg	18%	CNF
1612	Cookie, chocolate chip, commercial, regular, lower fat	Baked Products	3.22 mg	18%	CNF
1613	Phyllo dough	Baked Products	3.21 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1614	Wheat, soft red winter	Cereal Grains and Pasta	3.21 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1615	Lentils, sprouted, raw	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.21 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1616	Grains, wheat, soft red winter	Cereals, Grains and Pasta	3.21 mg	18%	CNF
1617	Phyllo dough	Baked Products	3.21 mg	18%	CNF
1618	Lentils, sprouted, raw	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.21 mg	18%	CNF
1619	Cookie, vanilla with caramel, coconut, and chocolate coating	Baked Products	3.20 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1620	Pumpkin leaves, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.20 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1621	Pumpkin leaves, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.20 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1622	Pumpkin leaves, boiled, drained, with salt	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.20 mg	18%	CNF
1623	Mountain sorrel, native, leaves, raw	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.20 mg	18%	CNF
1624	Sauce, adobo fresco	Soups, Sauces and Gravies	3.20 mg	18%	CNF
1625	Pumpkin leaves, boiled, drained	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.20 mg	18%	CNF
1626	Cereal, ready to eat, Granola: Apples 'n cinnamon, Rogers	Breakfast cereals	3.20 mg	18%	CNF
1627	Soup, cream, celery, dehydrated	Soups, Sauces and Gravies	3.20 mg	18%	CNF
1628	Farro, pearled, dry, raw	Cereal Grains and Pasta	3.19 mg	18%	USDA_FF
1629	Bread, reduced-calorie, white	Baked Products	3.19 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1630	Wheat, hard red winter	Cereal Grains and Pasta	3.19 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1631	Snacks, popcorn, air-popped	Snacks	3.19 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1632	Grains, wheat, hard red winter	Cereals, Grains and Pasta	3.19 mg	18%	CNF
1633	Snacks, popcorn, air-popped	Snacks	3.19 mg	18%	CNF
1634	Tomato, paste, canned, without salt added	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.19 mg	18%	USDA_FF
1635	Bread, white, prepared from recipe, made with nonfat dry milk	Baked Products	3.18 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1636	Cookies, chocolate sandwich, with creme filling, reduced fat	Baked Products	3.18 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1637	Candies, MARS SNACKFOOD US, COCOAVIA Blueberry and Almond Chocolate Bar	Sweets	3.18 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1638	Breakfast bars, oats, sugar, raisins, coconut (include granola bar)	Snacks	3.18 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1639	Candies, MARS SNACKFOOD US, DOVE Dark Chocolate	Sweets	3.18 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1640	Cookie, chocolate sandwich, cream filling, reduced fat	Baked Products	3.18 mg	18%	CNF
1641	Cereal, ready to eat, Pomegran Plus Cherry Granola, Nature's Path	Breakfast cereals	3.18 mg	18%	CNF
1642	Cereal, ready to eat, Acai Plus Granola, Nature's Path	Breakfast cereals	3.18 mg	18%	CNF
1643	Bread, white, homemade with nonfat dry milk	Baked Products	3.18 mg	18%	CNF
1644	Nuts, almonds, dry roasted, with salt added	Nut and Seed Products	3.17 mg	18%	USDA_FF
1645	Basil, fresh	Spices and Herbs	3.17 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1646	Schar, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Classic White Bread	Baked Products	3.17 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1647	Mary's Gone Crackers, Original Crackers, Organic Gluten Free	Baked Products	3.17 mg	18%	USDA_SR
1648	Basil, fresh	Spices and Herbs	3.17 mg	18%	CNF
1649	Beet greens, raw	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	3.16 mg	18%	USDA_FF
1650	Egg substitute, powder	Dairy and Egg Products	3.16 mg	18%	USDA_SR

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Vegetarian foods high in Iron

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