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 3001–3050 of 8,274 foods
| # | Food | Category | Per 100 g | % DV | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3001 | Doughnut (donut), yeast-leavened, with jelly filling | Baked Products | 1.76 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3002 | Cereal, hot, cream of wheat, quick, prepared | Breakfast cereals | 1.76 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3003 | Mungo beans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3004 | Mungo beans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3005 | Egg, whole, cooked, poached | Dairy and Egg Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3006 | Egg, whole, raw, fresh | Dairy and Egg Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3007 | Turnip greens and turnips, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3008 | Turnip greens and turnips, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3009 | Snacks, granola bar, with coconut, chocolate coated | Snacks | 1.75 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3010 | Candies, truffles, prepared-from-recipe | Sweets | 1.75 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3011 | Candies, truffles, homemade | Sweets | 1.75 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3012 | Beans, mungo, boiled, salted | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3013 | Beans, mungo, boiled | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3014 | Turnip greens and turnips, frozen, boiled, drained | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.75 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3015 | Snacks, FRITOLAY, SUNCHIPS, Multigrain Snack, original flavor | Snacks | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3016 | Peanut butter, smooth style, with salt (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3017 | McDONALD'S, McCHICKEN Sandwich | Fast Foods | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3018 | Peanut butter, smooth style, without salt | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3019 | Infant formula, MEAD JOHNSON, Enfamil Premature 30 Calories, ready to feed, with ARA and DHA | Baby Foods | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3020 | Egg, whole, raw, frozen, pasteurized (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) | Dairy and Egg Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3021 | McDONALD'S, BIG BREAKFAST | Fast Foods | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3022 | Mushrooms, white, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3023 | Corn flour, whole-grain, blue (harina de maiz morado) | Cereal Grains and Pasta | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3024 | Mushrooms, white, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3025 | Snacks, popcorn, caramel-coated, without peanuts | Snacks | 1.74 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3026 | Grains, corn flour, blue, whole-grain | Cereals, Grains and Pasta | 1.74 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3027 | Mushroom, boiled, drained, with salt | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3028 | Snacks, multigrain chips, plain | Snacks | 1.74 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3029 | Yam, flour | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3030 | Snacks, popcorn, caramel-coated, without peanuts | Snacks | 1.74 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3031 | Peanut butter, smooth type, fat and sugar added | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3032 | Peanut butter, smooth type, fat, sugar and salt added | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3033 | Mushroom, boiled, drained | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.74 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3034 | Peanut butter, smooth style, with salt | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.73 mg | 10% | USDA_FF |
| 3035 | Beans, baked, canned, with franks | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.73 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3036 | Bread, naan, whole wheat, commercially prepared, refrigerated | Baked Products | 1.73 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3037 | Beverages, NESTLE, Boost plus, nutritional drink, ready-to-drink | Beverages | 1.73 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3038 | Nuts, chestnuts, european, boiled and steamed | Nut and Seed Products | 1.73 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3039 | Candies, MARS SNACKFOOD US, M&M's Almond Chocolate Candies | Sweets | 1.73 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3040 | Indian, bread, naan, whole-wheat | Baked Products | 1.73 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3041 | Candies, M&M's Almond Chocolate Candies | Sweets | 1.73 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3042 | Fast foods, breakfast, croissant with egg and cheese | Fast Foods | 1.73 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3043 | Beans, baked, canned, with wieners | Legumes and Legume Products | 1.73 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3044 | Nuts, European chestnuts (sweet), boiled and steamed | Nuts and Seeds | 1.73 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3045 | Pancakes, blueberry, prepared from recipe | Baked Products | 1.72 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3046 | Gravy, brown, dry | Soups, Sauces, and Gravies | 1.72 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3047 | Pasta, whole-wheat, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) | Cereal Grains and Pasta | 1.72 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3048 | Mushrooms, shiitake, dried | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1.72 mg | 10% | USDA_SR |
| 3049 | Tourtiere, homemade | Baked Products | 1.72 mg | 10% | CNF |
| 3050 | Pancake, blueberry, homemade | Baked Products | 1.72 mg | 10% | CNF |
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