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 3151–3200 of 8,274 foods

# Food Category Per 100 g % DV Source
3151 Mustard greens, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.64 mg 9% CNF
3152 Pie crust, cookie-type, prepared from recipe, vanilla wafer, chilled Baked Products 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3153 Snacks, potato chips, plain, unsalted Snacks 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3154 Snacks, potato chips, plain, made with partially hydrogenated soybean oil, unsalted Snacks 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3155 Turnip greens and turnips, frozen, unprepared Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3156 Potatoes, au gratin, dry mix, unprepared Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3157 Snacks, potato chips, plain, made with partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salted Snacks 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3158 Snacks, tortilla chips, nacho-flavor, reduced fat Snacks 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3159 Candies, milk chocolate, with almonds Sweets 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3160 Snacks, tortilla chips, light (baked with less oil) Snacks 1.63 mg 9% USDA_SR
3161 Snacks, tortilla chips, light (baked with less oil) Snacks 1.63 mg 9% CNF
3162 Snacks, tortilla chips, nacho, light Snacks 1.63 mg 9% CNF
3163 Candies, bars, Hershey's Milk Chocolate with almonds Sweets 1.63 mg 9% CNF
3164 Pie crust, cookie-type, vanilla wafer, homemade, chilled Baked Products 1.63 mg 9% CNF
3165 Turnip greens and turnips, frozen, unprepared Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.63 mg 9% CNF
3166 Potato, au gratin, dry mix, unprepared Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.63 mg 9% CNF
3167 Flour, chestnut Nut and Seed Products 1.62 mg 9% USDA_FF
3168 Cake, pound, commercially prepared, other than all butter, enriched Baked Products 1.62 mg 9% USDA_SR
3169 Snacks, granola bar, KASHI GOLEAN, chewy, mixed flavors Snacks 1.62 mg 9% USDA_SR
3170 Cheese, goat, semisoft type Dairy and Egg Products 1.62 mg 9% USDA_SR
3171 Archway Home Style Cookies, Frosty Lemon Baked Products 1.62 mg 9% USDA_SR
3172 Muffins, blueberry, dry mix Baked Products 1.62 mg 9% USDA_SR
3173 Refried beans, canned, fat-free Legumes and Legume Products 1.62 mg 9% USDA_SR
3174 Restaurant, Mexican, refried beans Restaurant Foods 1.62 mg 9% USDA_SR
3175 Refried beans Legumes and Legume Products 1.62 mg 9% CNF
3176 Fast foods, sandwiches and burgers, donair or gyro sandwich Fast Foods 1.62 mg 9% CNF
3177 Muffin, blueberry, dry mix, unprepared Baked Products 1.62 mg 9% CNF
3178 Cake, pound, commercial, made with other than butter Baked Products 1.62 mg 9% CNF
3179 Cake mix, marble, pudding-type, dry, unprepared Baked Products 1.62 mg 9% CNF
3180 Cheese, goat, semi-soft, (35% to 55% water, 30% M.F.) Dairy and Egg Products 1.62 mg 9% CNF
3181 Bread, paratha, whole wheat, commercially prepared, frozen Baked Products 1.61 mg 9% USDA_SR
3182 Cake, chocolate, prepared from recipe without frosting Baked Products 1.61 mg 9% USDA_SR
3183 Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari) Legumes and Legume Products 1.61 mg 9% USDA_SR
3184 Mustard, prepared, yellow Spices and Herbs 1.61 mg 9% USDA_SR
3185 Sugars, maple Sweets 1.61 mg 9% USDA_SR
3186 Lima beans, immature seeds, canned, no salt added, solids and liquids Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.61 mg 9% USDA_SR
3187 Lima beans, immature seeds, canned, regular pack, solids and liquids Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.61 mg 9% USDA_SR
3188 Abiyuch, raw Fruits and Fruit Juices 1.61 mg 9% USDA_SR
3189 Indian, bread, paratha, whole-wheat Baked Products 1.61 mg 9% CNF
3190 Abiyuch, raw Fruits and fruit juices 1.61 mg 9% CNF
3191 Sauce, mustard, yellow, ready-to-serve Spices and Herbs 1.61 mg 9% CNF
3192 Sweets, sugars, maple, hard Sweets 1.61 mg 9% CNF
3193 Cake, chocolate, homemade, without icing (frosting) Baked Products 1.61 mg 9% CNF
3194 Tofu, regular, firm or extra firm, raw (prepared with calcium sulphate and magnesium chloride) Legumes and Legume Products 1.61 mg 9% CNF
3195 Beans, lima, canned, solids and liquid Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.61 mg 9% CNF
3196 Kale, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.60 mg 9% USDA_FF
3197 Beans, baked, canned, with beef Legumes and Legume Products 1.60 mg 9% USDA_SR
3198 Sweet rolls, cinnamon, commercially prepared with raisins Baked Products 1.60 mg 9% USDA_SR
3199 Vitasoy USA Organic Nasoya, Tofu Plus Extra Firm Legumes and Legume Products 1.60 mg 9% USDA_SR
3200 Vitasoy USA, Organic Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu Legumes and Legume Products 1.60 mg 9% USDA_SR

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

Make a label

Turn these foods into a print-ready nutrition label.

Build a recipe from any of these ingredients and export a print-ready FDA or Canada Nutrition Facts label. Free.

Style