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 3501–3550 of 8,274 foods

# Food Category Per 100 g % DV Source
3501 George Weston Bakeries, Thomas English Muffins Baked Products 1.40 mg 8% USDA_SR
3502 Fast foods, sandwiches and burgers, cheeseburger, regular, double patty, with condiments and special sauce Fast Foods 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3503 Pickles, chowchow, with cauliflower onion mustard, sweet Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3504 Malted milk, chocolate flavour, powder, with 2% M.F. milk Beverages 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3505 Fast foods, breakfast, french toast with butter Fast Foods 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3506 Snacks, corn cakes, very low sodium Snacks 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3507 Snacks, corn cakes Snacks 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3508 Snacks, potato chips, dried potatoes, sour cream and onion Snacks 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3509 Tortilla, ready-to-bake / fry, corn, unsalted Baked Products 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3510 Bread, banana, homemade, made with margarine Baked Products 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3511 Beans, legumes, mung (green gram), boiled, salted Legumes and Legume Products 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3512 Beans, legumes, mung (green gram), boiled Legumes and Legume Products 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3513 Beans, baked, canned, with pork and sweet sauce Legumes and Legume Products 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3514 Brussels sprouts, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3515 Apple, dried, sulphured, uncooked Fruits and fruit juices 1.40 mg 8% CNF
3516 Arugula, baby, raw Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.39 mg 8% USDA_FF
3517 Pumpkin, canned, with salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.39 mg 8% USDA_SR
3518 Candies, MR. GOODBAR Chocolate Bar Sweets 1.39 mg 8% USDA_SR
3519 Pumpkin, canned, without salt Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.39 mg 8% USDA_SR
3520 Candies, bars, Mr Goodbar Sweets 1.39 mg 8% CNF
3521 Pumpkin, canned Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.39 mg 8% CNF
3522 Egg, chicken, whole, cooked, poached Dairy and Egg Products 1.39 mg 8% CNF
3523 Egg, chicken, whole, cooked, boiled in shell, hard-cooked Dairy and Egg Products 1.39 mg 8% CNF
3524 Egg, chicken, whole, fresh or frozen, raw Dairy and Egg Products 1.39 mg 8% CNF
3525 Beans, great northern, canned, sodium added, drained and rinsed Legumes and Legume Products 1.38 mg 8% USDA_FF
3526 Potato flour Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.38 mg 8% USDA_SR
3527 Snacks, tortilla chips, ranch-flavor Snacks 1.38 mg 8% USDA_SR
3528 Snacks, tortilla chips, ranch Snacks 1.38 mg 8% CNF
3529 Potato flour Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.38 mg 8% CNF
3530 Cherries, sour, red, canned, water pack, solids and liquids Fruits and Fruit Juices 1.37 mg 8% USDA_SR
3531 Sauce, steak, tomato based Soups, Sauces, and Gravies 1.37 mg 8% USDA_SR
3532 Toddler formula, MEAD JOHNSON, ENFAGROW PREMIUM (formerly ENFAMIL, LIPIL, NEXT STEP), ready-to-feed Baby Foods 1.37 mg 8% USDA_SR
3533 Cinnamon buns, frosted (includes honey buns) Baked Products 1.37 mg 8% USDA_SR
3534 Cinnamon bun, with icing (honey bun) Baked Products 1.37 mg 8% CNF
3535 Cherry, sour, red, canned, water pack, solids and liquid Fruits and fruit juices 1.37 mg 8% CNF
3536 Sauce, steak, tomato based, ready-to-serve Soups, Sauces and Gravies 1.37 mg 8% CNF
3537 Bagels, plain, unenriched, without calcium propionate(includes onion, poppy, sesame) Baked Products 1.36 mg 8% USDA_SR
3538 Bagels, plain, unenriched, with calcium propionate (includes onion, poppy, sesame) Baked Products 1.36 mg 8% USDA_SR
3539 Cake, snack cakes, creme-filled, sponge Baked Products 1.36 mg 8% USDA_SR
3540 Beverages, Malted drink mix, natural, with added nutrients, powder, prepared with whole milk Beverages 1.36 mg 8% USDA_SR
3541 Cake, pudding-type, white, enriched, dry mix Baked Products 1.36 mg 8% USDA_SR
3542 Snacks, potato chips, barbecue-flavor Snacks 1.36 mg 8% USDA_SR
3543 Snacks, potato chips, barbecue flavour Snacks 1.36 mg 8% CNF
3544 Pie, pumpkin, commercial Baked Products 1.36 mg 8% CNF
3545 Cake, white, pudding-type, dry mix, unprepared Baked Products 1.36 mg 8% CNF
3546 Cake, snack cake, cream-filled, sponge Baked Products 1.36 mg 8% CNF
3547 Potato, french-fried, frozen, restaurant prepared, fried in vegetable oil Vegetables and Vegetable Products 1.36 mg 8% CNF
3548 Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), low sodium Legumes and Legume Products 1.35 mg 8% USDA_SR
3549 Potato chips, without salt, reduced fat Snacks 1.35 mg 8% USDA_SR
3550 Snacks, potato chips, reduced fat Snacks 1.35 mg 8% USDA_SR

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