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 351–400 of 8,274 foods

#	Food	Category	Per 100 g	% DV	Source
351	Cookies, chocolate sandwich, with creme filling, regular	Baked Products	12.14 mg	67%	USDA_SR
352	Cookie, chocolate sandwich, cream filling, regular	Baked Products	12.14 mg	67%	CNF
353	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Oatmeal, fruit and cream, variety of flavors, reduced sugar	Breakfast Cereals	12.13 mg	67%	USDA_SR
354	Cereal, ready to eat, Golden Grahams, General Mills	Breakfast cereals	12.03 mg	67%	CNF
355	Protein supplement, milk based, Muscle Milk Light, powder	Dairy and Egg Products	12.00 mg	67%	USDA_SR
356	Beverages, Protein powder soy based	Beverages	12.00 mg	67%	USDA_SR
357	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Oatmeal, Cinnamon Spice, reduced sugar	Breakfast Cereals	12.00 mg	67%	USDA_SR
358	Plant-based beverage, protein powder, soy based, powder	Beverages	12.00 mg	67%	CNF
359	Meat extender	Legumes and Legume Products	11.99 mg	67%	USDA_SR
360	Flour, potato	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	11.97 mg	66%	USDA_FF
361	Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids	Sweets	11.90 mg	66%	USDA_SR
362	Candies, chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids	Sweets	11.90 mg	66%	CNF
363	Spearmint, fresh	Spices and Herbs	11.87 mg	66%	USDA_SR
364	Spices, spearmint, fresh	Spices and Herbs	11.87 mg	66%	CNF
365	Spices, cloves, ground	Spices and Herbs	11.83 mg	66%	USDA_SR
366	Spices, cloves, ground	Spices and Herbs	11.83 mg	66%	CNF
367	Formulated bar, POWER BAR, chocolate	Snacks	11.70 mg	65%	USDA_SR
368	Cereal, ready to eat, All Bran Original, Kellogg's	Breakfast cereals	11.65 mg	65%	CNF
369	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Frosted Flakes	Breakfast Cereals	11.60 mg	64%	USDA_SR
370	Babyfood, cereal, mixed grain, with fruit, prepared with formula or breast milk	Babyfoods	11.51 mg	64%	CNF
371	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Oatmeal, fruit and cream variety, dry	Breakfast Cereals	11.30 mg	63%	USDA_SR
372	Babyfood, cereal, mixed, with honey, prepared with whole milk	Baby Foods	11.27 mg	63%	USDA_SR
373	Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, straight phosphate	Baked Products	11.27 mg	63%	USDA_SR
374	Leavening agent, baking powder, double acting, phosphate	Baked Products	11.27 mg	63%	CNF
375	Seaweed, dulse (laver, nori), dried	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	11.22 mg	62%	CNF
376	Candied foods, ginger root, crystallized	Sweets	11.19 mg	62%	CNF
377	Seeds, hemp seeds, hulled	Nuts and Seeds	11.16 mg	62%	CNF
378	Beans, white, flour	Legumes and Legume Products	11.15 mg	62%	CNF
379	Babyfood, cereal, oat, prepared with formula or breast milk	Babyfoods	11.11 mg	62%	CNF
380	Spices, saffron	Spices and Herbs	11.10 mg	62%	USDA_SR
381	Spices, saffron	Spices and Herbs	11.10 mg	62%	CNF
382	Babyfood, cereal, oatmeal, with honey, prepared with whole milk	Baby Foods	11.09 mg	62%	USDA_SR
383	Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate	Baked Products	11.02 mg	61%	USDA_SR
384	Leavening agent, baking powder, double acting, sodium, aluminium sulfate	Baked Products	11.02 mg	61%	CNF
385	Cereal, ready to eat, Corn Flakes, Selection	Breakfast cereals	10.96 mg	61%	CNF
386	Peppers, ancho, dried	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	10.93 mg	61%	USDA_SR
387	Pepper, ancho, dried	Vegetables and Vegetable Products	10.93 mg	61%	CNF
388	Cereal, ready to eat, Oatmeal Squares, Quaker	Breakfast cereals	10.93 mg	61%	CNF
389	Snack, BALANCE, original bar	Snacks	10.90 mg	61%	USDA_SR
390	Babyfood, cereal, mixed grain, with milk powder and fruit, prepared with water	Babyfoods	10.89 mg	60%	CNF
391	Mothbeans, mature seeds, raw	Legumes and Legume Products	10.85 mg	60%	USDA_SR
392	Moth beans, raw	Legumes and Legume Products	10.85 mg	60%	CNF
393	Babyfood, cereal, rice, with honey, prepared with whole milk	Baby Foods	10.81 mg	60%	USDA_SR
394	Soy protein concentrate, produced by acid wash	Legumes and Legume Products	10.78 mg	60%	USDA_SR
395	Soy protein concentrate, produced by alcohol extraction	Legumes and Legume Products	10.78 mg	60%	USDA_SR
396	Soy protein concentrate (prepared with acid and water wash)	Legumes and Legume Products	10.78 mg	60%	CNF
397	Soy protein concentrate (prepared with alcohol)	Legumes and Legume Products	10.78 mg	60%	CNF
398	Babyfood, cereal, barley, with milk powder, prepared with water	Babyfoods	10.73 mg	60%	CNF
399	Cereal, ready to eat, Frosted Flakes, Kellogg's	Breakfast cereals	10.73 mg	60%	CNF
400	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Oatmeal, raisins, dates and walnuts, dry	Breakfast Cereals	10.70 mg	59%	USDA_SR

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Vegetarian foods high in Iron

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