Vegetarian foods high in Iron (USDA SR Legacy)

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 4,377 foods

# Food Category Per 100 g % DV
351 Sea lion, Steller, kidney (Alaska Native) American Indian/Alaska Native Foods 7.00 mg 39%
352 Waffles, plain, frozen, ready -to-heat, toasted Baked Products 6.91 mg 38%
353 Babyfood, cereal, mixed, with applesauce and bananas, strained Baby Foods 6.81 mg 38%
354 Babyfood, cereal, mixed, with applesauce and bananas, junior, fortified Baby Foods 6.81 mg 38%
355 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, with salt added Nut and Seed Products 6.81 mg 38%
356 Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt Nut and Seed Products 6.81 mg 38%
357 Goji berries, dried Fruits and Fruit Juices 6.80 mg 38%
358 Beans, pink, mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 6.77 mg 38%
359 Moose, liver, braised (Alaska Native) American Indian/Alaska Native Foods 6.77 mg 38%
360 Mung beans, mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 6.74 mg 37%
361 Radishes, oriental, dried Vegetables and Vegetable Products 6.73 mg 37%
362 Babyfood, cereal, rice, with applesauce and bananas, strained Baby Foods 6.73 mg 37%
363 Cereals, QUAKER, corn grits, instant, plain, prepared (microwaved or boiling water added), without salt Breakfast Cereals 6.71 mg 37%
364 Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 6.70 mg 37%
365 Sea lion, Steller, heart (Alaska Native) American Indian/Alaska Native Foods 6.70 mg 37%
366 Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, GOLDEN CRISP Breakfast Cereals 6.70 mg 37%
367 Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 6.69 mg 37%
368 Nuts, cashew nuts, raw Nut and Seed Products 6.68 mg 37%
369 Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, FRUITY PEBBLES Breakfast Cereals 6.67 mg 37%
370 Rosemary, fresh Spices and Herbs 6.65 mg 37%
371 Crackers, cream, La Moderna Rikis Cream Crackers Baked Products 6.64 mg 37%
372 Seeds, sunflower seed flour, partially defatted Nut and Seed Products 6.62 mg 37%
373 Snacks, CLIF BAR, mixed flavors Snacks 6.62 mg 37%
374 Dill weed, fresh Spices and Herbs 6.59 mg 37%
375 Waffle, buttermilk, frozen, ready-to-heat, toasted Baked Products 6.59 mg 37%
376 Waffle, buttermilk, frozen, ready-to-heat, microwaved Baked Products 6.53 mg 36%
377 Lentils, raw Legumes and Legume Products 6.51 mg 36%
378 Waffles, whole wheat, lowfat, frozen, ready-to-heat Baked Products 6.43 mg 36%
379 Beverages, ABBOTT, EAS soy protein powder Beverages 6.43 mg 36%
380 Cookies, molasses Baked Products 6.43 mg 36%
381 Noodles, chinese, chow mein Cereal Grains and Pasta 6.43 mg 36%
382 Waffles, chocolate chip, frozen, ready-to-heat Baked Products 6.40 mg 36%
383 Babyfood, Snack, GERBER, GRADUATES, LIL CRUNCHIES, baked whole grain corn snack Baby Foods 6.40 mg 36%
384 Cookies, gingersnaps Baked Products 6.40 mg 36%
385 Soy flour, full-fat, raw Legumes and Legume Products 6.37 mg 35%
386 Seeds, sesame seed kernels, dried (decorticated) Nut and Seed Products 6.36 mg 35%
387 Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from unroasted kernels (non-chemically removed seed coat) Nut and Seed Products 6.35 mg 35%
388 Snacks, crisped rice bar, almond Snacks 6.35 mg 35%
389 Chocolate, dark, 60-69% cacao solids Sweets 6.32 mg 35%
390 Apricots, dehydrated (low-moisture), sulfured, uncooked Fruits and Fruit Juices 6.31 mg 35%
391 Rice, white, long-grain, precooked or instant, enriched, dry Cereal Grains and Pasta 6.30 mg 35%
392 Snacks, crisped rice bar, chocolate chip Snacks 6.30 mg 35%
393 Olives, ripe, canned (small-extra large) Fruits and Fruit Juices 6.28 mg 35%
394 Wheat germ, crude Cereal Grains and Pasta 6.26 mg 35%
395 Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Cocoa DYNO-BITES Breakfast Cereals 6.21 mg 34%
396 Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, COCOA PEBBLES Breakfast Cereals 6.20 mg 34%
397 Parsley, fresh Vegetables and Vegetable Products 6.20 mg 34%
398 Lima beans, thin seeded (baby), mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 6.19 mg 34%
399 Snacks, KELLOGG, KELLOGG'S, NUTRI-GRAIN Cereal Bars, fruit Snacks 6.14 mg 34%
400 Pepeao, dried Vegetables and Vegetable Products 6.14 mg 34%

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