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 401–450 of 8,274 foods

# Food Category Per 100 g % DV Source
401 Cereal, ready to eat, Corn Bran Squares, Quaker Breakfast cereals 10.65 mg 59% CNF
402 Wheat bran, crude Cereal Grains and Pasta 10.57 mg 59% USDA_SR
403 Grains, wheat bran, crude Cereals, Grains and Pasta 10.57 mg 59% CNF
404 Instant breakfast, powder Beverages 10.50 mg 58% CNF
405 Beans, white, mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 10.44 mg 58% USDA_SR
406 Beans, white, raw Legumes and Legume Products 10.44 mg 58% CNF
407 Babyfood, cereal, mixed, prepared with whole milk Baby Foods 10.43 mg 58% USDA_SR
408 Peppers, sweet, red, freeze-dried Vegetables and Vegetable Products 10.40 mg 58% USDA_SR
409 Pepper, sweet, red, freeze-dried Vegetables and Vegetable Products 10.40 mg 58% CNF
410 Pepper, sweet, green, freeze-dried Vegetables and Vegetable Products 10.40 mg 58% CNF
411 Cereals, oats, instant, fortified, maple and brown sugar, dry Breakfast Cereals 10.36 mg 58% USDA_SR
412 Cereal, ready to eat, Life Multigrains, Quaker Breakfast cereals 10.30 mg 57% CNF
413 SCHIFF,TIGER'S MILK BAR Sweets 10.28 mg 57% USDA_SR
414 Infant formula, ABBOTT NUTRITION, SIMILAC, GO AND GROW, powder, with ARA and DHA Baby Foods 10.20 mg 57% USDA_SR
415 Formulated bar, MARS SNACKFOOD US, SNICKERS MARATHON Protein Performance Bar, Caramel Nut Rush Snacks 10.13 mg 56% USDA_SR
416 Cereals, QUAKER, Weight Control Instant Oatmeal, maple and brown sugar Breakfast Cereals 10.13 mg 56% USDA_SR
417 Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Oatmeal, Banana Bread, dry Breakfast Cereals 10.07 mg 56% USDA_SR
418 Infant formula, GERBER, GOOD START 2, PROTECT PLUS, powder Baby Foods 10.00 mg 56% USDA_SR
419 Cowpeas, catjang, mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 9.95 mg 55% USDA_SR
420 Black-eyed peas (cowpeas), catjang, raw Legumes and Legume Products 9.95 mg 55% CNF
421 Peppers, pasilla, dried Vegetables and Vegetable Products 9.83 mg 55% USDA_SR
422 Pepper, pasilla, dried Vegetables and Vegetable Products 9.83 mg 55% CNF
423 Cereals ready-to-eat, wheat and bran, presweetened with nuts and fruits Breakfast Cereals 9.82 mg 55% USDA_SR
424 Infant Formula, GERBER GOOD START 2, GENTLE PLUS, powder Baby Foods 9.80 mg 54% USDA_SR
425 Lentils, flour Legumes and Legume Products 9.79 mg 54% CNF
426 Spices, poppy seed Spices and Herbs 9.76 mg 54% USDA_SR
427 Spices, poppy seed Spices and Herbs 9.76 mg 54% CNF
428 Tofu, dried-frozen (koyadofu), prepared with calcium sulfate Legumes and Legume Products 9.73 mg 54% USDA_SR
429 Tofu, dried-frozen (koyadofu) Legumes and Legume Products 9.73 mg 54% USDA_SR
430 Tofu, koyadofu, dried-frozen (prepared with calcium sulphate) Legumes and Legume Products 9.73 mg 54% CNF
431 Tofu, koyadofu, dried-frozen Legumes and Legume Products 9.73 mg 54% CNF
432 Spices, pepper, black Spices and Herbs 9.71 mg 54% USDA_SR
433 Spices, pepper, black Spices and Herbs 9.71 mg 54% CNF
434 Egg, yolk, dried Dairy and Egg Products 9.56 mg 53% USDA_SR
435 Flour, soy, full-fat Legumes and Legume Products 9.51 mg 53% USDA_FF
436 Infant formula, PBM PRODUCTS, store brand, powder Baby Foods 9.50 mg 53% USDA_SR
437 Infant formula, MEAD JOHNSON, NEXT STEP PROSOBEE, powder, not reconstituted Baby Foods 9.50 mg 53% USDA_SR
438 Infant formula, MEAD JOHNSON, ENFAMIL, PROSOBEE, with iron, powder, not reconstituted, with ARA and DHA Baby Foods 9.50 mg 53% USDA_SR
439 Infant formula, MEAD JOHNSON, NEXT STEP, PROSOBEE LIPIL, powder, with ARA and DHA Baby Foods 9.50 mg 53% USDA_SR
440 Infant formula, MEAD JOHNSON, ENFAMIL, ENFAGROW, Soy, Toddler transitions, with ARA and DHA, powder Baby Foods 9.50 mg 53% USDA_SR
441 Chocolate syrup, thin type, less sugar, with added vitamins and minerals Beverages 9.50 mg 53% CNF
442 Egg, chicken, yolk, dried Dairy and Egg Products 9.50 mg 53% CNF
443 Infant formula, ABBOTT NUTRITION, SIMILAC, ADVANCE, with iron, powder, not reconstituted Baby Foods 9.47 mg 53% USDA_SR
444 Infant formula, ABBOTT NUTRITION, SIMILAC, with iron, powder, not reconstituted Baby Foods 9.47 mg 53% USDA_SR
445 Babyfood, cereal, wheat, with milk powder, prepared with water Babyfoods 9.43 mg 52% CNF
446 Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Oatmeal, Cinnamon Swirl, high fiber Breakfast Cereals 9.41 mg 52% USDA_SR
447 Grains, quinoa, flour Cereals, Grains and Pasta 9.40 mg 52% CNF
448 Beans, kidney, california red, mature seeds, raw Legumes and Legume Products 9.35 mg 52% USDA_SR
449 Beans, kidney, light red, raw Legumes and Legume Products 9.35 mg 52% CNF
450 Cereal, ready to eat, All Bran Strawberry Bites, Kellogg's Breakfast cereals 9.34 mg 52% CNF

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