List of Foods High in Iron

You need oxygen to live. And iron is a component of hemoglobin in red blood cells that helps to transport oxygen throughout your body.

So absorbing enough iron from foods high in iron is essential to life and overall good health.

Iron plays a major role in helping your blood and muscles carry oxygen to your cells. That’s why feeling tired is generally the first sign of iron deficiency.

Getting enough iron rich foods helps you to have the energy you need.

And although iron-rich spinach may not give you Popeye’s super muscle-strength to fight off villains, green leafy veggies and other foods high in iron help you to fight off the following enemies of your health and happiness:

apathy,
tiredness,
feeling weak,
being grouchy,
poor concentration,
and eventually anemia.

According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency that leads to anemia is “the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world.”

Foods High in Iron

There are two types of iron rich foods – heme and nonheme. Heme iron comes from animal foods that contain hemoglobin like red meats, poultry, and fish.

Iron from most animal sources (heme iron) is more easily absorbed by your body than iron from plant sources (non-heme iron). The charts below show how much iron is available to you from healthy heme and non-heme foods.

These two lists of heme and non-heme iron rich foods are ranked by the amount of iron, in milligrams (mg) per serving size, along with approximate calories:

HEME IRON FOOD SOURCES	SERVING	IRON (mg)	CALORIES
*Clams, canned & drained	3 oz	23.8	128
Chicken liver, cooked	3 oz	11.0	142
*Oysters, eastern, cooked	3 oz	8.2	116
Beef liver, cooked	3 oz	5.8	162
Lean beef chuck roast, cooked	3 oz	3.2	208
Lean sirloin, broiled	3 oz	2.9	156
Sardines, canned in water	3 oz	2.4	185
Skinless turkey, dark meat, roasted	3 oz	2.3	158
Lean ground beef, broiled	3 oz	1.9	153
Skinless turkey, light meat, roasted	3 oz	1.6	98
Skinless chicken, dark meat, roasted	3 oz	1.3	184
Skinless chicken breast, white meat, roasted	3 oz	1.1	139
Lean pork, roasted or broiled	3 oz	0.9	124
Tuna, white, canned in water	3 oz	0.9	110
Salmon, canned with bone	3 oz	0.7	>127
*Most fresh fish, cooked with dry heat	3 oz	0.7-1.1	82-191

*To assure your protection from dangerous bacteria and parasites, it’s a good idea to avoid eating oysters and clams raw, plus all other raw fish.

NON-HEME IRON FOOD SOURCES	SERVING	IRON (mg)	CALORIES
Soybeans, mature, cooked	½ cup	4.4	149
Pumpkin seeds	1 oz	4.2	148p
Black strap molasses	1 Tbsp	3.5	47
Tofu, firm	½ cup	3.4	88
Lentils	½ cup	3.3	115
Spinach, steamed	½ cup	3.2	21
Bran, wheat	½ cup	3.0	63
Kidney beans, cooked	½ cup	2.6	112
Prunes	½ cup	2.4	204
Chickpeas, cooked,	½ cup	2.4	134
Lima beans, mature, cooked	½ cup	2.3	108
Navy beans, cooked	½ cup	2.2	127
Soybeans, green, cooked,	½ cup	2.2	127
Green leafy vegetables, steamed	½ cup	2.0	10
Black beans, cooked	½ cup	1.8	114
Pinto beans, cooked	½ cup	1.8	122
Beets, cooked	1 cup	1.8	102
Oatmeal, cooked	1 cup	1.6	146
Raisins	½ cup	1.5	217
Soy milk	1 cup	1.4	130
Sunflower seeds, hulled	1 oz	1.4	162
Peas, cooked	½ cup	1.3	59
Wheat germ	2 Tbsp	1.1	130
Whole-wheat bread	1 slice	0.9	80 to 128
Brown rice, cooked	1 cup	0.8	215
Green beans, cooked	½ cup	0.8	38
Broccoli, cooked	½ cup	0.7	17
Egg yolk	1 large	0.6	54
Peanut butter	2 Tbsp	0.6	180
Apricots, dried	3 pieces	0.3	25
Zucchini, cooked	½ cup	0.3	22

*Milligrams of iron and calorie amounts can vary a lot, so be sure to check the Nutrition Facts on all food labels.

Iron absorption is improved by including vitamin C rich foods with non-heme foods. C is found in most raw fruits and vegetables, especially oranges, lemons, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli and green leafy veggies.

You can also greatly increase your absorption of iron by combining non-heme foods that are high in iron with heme iron-rich foods at the same meal.

Signs of Iron Deficiency Anemia

The most common symptom for any type of anemia is tiredness; this is because there are not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body.

WHO NEEDS IRON?	minimum	maximum
Babies from birth to 6 months	0.27 mg	35 mg
Children up to around 13 years	11 mg	35 mg
Childbearing age females	18 mg	45 mg
Pregnant women	27 mg	45 mg
Lactating women	10 mg	45 mg
Males 14 years and older	11 mg	45 mg
Anyone with iron deficiency anemia	Follow doctor recommendations

Iron deficiency is most often found in young children, childbearing-age females and particularly in pregnant women. Iron deficiency anemia increases a woman’s risk of pre-term delivery and delivering a low birth-weight baby.

Here are some of the more common symptoms of iron deficiency anemia:

fatigue,
weakness,
heart troubles,
lightheadedness,
problems breathing,
difficulty staying warm,
and increased infections.

In infants and young children the most noticeable signs of iron anemia are:

poor appetite,
behavioral problems,
slow growth and development.

But it’s important to keep in mind that a higher than maximum intake of iron is especially dangerous for babies and young children and is their main cause of poisoning deaths; doses as low as 60 milligrams can be fatal to a child.

So be sure to keep all supplements containing iron out of children’s reach.

Iron Rich Foods and Supplements

If you take iron in supplement form, ferrous iron is known to be more bio available than ferric iron. Plus, it’s important to make sure you stay within the safe levels unless advised otherwise by a qualified health professional.

The above list of foods high in iron, combined if necessary with supplements, can give you the iron you need to live a happy, healthy, energy-filled life!