The short answer: the foods highest in iron are fortified breakfast cereals, oysters, mussels, liver, soybeans, white beans, lentils and cooked spinach. A cup of cooked lentils has 6.6 mg, about a third of the 18 mg Daily Value. Iron from meat and seafood (heme iron) is absorbed best, and eating plant iron with vitamin C helps you absorb more of it.
Wondering whether you’re low? Our guide to iron deficiency symptoms covers the signs and the blood tests. Only a test can tell you for sure.
What food is highest in iron?
Fortified hot cereals are highest per serving, followed by chicken liver, soybeans, fortified cold cereal and oysters. The numbers below are worked out from USDA FoodData Central figures and portion weights. % DV uses the 18 mg Daily Value, and NIH counts 20% DV or more as a high source.
| Food | Portion | Iron (mg) | % DV | Iron type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant oatmeal, fortified (varies by brand) | 1 cup cooked | 13.9 | 77% | Non-heme |
| Cream of wheat, instant (fortified) | 1 cup cooked | 12.0 | 66% | Non-heme |
| Chicken liver, simmered | 3 oz | 9.9 | 55% | Heme + non-heme |
| Soybeans, cooked | 1 cup | 8.8 | 49% | Non-heme |
| Toasted oat cereal, fortified (varies by brand) | 1 cup | 8.1 | 45% | Non-heme |
| Oysters, cooked | 3 oz | 7.8 | 43% | Heme + non-heme |
| White beans, cooked | 1 cup | 6.6 | 37% | Non-heme |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 6.6 | 37% | Non-heme |
| Spinach, boiled | 1 cup | 6.4 | 36% | Non-heme |
| Mussels, cooked | 3 oz | 5.7 | 32% | Heme + non-heme |
| Beef liver, braised | 3 oz | 5.6 | 31% | Heme + non-heme |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 1 cup | 4.7 | 26% | Non-heme |
| Navy beans, cooked | 1 cup | 4.3 | 24% | Non-heme |
| Swiss chard, cooked | 1 cup | 4.0 | 22% | Non-heme |
| Kidney beans, cooked | 1 cup | 3.9 | 22% | Non-heme |
| Black beans, cooked | 1 cup | 3.6 | 20% | Non-heme |
| Pinto beans, cooked | 1 cup | 3.6 | 20% | Non-heme |
| Edamame, cooked | 1 cup | 3.5 | 20% | Non-heme |
| Dark chocolate, 70 to 85% | 1 oz | 3.4 | 19% | Non-heme |
| Firm tofu, calcium-set | ½ cup | 3.4 | 19% | Non-heme |
| Beef chuck roast, lean | 3 oz | 3.1 | 17% | Heme + non-heme |
| Quinoa, cooked | 1 cup | 2.8 | 15% | Non-heme |
| Sardines, canned in oil | 1 can (3.75 oz) | 2.7 | 15% | Heme + non-heme |
| Pumpkin seeds | 1 oz | 2.5 | 14% | Non-heme |
| Clams, cooked | 3 oz | 2.4 | 13% | Heme + non-heme |
| Hemp seeds, hulled | 3 tbsp | 2.4 | 13% | Non-heme |
| Ground beef, 85% lean | 3 oz | 2.3 | 13% | Heme + non-heme |
| Baked potato with skin | 1 medium | 1.9 | 10% | Non-heme |
| Top sirloin steak, lean | 3 oz | 1.7 | 9% | Heme + non-heme |
| Cashews, dry roasted | 1 oz | 1.7 | 9% | Non-heme |
Meat, poultry and seafood contain both heme and non-heme iron, NIH says, while plants and fortified foods contain only non-heme iron. Heme iron makes up only about 10% to 15% of the iron people eat in Western diets. Fortified cereals vary a lot by brand, so check the label.
Several of these foods do double duty. Oysters, beef and pumpkin seeds are also near the top of our list of foods high in zinc, and shellfish and liver lead the foods high in B12 too.
How much iron per day do you need?
Most adult men need 8 mg of iron a day, and women 19 to 50 need 18 mg, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. If you eat no meat, poultry or seafood, NIH says your requirement is 1.8 times higher, because plant iron is harder to absorb. We’ve worked that out in the last column.
| Life stage | Iron per day (RDA) | If you’re vegetarian (1.8 times) |
|---|---|---|
| Teen boys 14 to 18 | 11 mg | about 20 mg |
| Teen girls 14 to 18 | 15 mg | about 27 mg |
| Men 19 and up | 8 mg | about 14 mg |
| Women 19 to 50 | 18 mg | about 32 mg |
| Women 51 and up | 8 mg | about 14 mg |
| Pregnancy | 27 mg | about 49 mg |
| Breastfeeding (19 and up) | 9 mg | about 16 mg |
The upper limit for adults is 45 mg a day from food and supplements together, NIH says, unless a doctor advises more. That limit matters for supplements. NIH says adults with normal digestion have very little risk of iron overload from food.
Is spinach high in iron?
Cooked spinach is high in iron on paper, with 6.4 mg per cup, but your body absorbs less of it than the number suggests. NIH says spinach has low iron bioavailability because it contains polyphenols, compounds that block iron absorption. Still eat it, but pair it with a vitamin C food and don’t rely on it alone.
How do you increase iron absorption?
Eat plant iron with a vitamin C food or with some meat, poultry or seafood, since both help your body absorb non-heme iron, NIH says. NIH puts absorption at about 14% to 18% from mixed diets that include meat, seafood and vitamin C, and 5% to 12% from vegetarian diets.
| Helps you absorb plant iron | Can reduce absorption |
|---|---|
| Vitamin C foods: 1 orange has about 70 mg vitamin C, 1 cup cooked broccoli about 101 mg (USDA) | Tea and coffee, especially in large amounts (NHS) |
| A little meat, poultry or seafood in the same meal (NIH) | Phytate in whole grains and beans (NIH, NHS) |
| Heme iron itself, which is absorbed better than plant iron (NIH) | Calcium, which might reduce both heme and non-heme iron (NIH) |
| Milk and dairy in large amounts (NHS) |
Keep this in proportion. NIH says a typical Western diet softens the effect of these boosters and blockers, so they make little difference to most people’s iron status. Whole grains and beans are still worth eating, as our list of high-fiber foods shows.
Does tea block iron absorption?
Tea can reduce iron absorption, and so can coffee. The NHS lists tea, coffee, milk and dairy among the things to have less of if you’re low in iron, and says large amounts make iron harder to absorb. NIH names polyphenols, found in tea, as blockers of plant iron. The easy fix is timing: have your tea or coffee between meals, rather than with your iron-rich meal. NIH also says experts suggest taking calcium and iron supplements at different times of day, which our guide to calcium supplements covers.
What are the best vegetarian iron sources?
The best vegetarian iron sources are fortified cereals, soybeans and tofu, white beans, lentils, chickpeas, cooked spinach and chard, and pumpkin and hemp seeds. Because your needs run 1.8 times higher without meat, build each meal around one of these and add vitamin C. A simple plant-based plan:
- Breakfast: a fortified cereal or oatmeal, with fruit. Our guide asks is oatmeal good for you if you want the rest of the story.
- Lunch: beans or lentils, in soup, chili or a salad. Our high-protein soups lean on both.
- Dinner: tofu, tempeh or edamame, with peppers, broccoli or tomatoes on the side.
- Snacks: pumpkin seeds or cashews. Beans and seeds also top our list of the cheapest protein foods.
- Drinks: tea and coffee between meals.
What does a high-iron day look like?
A high-iron day pairs one strong iron food with a vitamin C food at each meal. Here’s a meat-free example built from the USDA numbers above:
| Meal | What you eat | Iron | Vitamin C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 1 cup fortified instant oatmeal and 1 orange | 14.1 mg | 70 mg |
| Lunch | 1 cup lentil soup and 1 cup cooked broccoli | 7.6 mg | 101 mg |
| Snack | 1 oz pumpkin seeds | 2.5 mg | 0 mg |
| Dinner | ½ cup firm tofu stir-fried with 1 cup red bell pepper, over 1 cup quinoa | 6.7 mg | 190 mg |
| Total | about 31 mg | 361 mg |
Treat it as an example. Fortified oatmeal varies by brand, and a third of the total comes from that one bowl, so check your label. If you eat meat or fish, swapping the tofu for 3 ounces of mussels adds heme iron and helps you absorb the plant iron in the rest of the meal.
What foods are good for iron deficiency anemia?
The same foods in the table help, but food alone may not be enough once you have anemia. The NHS says iron deficiency anemia is treated with iron tablets and iron-rich foods, once your doctor has found the cause. The NHS suggests eating more dark-green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals and bread, meat, dried fruit such as apricots and pulses (beans, peas and lentils), and less tea, coffee, milk and dairy.
Don’t start high-dose iron on your own. NIH says high doses can cause stomach upset, nausea and constipation, and people with hemochromatosis, a condition where the body stores too much iron, should avoid iron supplements. Keep any iron products away from children. Tiredness has many causes, which our guide to why you’re always tired covers.
Bananas are low in iron, at 0.3 mg each, but a medium one has about 10 mg of vitamin C and slices easily onto an iron-fortified cereal. The Banana Book has 60 simple recipes if you want more ways to use them.
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Quick questions
Are eggs high in iron?
Eggs are not high in iron. One large hard-boiled egg has about 0.6 mg, or 3% of the 18 mg Daily Value, based on USDA data. Eggs are still a good source of protein. For iron, pair them with a fortified cereal, beans or a bigger iron food such as lentils or mussels.
Do bananas have iron?
Bananas have very little iron. A medium banana has about 0.3 mg, or 2% of the Daily Value, according to USDA data. It does have about 10 mg of vitamin C, so slicing one onto an iron-fortified cereal is an easy way to help your body absorb more of the cereal’s iron.
Which fruit is highest in iron?
Dried fruits are the highest-iron fruits. Half a cup of dried apricots has about 1.7 mg, or 10% of the Daily Value, from USDA data, and the NHS lists apricots, prunes and raisins as useful sources. Fresh fruit is low in iron but often high in vitamin C, which helps you absorb plant iron.
Does coffee block iron absorption?
Coffee can reduce iron absorption, especially in large amounts. The NHS lists coffee, tea, milk and dairy as things to cut down on if you’re low in iron. You don’t have to give it up. Drinking coffee between meals, rather than with your iron-rich meal, is the simplest way around it.
Is peanut butter high in iron?
Peanut butter is not high in iron. Two tablespoons of smooth peanut butter have about 0.6 mg, or 3% of the Daily Value, according to USDA data. Pumpkin seeds are a much stronger choice, with about 2.5 mg per ounce, and cashews have about 1.7 mg per ounce.
How much iron is too much?
For adults, the upper limit is 45 mg of iron a day from food and supplements combined, NIH says, unless a doctor advises more for treatment. The NHS says doses over 20 mg can cause constipation, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. Very high doses can be fatal for children, so keep iron supplements out of reach.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Only a blood test can show whether you’re low in iron, and the cause should be found by your doctor. Don’t start iron supplements without a test or change any medicine without talking to your doctor, and keep iron products away from children.