Food Sources of Iron
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Iron: Nutrient-densea Food and Beverage Sources, Amounts of Iron and Energy per Standard Portion
FOODbc STANDARD
PORTIONdCALORIES IRON
(mg)Grains (non-heme sources) Ready-to-eat cereal, whole grain kernels, fortified 1/2 cup 209 16.2 Hot Wheat Cereal, fortified 1 cup 132 12.8 Ready-to-eat cereal, toasted oat, fortified 1 cup 111 9.0 Ready-to-eat cereal, bran flakes, fortified 3/4 cup 98 8.4 Protein Foodse (heme sources) Oyster 3 oysters 123 6.9 Mussels 3 ounces 146 5.7 Duck, breast 3 ounces 119 3.8 Turkey Egg 1 egg 135 3.2 Bison 3 ounces 122 2.9 Duck Egg 1 egg 130 2.7 Beef 3 ounces 173 2.5 Sardines, canned 3 ounces 177 2.5 Crab 3 ounces 98 2.5 Clams 3 ounces 126 2.4 Lamb 3 ounces 158 2.0 Turkey, leg 3 ounces 177 2.0 Shrimp 3 ounces 85 1.8 Organ meats (various) 3 ounces ~85-200 1.8-19 Game meats (various) 3 oz ~115-180 1.8-8.5 Vegetables (non-heme sources) Spinach, cooked 1 cup 41 6.4 Artichokes, Jerusalem, cooked 1 cup 110 5.1 Hyacinth beans, cooked 1/2 cup 114 4.4 Soybeans, cooked 1/2 cup 148 4.4 Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 209 4.2 Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 35 4.0 Chrysanthemum leaves, cooked 1 cup 20 3.7 Winged beans, cooked 1/2 cup 127 3.7 Stewed tomatoes, canned 1 cup 66 3.4 White beans, cooked 1/2 cup 125 3.3 Lentils, cooked 1/2 cup 115 3.3 Amaranth leaves, cooked 1 cup 28 3.0 Asparagus, raw 1 cup 27 2.9 Beets, cooked 1 cup 49 2.9 Moth beans, cooked 1/2 cup 104 2.8 Beet greens, cooked 1 cup 39 2.7 Jute, cooked 1 cup 32 2.7 Mushrooms, cooked 1 cup 44 2.7 Arrowroot, cooked 1 cup 78 2.7 Green peas, cooked 1 cup 134 2.5 Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), cooked 1/2 cup 135 2.4 Adzuki beans, cooked 1/2 cup 147 2.3 Pumpkin leaves, cooked 1 cup 15 2.3 Yard-long beans, cooked 1/2 cup 101 2.3 Mustard spinach, raw 1 cup 33 2.3 Yellow beans, cooked 1/2 cup 128 2.2 Collard greens, cooked 1 cup 63 2.2 Navy beans, cooked 1/2 cup 128 2.2 Cowpeas, dried and cooked 1/2 cup 99 2.1 Poi (taro root) 1 cup 269 2.1 Peas in the pod, raw 1 cup 41 2.0 Kidney beans, cooked 1/2 cup 113 2.0 Pink beans, cooked 1/2 cup 126 1.9 Acorn squash, cooked 1 cup 115 1.9 Dandelion greens, cooked 1 cup 35 1.9 Great northern beans, cooked 1/2 cup 105 1.9 Leeks, cooked 1 cup 54 1.9 Potato, baked, with skin 1 medium 161 1.9 Cranberry (roman) beans, cooked 1/2 cup 121 1.9 Black beans, cooked 1/2 cup 114 1.8 Pinto beans, cooked 1/2 cup 123 1.8 Sweet potato, cooked 1 cup 190 1.8 Fruit (non-heme sources) Prune juice, 100% 1 cup 182 3.0 Protein Foods (non-heme sources) Sesame seeds 1/2 ounce 81 2.1 Cashews 1 ounce 157 1.9 a All foods listed are assumed to be in nutrient-dense forms; lean or low-fat and prepared with minimal added sugars, saturated fat, or sodium.
b Some fortified foods and beverages are included. Other fortified options may exist on the market, but not all fortified foods are nutrient-dense. For example, some foods with added sugars may be fortified and would not be examples in the lists provided here.
c Some foods or beverages are not appropriate for all ages, particularly young children for whom some foods could be a choking hazard.
d Portions listed are not recommended serving sizes. Two lists—in ‘standard’ and ‘smaller’ portions--are provided for each dietary component. Standard portions provide at least 1.8 mg of iron. Smaller portions are generally one half of a standard portion.
e Seafood varieties include choices from the FDA/EPA joint “Advice About Eating Fish,” available at FDA.gov/fishadvice and EPA.gov/fishadvice from the “Best Choices” list. Varieties from the “Best Choices” list that contain even lower methylmercury include: flatfish (e.g., flounder), salmon, tilapia, shrimp, catfish, crab, trout, haddock, oysters, sardines, squid, pollock, anchovies, crawfish, mullet, scallops, whiting, clams, shad, and Atlantic mackerel.
Data Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
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Iron: Nutrient-densea Food and Beverage Sources, Amounts of Iron and Energy per Smaller Portion
FOODbc SMALLER
PORTIONdCALORIES IRON
(mg)Grains (non-heme sources) Ready-to-eat cereal, whole grain kernels, fortified 1/4 cup 105 8.1 Hot Wheat Cereal, fortified 1/2 cup 66 6.4 Ready-to-eat cereal, toasted oat, fortified 1/2 cup 56 4.5 Ready-to-eat cereal, bran flakes, fortified 1/4 cup 33 2.8 Fortified infant cereal, oat (dry) 1 tablespoon 15 2.4 Fortified infant cereal, rice (dry) 1 tablespoon 15 2.0 Fortified infant cereal, multi-grain (dry) 1 tablespoon 15 1.1 Protein Foodse (heme sources) Oyster 1 oyster 41 2.3 Mussels 1 ounce 49 1.9 Turkey Egg 1/2 egg 68 1.6 Duck Egg 1/2 egg 65 1.3 Duck, breast 1 ounce 40 1.3 Bison 1 ounce 41 1.0 Beef 1 ounce 58 0.8 Sardines, canned 1 ounce 59 0.8 Crab 1 ounce 33 0.8 Clams 1 ounce 42 0.8 Lamb 1 ounce 53 0.7 Turkey, leg 1 ounce 59 0.7 Shrimp 1 ounce 28 0.6 Organ meats (various) 1 ounce ~30-100 0.6-6.3 Game meats (various) 1 ounce ~40-60 0.6-2.8 Vegetables (non-heme sources) Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup 21 3.2 Artichokes, Jerusalem, cooked 1/2 cup 55 2.6 Hyacinth beans, cooked 1/4 cup 57 2.2 Soybeans, cooked 1/2 cup 74 2.2 Lima beans, cooked 1/2 cup 105 2.1 Swiss chard, cooked 1/2 cup 18 2.0 Chrysanthemum leaves, cooked 1/2 cup 10 1.9 Winged beans, cooked 1/4 cup 63 1.9 Stewed tomatoes, canned 1/2 cup 33 1.7 White beans, cooked 1/4 cup 62 1.7 Lentils, cooked 1/4 cup 58 1.6 Amaranth leaves, cooked 1/2 cup 14 1.5 Asparagus, raw 1/2 cup 14 1.4 Beets, cooked 1/2 cup 25 1.4 Moth beans, cooked 1/4 cup 52 1.4 Beet greens, cooked 1/2 cup 20 1.4 Jute, cooked 1/2 cup 16 1.4 Mushrooms, cooked 1/2 cup 22 1.4 Arrowroot, cooked 1/2 cup 39 1.3 Green peas, cooked 1/2 cup 67 1.2 Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), cooked 1/4 cup 67 1.2 Adzuki beans, cooked 1/4 cup 74 1.2 Pumpkin leaves, cooked 1/2 cup 8 1.1 Yard-long beans, cooked 1/4 cup 51 1.1 Mustard spinach, raw 1/2 cup 17 1.1 Yellow beans, cooked 1/4 cup 64 1.1 Collard greens, cooked 1/2 cup 32 1.1 Navy beans, cooked 1/4 cup 64 1.1 Cowpeas, dried and cooked 1/4 cup 50 1.1 Poi (taro root) 1/2 cup 135 1.1 Peas in the pod, raw 1/2 cup 21 1.0 Kidney beans, cooked 1/4 cup 56 1.0 Pink beans, cooked 1/4 cup 63 1.0 Acorn squash, cooked 1/2 cup 58 1.0 Dandelion greens, cooked 1/2 cup 18 0.9 Great northern beans, cooked 1/4 cup 52 0.9 Leeks, cooked 1/2 cup 27 0.9 Potato, baked, with skin 1/2 medium 81 0.9 Cranberry (roman) beans, cooked 1/4 cup 60 0.9 Black beans, cooked 1/4 cup 57 0.9 Pinto beans, cooked 1/4 cup 62 0.9 Sweet potato, cooked 1/2 cup 95 0.9 Fruit (non-heme sources) Prune juice, 100% 1/2 cup 91 1.5 Protein Foods (non-heme sources) Sesame seeds 1/4 ounce 41 1.0 Cashews 1/2 ounce 79 0.9 a All foods listed are assumed to be in nutrient-dense forms; lean or low-fat and prepared with minimal added sugars, saturated fat, or sodium.
b Some fortified foods and beverages are included. Other fortified options may exist on the market, but not all fortified foods are nutrient-dense. For example, some foods with added sugars may be fortified and would not be examples in the lists provided here.
c Some foods or beverages are not appropriate for all ages, particularly young children for whom some foods could be a choking hazard.
d Portions listed are not recommended serving sizes. Two lists—in ‘standard’ and ‘smaller’ portions--are provided for each dietary component. Standard portions provide at least 1.8 mg of iron. Smaller portions are generally one half of a standard portion.
e Seafood varieties include choices from the FDA/EPA joint “Advice About Eating Fish,” available at FDA.gov/fishadvice and EPA.gov/fishadvice from the “Best Choices” list. Varieties from the “Best Choices” list that contain even lower methylmercury include: flatfish (e.g., flounder), salmon, tilapia, shrimp, catfish, crab, trout, haddock, oysters, sardines, squid, pollock, anchovies, crawfish, mullet, scallops, whiting, clams, shad, and Atlantic mackerel.
Data Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.