Iron is an important nutrient, responsible for the production of hemoglobin, which helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. Too little iron in your diet can lead to a form of anemia, which causes low red blood cell counts, according to the Mayo Clinic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for iron is 18mg for adult men and 27mg for adult women.
Meat, Fish and Poultry
Meat, fish and poultry are excellent sources of iron, with dark meat providing the most iron in poultry. Poultry include eggs. Liver, with 8.5mg of iron in a 3.5-oz. serving, is a particularly rich source of iron in beef. Clams, with 22mg of iron in a 3.5-oz. serving and oysters, with 8.5mg. of iron in a 3.5-oz. serving, are excellent seafood choices.
If you are concerned about cholesterol and fat, consider choosing leaner meat choices. The less expensive the beef, the less fat--except with ground beef, where the opposite is true. High-fat fish like tuna and salmon have higher levels of "good" fats which fight cholesterol problems. Buy free-range or organic meats if you are worried about hormones.
Cereals
The U.S. government requires that many cereals be fortified with a variety of vitamins and minerals, most notably iron. For example one cup of bran flakes has 11mg of iron in a 1 cup serving. Check nutrition labels when you buy cereals to determine the RDA for iron in each. Some may have 25 percent of the RDA per serving, while others have 50 percent or more. Some breads and pastas are also iron-fortified. Other than supplements and red meats, cereals may be your best choice to boost iron intake.
If you are a vegan, consider soy milk, which has 1.4mg of iron in a 1 cup serving with your cereal or oatmeal, with 6.3mg of iron in a packet.
Beans & Nuts
Beans, nuts and seeds are good sources of iron, especially soy, kidney and lima beans, and lentils, which have 3.2mg in a 1/2 cup, cooked serving, sunflower, with 2.5mg in 2 tbsp. and pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, almonds and Brazil nuts.
Vegetables, Fruits and Grains
Iron from vegetables, fruits and grains are harder for the body to absorb than iron from meat. Vitamin C can help aid absorption if it's taken with iron-rich foods, so consider drinking orange juice or eating citrus fruits with your iron-rich vegetables. If you want to decrease your reliance on animal products for your iron needs, eat smaller portions of meat, fish and poultry with fruits, grains and vegetables to help increase absorption of the iron you want from vegetables and grains.
Good fruit and vegetable sources for iron include: asparagus, broccoli, collards, kale, potato, spinach and Swiss chard, with 2mg in a 1/2-cup, cooked serving; watermelon, with 3mg in a 6-inch by 1/2-inch slice. Dried fruits like prunes, apricots, raisins and figs--which have 0.2mg in a single dried fig.
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