Foods High In Vitamin B12 & Iron

Vitamin B12, a water-soluble vitamin also known as cobalamin, is necessary for converting food to fuel, metabolizing proteins and fats, and maintaining healthy nerve cells. Iron helps carry oxygen through the bloodstream, promotes the production of collagen and aids the body in fighting infections. Each is necessary for proper health and growth, but only a few foods contain them both in abundance. All foods that provide significant amounts of these essential nutrients contain heme iron, or the type most easily absorbed by the body. Non-heme iron is found mostly in plant foods, which do not contain vitamin B12.

Meat and Poultry

Vitamin B12 is only available in animal foods, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, and iron is also found in many meats and poultry. Chicken breast, for example, contains about 1.1mg iron and 0.3mcg vitamin B12 in each 3-oz. serving. This equals about 6 percent of the recommended daily value of each nutrient. Broiled pork loin is another meat high in vitamin B12 and iron. It contains about 0.8mg iron and 0.9mcg vitamin B12 in each 3-oz. serving. Beef, ham, lamb, turkey and organ meats are also good sources of both nutrients.

Fish and Seafood

Many fish and seafoods are high in vitamin B12 and iron. Breaded, fried clams are perhaps the best source of the nutrients. They contain about 15 percent of the recommended daily value of iron, and about 570 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin B12, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Other fish and seafood that provide large amounts of vitamin B12 and iron include tuna, halibut, oyster and crab.

Fortified Cereals

Because vitamin B12 occurs naturally only in meat, poultry and other animal products, few other foods contain both iron and vitamin B12. Fortified breakfast cereal is one exception. The EBSCO Health Library reports that 1 cup of fortified cereal contains up to 18mg iron. Each 1-cup serving of fortified cereal also supplies up to 6mcg vitamin B12. These amounts may vary depending on the percentage of nutrients added. In most cases, fortified cereals contain from 25 to 100 percent of the recommended daily value.