Foods With Lots of Iron

Iron is one of the most important trace minerals essential for human health. It is a key component of both hemoglobin (part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to all body cells) and myoglobin (muscle protein that stores/carries oxygen, enabling muscles to contract). Oxygen is crucial for cells to break down glucose and produce energy. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron for men is 8 mg and for women, 18 mg. Excellent food sources include meats and fortified cereals.

Meats, Chicken and Fish

There are two types of iron: heme (found in animal foods) and non-heme (found in plant foods). Heme iron is absorbed and used twice as readily as nonheme iron and the richest source of heme iron is red meat. A 4 oz. serving of either chuck roast, bottom sirloin tri-tip steak, sirloin strip steak or choice flank steak provide 4 mg of iron each. Light meat, such as poultry or fish provide significantly less iron. A 4 oz. serving of halibut, cooked provides 1.2 mg of iron and 4 oz. of roasted chicken breast offers 0.8 mg of iron.

Other Protein Foods and Veggies

Beans, eggs and nuts are all good sources of iron. A 1/2 cup serving of kidney beans provides 2.6 mg of iron while 1/2 cup serving of chickpeas or refried beans offer 2.4 and 2.1 mg of iron, respectively. Cashew nuts are iron-rich, providing 1.7 mg for a 1 oz serving. Two large, boiled eggs provide 1.2 mg of iron. Fortified soymilk (1 cup) offers 2.7 mg of iron. Tomatoes, stewed (1/2 cup) offer 1.7 mg of iron while 1/2 cup of spinach is particularly iron-rich providing 3.2 mg. Unfortunately, the iron in veggies is not particularly well absorbed by the body.

Fortified Cereals

Fortified breakfast cereals are an excellent source of iron. It is non-heme iron, however. Eating them with a Vitamin C-rich food or beverage, such as strawberries or orange juice, enhances the absorption of the iron. General Mills Total cereal (3/4 cup) provides 22.4 mg of iron. Cheerios offers 10.3 mg in a 1 cup serving. A 1- up serving of Kellogg's Special K cereal provides 8.4 mg of iron. Malt-o-Meal is an extremely iron-rich hot cereal. Just 1 tbsp. (enough to make about a 1/2 cup serving) provides nearly 6 mg of iron. Cream of Wheat is similarly rich in iron offering 5.1 mg in a 1/2 cup serving. Breads are typically iron fortified. A 1 o.z slice of whole wheat bread provides approximately 1 mg of iron.