Individuals with kidney disease or anemia, or those whose diets fall short of daily iron content, should keep the pantry stocked with their favorite iron-rich foods. Diets that lack iron may lack other nutrients, so getting more iron from nutritious foods, rather than from supplement pills, may improve overall health.
The two types of iron, heme and nonheme, come from animal and plant food sources. By eating a variety of foods, adults and children over age 4 will achieve the appropriate mix in the total 18 milligrams (mg) of iron per day suggested by the FDA.
Seafood
Mollusks, crustaceans and fish represent nutrient-dense food sources of heme iron. Seafood in general has high mineral content, as illustrated by canned clams, which contain 24 mg of iron and substantial potassium in a 3-ounce (oz) serving, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. Oysters deliver 6 mg of iron; sardines, 3 mg; and crab, shrimp and tuna, 1 mg, in 3-oz portions.
Poultry
Among poultry food sources, heme iron content is highest in organ meats, the USDA reports, followed by dark and then white meat. In 3 oz of chicken liver, there are 12 mg iron, compared to about 1 mg for the same portion of thigh or breast meat. Duck, goose and turkey meat are all iron-rich foods.
Meat
Three ounces of beef liver and two slices of pork liver sausage both represent good food sources of heme iron, with 5 mg and 6 mg, respectively, as per the USDA. Regular beef cuts and fast-food hamburgers have as much as 5 mg, while lamb and pork chops contain up to 2 mg per 3-oz serving.
Grain
Many iron-rich foods, such as enriched cereal products, have added iron content, the Mayo Clinic notes. Cereals such as Malt-o-Meal, Kellogg's All-Bran and General Mills Total deliver a full 18 mg of nonheme iron in about 1 cup.
Other fortified grain foods include pasta noodles, pizza dough, hotdog and hamburger buns, bagels and other bread items. Cooked whole grains such as brown rice, buckwheat groats and bulgar have 1 mg to 2 mg of iron in 1 cup.
Legumes
Cooked soybeans, lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas provide as much as 9 mg of nonheme iron per 1-cup serving. These iron-rich foods can be served alone or with meat, for the added heme iron improves absorption of the nonheme iron in legumes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vegetables
Spinach is known for its iron content, but high mineral levels come from cooking it down to concentrate nutrients. As the USDA points out, 1 cup of cooked spinach offers 6 mg of nonheme iron, while 1 cup of raw spinach contains less than 1 mg.
Member Comments