Dietary iron can come from food sources or from mineral supplement pills, but the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend getting most nutrients from food. Foods contain additional important nutrients, such as fiber and vitamins.
Eating from a variety of animal- and plant-based foods will optimize how the body uses iron. The heme iron in meats and seafood, for instance, improves the absorption of nonheme iron from grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Eating vitamin C foods such as oranges or red peppers also makes nonheme iron more accessible to the human body.
Seeds, Nuts and Dried Fruit
Dieters can start with small but strong contributions toward the 18 mg of iron suggested by the FDA by choosing among seed, nut and dried fruit food sources. Sunflower seeds offer 1 mg and pumpkin seeds 2 mg of nonheme iron content, in 1-oz. portions.
One ounce of nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts and cashews also carries between 1 mg and 2 mg of iron. The minerals in fruit become concentrated during drying, so that prunes, dates, raisins and dried apricots contain as much as 4 mg of iron per 1 cup of fruit.
Vegetables
Spinach, collards and turnip greens make good food sources for nonheme iron in the vegetable group. Cooking these greens also concentrates their nutrients, providing 6 mg in spinach, 3 mg in turnip greens and 3 mg in collard greens, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. Consumers can find significant dietary iron in asparagus and broccoli as well, advises the National Institutes of Health.
Legumes
The USDA National Nutrient Database reports that there is similar iron content among food items in the legume group that includes soybeans, lentils and dry beans and peas. One cup of lentils or soybeans offers 7 mg to 9 mg of nonheme iron. Blackeye peas, chickpeas and black, pinto, navy or kidney beans each contain 4 mg or more, supplying at least 20 percent of daily dietary iron needs per 1-cup serving.
Grains
While whole grains such as brown rice and bulgar wheat contain significant nonheme iron, and enriched grains greatly increase iron content. Many cereal products made from corn, wheat, oats, rice and barley add dietary iron to approach or equal 18 mg per suggested serving. The Mayo Clinic notes that breads and pastas made with enriched flour also have strong iron content.
Meats and Seafood
The heme iron found in meat, poultry, mollusks, crustaceans and fish food sources is the type most efficiently used and stored by the human body. In 3-oz. portions, canned clams provide 24 mg, chicken liver, 12 mg, and beef liver, 5 mg. Crab, shrimp and tuna, as well as beef, duck, chicken, turkey, lamb and pork meat contain 1 mg to 4 mg of heme iron.
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