Cereal manufacturers often start with whole grains that contain natural iron content and pump them up. You'll find many enriched cereals on the grocery store shelf that provide a whole day's supply of dietary iron, along with added calcium, vitamin B and other "bonus" nutrients.
The FDA sets an average recommended daily value of iron at 18 mg for adults. You can safely ingest up to 45 mg, according to the National Institutes of Health, so feel free to add iron-fortified breakfast cereals to menus that include other iron-rich foods such as eggs and meats.
Wheat
Natural whole-wheat sources, such as bulgur, provide only about 2 mg of iron in 1 cup of cooked grain, but enriched cereals may have nearly 10 times that amount, as the USDA Nutrient Database reveals. Kellogg's Product 19 provides slightly more than 18 mg of dietary iron in 1 cup. Adding 1/2 cup of milk, soymilk or rice beverage adds a trace more.
General Mills Total Raisin Bran gets its 18 mg of iron per cup content from wheat and raisins. Malt-o-Meal delivers 17 mg and Cream of Wheat from B&G Foods contains 9 mg in suggested servings.
Corn
Whole corn also has low iron content until processed into iron-fortified breakfast cereal, the USDA notes. General Mills Total Corn Flakes provide 18 mg in 1 1/3 cups and Kellogg's Corn Flakes, General Mills Corn Chex, and Quaker Oat Instant Corn Grits have 8 to 9 mg in 1-cup servings. Blended oat and corn or rice and corn enriched cereals, such as Quaker Oat Cap'n Crunch and Kellogg's Crispix, have 5 to 7 mg per suggested serving.
Rice
One cup of cooked brown rice has about the same natural iron content as cooked corn, so manufacturers fortify their rice breakfast cereals to help you achieve your FDA-recommended daily value. Kellogg's Rice Krispies lead the way, with 11 mg of iron, followed by General Mills Rice Chex with 10 mg, both in 1 1/4 cup servings. Blended cereals that contain rice include General Mills Basic 4 and Kellogg's Special K, which have 5 to 8 mg of dietary iron per 1-cup serving.
Oats
Like whole wheat, cooked oats have about 2 mg of dietary iron in 1 cup, without added iron content. Not all oat breakfast products are enriched cereals, however, so you should check package nutrition facts to make sure. Those that are fortified include General Mills Cheerios and Quaker Oat Life, both with 9 mg, and various brands of instant oatmeal, with 11 mg, per suggested serving, as reported by the USDA.
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