Visiting a few healthy food sources often will help you get enough dietary iron daily without overloading your diet with fat and cholesterol. While animal-based foods such as chicken, turkey, beef and pork liver have high iron content, they also far exceed recommended cholesterol limits. Other cuts of meat have too much fat, while leaner meats and fish have too little iron. Eating small amounts of meat and fish, however, will help you absorb plant-based iron better, reports the National Institutes of Health. The average recommended daily iron intake for adults is set at 18 mg, per the FDA.
Enriched Cereal
With no saturated fat or cholesterol, low-sugar cereals that are fortified with dietary iron represent some of the healthiest high-iron foods. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans consider high vitamin and mineral content and relatively limited calories the mark of healthy food sources. Besides providing as much as 100 percent of daily iron needs, whole-grain cereals may be rich in B vitamins, dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium and other nutrients in as few as 100 calories, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. Adding milk, soy or rice beverages increases iron content by up to 1 mg.
Soy Products
The iron in soy beverages and tofu comes from soybean food sources. Soybeans are the legumes highest in dietary iron when cooked, providing 9 mg in 1 cup. The USDA notes that they lend their iron content to soymilk, with 2 mg per cup. In some brands of tofu, a more concentrated soy product, as much as 7 mg of iron is in 1 cup.
Dry Beans
Cooked dry lentils, beans and peas represent additional potent dietary iron foods in the legume family. Along with soybeans, these nutrient-dense foods are low in fat and have no cholesterol. The USDA includes lentils and white, navy, Great Northern, kidney and black beans among high-iron legumes. Pinto and lima beans, chickpeas and black-eyed peas also have significant iron content.
Shellfish
Shellfish such as clams and oysters have substantial cholesterol, but not as much as red meat and poultry. Extremely high iron levels place these shellfish among the healthiest animal-based food sources of iron. Raw and canned clams have from 12 to 24 mg of iron in 3-oz. servings. Oysters have lower cholesterol ratios and provide 6 mg in 3 oz., as per the USDA.
Green Vegetables
Great nutrient density exists in dark green vegetables, with very low calories and fat, no cholesterol and high vitamin and mineral content. The USDA places cooked spinach in the high-iron category, with 6 mg in 1 cup. Turnip and beet greens offer 3 mg per cup.
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