# Iron-rich foods list (printable)

Her Vitals, hervitals.co.uk. Information only, not medical advice. Not a substitute for a registered clinician.

Iron figures are milligrams (mg) of iron per 100 g of food, from McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), 2021, Public Health England / Food Standards Agency. Reference daily amounts and supplement advice are from the NHS.

How much iron you need each day (NHS):
- Women aged 19 to 49: 14.8 mg a day
- Women aged 50 and over, and men aged 19 and over: 8.7 mg a day
- Women who still have periods after 50 may need the higher amount.

Two kinds of iron:
- Haem iron (from animal foods) is absorbed more readily.
- Non-haem iron (from plant foods) is absorbed less readily, so the tips below matter more for it.

## Haem iron (animal foods), mg per 100 g
- Chicken liver, fried: 11.3 mg  (avoid liver in pregnancy: too much vitamin A)
- Lamb liver, fried: 7.7 mg  (avoid liver in pregnancy)
- Venison, roast: 5.1 mg
- Anchovies, canned in oil, drained: 4.1 mg
- Mussels, cooked: 3.25 mg
- Crab, canned in brine, drained: 2.8 mg
- Sardines, canned in brine, drained: 2.73 mg
- Beef topside, roasted, lean: 2.5 mg
- Beef mince, stewed: about 2.3 to 2.4 mg
- Beef sirloin steak, fried, lean: 2.3 mg
- Lamb leg, roasted, lean: 2.3 mg
- Eggs, whole, boiled: 1.97 mg

## Non-haem iron (plant and fortified foods), mg per 100 g
- Sesame seeds: 10.4 mg  (tahini paste: 10.6 mg)
- Pumpkin seeds: 10.0 mg
- Sunflower seeds: 6.4 mg
- Cashew nuts, plain: 6.2 mg
- Dried apricots: 4.1 mg
- Almonds, whole: 3.71 mg
- Porridge oats, unfortified: 3.64 mg
- Soya beans, boiled: 3.0 mg
- Prunes: 2.9 mg
- Baby spinach, boiled: 2.63 mg  (mature spinach, boiled: 1.6 mg)
- Edamame beans, boiled: 2.73 mg
- Red kidney beans, canned, drained: 2.26 mg
- Raisins: 2.21 mg
- Red lentils, boiled: 2.14 mg
- Green or brown lentils, boiled: 2.11 mg
- Wholemeal bread: 2.4 mg
- Dark (plain) chocolate: 2.3 mg
- Peanut butter, smooth: 2.1 mg
- Chickpeas, canned, drained: 1.9 mg
- Houmous: 1.9 mg
- Wholewheat pasta, boiled: 1.48 mg
- Baked beans in tomato sauce: 1.42 mg
- Tofu, steamed: 1.2 mg

Fortified breakfast cereals are a notable non-haem source: fortified wheat biscuits (Weetabix type) about 11.9 mg per 100 g and fortified cornflakes about 11.8 mg per 100 g, but the same cereal unfortified has far less (unfortified cornflakes about 0.4 mg), so check the label.

## Getting more iron from your food
Help absorption:
- Pair non-haem (plant) iron with a source of vitamin C in the same meal, such as peppers, citrus, tomatoes or a glass of orange juice (NHS; British Dietetic Association).
- Eating a little animal protein alongside plant iron also helps (British Dietetic Association).

Reduce absorption (so time these away from iron-rich meals):
- Tea and coffee (tannins). Avoid drinking tea during or just after a meal (British Dietetic Association).
- Bran and other high-phytate foods.
- Calcium, including milk and calcium supplements, taken at the same time.

## Safety
- Do not start an iron supplement on a hunch. The NHS advises confirming low iron with a blood test first, because too much iron can be harmful.
- Consuming more than 20 mg of iron a day (from supplements) can cause side effects such as constipation, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. The Department of Health advises that 17 mg or less a day of iron supplements is unlikely to cause harm; take more only if a doctor advises it.
- Very high doses of iron can be fatal, particularly for children. Keep supplements out of reach.

Sources:
- Iron food figures: McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021, Public Health England. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/composition-of-foods-integrated-dataset-cofid
- Daily amounts, absorption and safety: NHS, Vitamins and minerals: Iron. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/iron/
- Absorption tips: British Dietetic Association, Iron food fact sheet. https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/iron-rich-foods-iron-deficiency.html

Information only, not medical advice. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting an iron supplement.