Printable food list
Iron-rich foods list
The richest everyday iron foods are liver (avoid in pregnancy), red meat and oily fish for haem iron, and seeds, nuts, dried apricots, beans, lentils, dark green vegetables and fortified cereals for non-haem iron. Women aged 19 to 49 need 14.8 mg of iron a day, dropping to 8.7 mg from age 50. Iron figures below are mg per 100 g from the UK CoFID 2021 dataset. Pair plant iron with vitamin C, and keep tea, coffee and calcium away from iron-rich meals. Information only, not medical advice.
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The full list, absorption tips and safety notes, in one printable sheet. Everything in it is also shown on this page.
Download the iron-rich foods listHow much iron you need a day
- 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.
Figures are from the NHS. There are two kinds of dietary iron: haem iron from animal foods, which is absorbed more readily, and non-haem iron from plant and fortified foods, which is absorbed less readily.
Haem iron (animal foods)
| Food | Iron (mg per 100 g) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken liver, fried | 11.3 | Avoid liver in pregnancy (too much vitamin A) |
| Lamb liver, fried | 7.7 | Avoid liver in pregnancy |
| Venison, roast | 5.1 | |
| Anchovies, canned in oil, drained | 4.1 | |
| Mussels, cooked | 3.25 | |
| Crab, canned in brine, drained | 2.8 | |
| Sardines, canned in brine, drained | 2.73 | |
| Beef topside, roasted, lean | 2.5 | |
| Beef mince, stewed | 2.3 to 2.4 | |
| Beef sirloin steak, fried, lean | 2.3 | |
| Lamb leg, roasted, lean | 2.3 | |
| Eggs, whole, boiled | 1.97 |
Non-haem iron (plant and fortified foods)
| Food | Iron (mg per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Sesame seeds (tahini paste 10.6) | 10.4 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 10.0 |
| Sunflower seeds | 6.4 |
| Cashew nuts, plain | 6.2 |
| Dried apricots | 4.1 |
| Almonds, whole | 3.71 |
| Porridge oats, unfortified | 3.64 |
| Soya beans, boiled | 3.0 |
| Prunes | 2.9 |
| Edamame beans, boiled | 2.73 |
| Baby spinach, boiled (mature 1.6) | 2.63 |
| Wholemeal bread | 2.4 |
| Dark (plain) chocolate | 2.3 |
| Red kidney beans, canned, drained | 2.26 |
| Raisins | 2.21 |
| Red lentils, boiled | 2.14 |
| Green or brown lentils, boiled | 2.11 |
| Peanut butter, smooth | 2.1 |
| Chickpeas, canned, drained | 1.9 |
| Houmous | 1.9 |
| Wholewheat pasta, boiled | 1.48 |
| Baked beans in tomato sauce | 1.42 |
| Tofu, steamed | 1.2 |
Fortified breakfast cereals are a notable non-haem source: fortified wheat biscuits (Weetabix type) are 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 vitamin C in the same meal, such as peppers, citrus, tomatoes or a glass of orange juice.
- A little animal protein alongside plant iron also helps.
Reduce absorption (time these away from iron-rich meals):
- Tea and coffee (tannins). The British Dietetic Association advises against tea during or just after a meal.
- 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. 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 is unlikely to cause harm. Very high doses can be dangerous, especially for children, so keep supplements out of reach. Check any product against our upper safe limit checker.
How we built this
Every iron figure is read from McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021, published by Public Health England, and is given per 100 g of the food as eaten. Daily amounts, absorption and safety notes are from the NHS, with absorption tips also from the British Dietetic Association. Figures verified 2026-07-27.
Read more
Read our full iron for women guide for the evidence and gentler supplement forms, see the amount you actually need in the recommended daily intake lookup, and browse more free printables.
Frequently asked questions
How much iron do women need a day?
The NHS reference is 14.8 mg a day for women aged 19 to 49 and 8.7 mg a day for women aged 50 and over and for men aged 19 and over. Women who still have periods after 50 may need the higher amount. These are dietary reference figures, not a target to hit with supplements.
What is the difference between haem and non-haem iron?
Haem iron comes from animal foods such as red meat, liver and oily fish and is absorbed more readily. Non-haem iron comes from plant and fortified foods such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, dark green vegetables and fortified cereals and is absorbed less readily, so the absorption tips matter more for it.
How can I absorb more iron from food?
Pair plant (non-haem) iron with a source of vitamin C in the same meal, such as peppers, tomatoes, citrus or a glass of orange juice, and eating a little animal protein alongside also helps. Tea and coffee, bran, and calcium (including milk and calcium supplements) reduce absorption, so keep those away from your iron-rich meals.
Should I take an iron supplement?
Not on a hunch. The NHS advises confirming low iron with a blood test first, because too much iron can be harmful. More than 20 mg a day from supplements can cause constipation, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, and very high doses can be dangerous, especially for children. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting iron.
This is information, not medical advice, and is not a substitute for a registered clinician. Iron can be harmful in excess, so confirm low iron with a test and speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting a supplement.
Editor, Her Vitals
Oliver leads Her Vitals's editorial coverage of women's life-stage health and supplements. He curates and reviews existing branded products across trying to conceive, pregnancy, postnatal, perimenopause, menopause and the senior years, weighing what the evidence supports against guidance from bodies such as EFSA, the NHS and NICE, and is clear that the content is information rather than medical advice.
Last reviewed: 27 July 2026
Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Editor. Editorial review against published guidance; not a clinical review.