Foods to Increase Iron Intake and Iron Absorption
| . | Elemental Iron, mg . |
|---|---|
| Commercial baby food,a heme iron | |
| Meat | |
| Baby food, lamb, junior, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 1.2 |
| Baby food, chicken, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 1.0 |
| Baby food, lamb, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.8 |
| Baby food, beef, junior, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, beef, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, chicken, junior, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, pork, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, ham, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, ham, junior, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, turkey, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.5 |
| Baby food, veal, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.5 |
| Commercial baby food,a nonheme iron | |
| Vegetables | |
| Baby food, green beans, junior, 1 jar (6 oz) | 1.8 |
| Baby food, peas, strained, 1 jar (3.4 oz) | 0.9 |
| Baby food, green beans, strained, 1 jar (4 oz) | 0.8 |
| Baby food, spinach, creamed, strained, 1 jar (4 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, sweet potatoes, junior (6 oz) | 0.7 |
| Cereals | |
| Baby food, brown rice cereal, dry, instant, 1 tbsp | 1.8 |
| Baby food, oatmeal cereal, dry, 1 tbsp | 1.6 |
| Baby food, rice cereal, dry, 1 tbsp | 1.2 |
| Baby food, barley cereal, dry, 1 tbsp | 1.1 |
| Table food, heme iron | |
| Clams, canned, drained solids, 3 oz | 23.8 |
| Chicken liver, cooked, simmered, 3 oz | 9.9 |
| Oysters, Eastern canned, 3 oz | 5.7 |
| Beef liver, cooked, braised, 3 oz | 5.6 |
| Shrimp, cooked moist heat, 3 oz | 2.6 |
| Beef, composite of trimmed cuts, lean only, all grades, cooked, 3 oz | 2.5 |
| Sardines, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone, 3 oz | 2.5 |
| Turkey, all classes, dark meat, roasted, 3 oz | 2.0 |
| Lamb, domestic, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable lean only, choice, cooked, 3 oz | 1.7 |
| Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids, 3 oz | 1.3 |
| Chicken, broiler or fryer, dark meat, roasted, 3 oz | 1.1 |
| Turkey, all classes, light meat, roasted, 3 oz | 1.1 |
| Veal, composite of trimmed cuts, lean only, cooked, 3 oz | 1.0 |
| Chicken, broiler or fryer, breast, roasted, 3 oz | 0.9 |
| Pork, composite of trimmed cuts (leg, loin, shoulder), lean only, cooked, 3 oz | 0.9 |
| Fish, salmon, pink, cooked, 3 oz | 0.8 |
| Table food, nonheme iron | |
| Oatmeal, instant, fortified, cooked, 1 cup | 14.0 |
| Blackstrap molasses,b 2 tbsp | 7.4 |
| Tofu, raw, regular, ½ cup | 6.7 |
| Wheat germ, toasted, ½ cup | 5.1 |
| Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified at different levels, 1 cup | ∼4.5 to 18 |
| Soybeans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, ½ cup | 4.4 |
| Apricots, dehydrated (low-moisture), uncooked, ½ cup | 3.8 |
| Sunflower seeds, dried, ½ cup | 3.7 |
| Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 3.3 |
| Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, ½ cup | 3.2 |
| Chickpeas, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 2.4 |
| Prunes, dehydrated (low-moisture), uncooked, ½ cup | 2.3 |
| Lima beans, large, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 2.2 |
| Navy beans, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 2.2 |
| Kidney beans, all types, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 2.0 |
| Molasses, 2 tbsp | 1.9 |
| Pinto beans, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 1.8 |
| Raisins, seedless, packed, ½ cup | 1.6 |
| Prunes, dehydrated (low moisture), stewed, ½ cup | 1.6 |
| Prune juice, canned, 4 fl oz | 1.5 |
| Green peas, cooked, boiled, drain, ½ cup | 1.2 |
| Enriched white rice, long-grain, regular, cooked, ½ cup | 1.0 |
| Whole egg, cooked (fried or poached), 1 large egg | 0.9 |
| Enriched spaghetti, cooked, ½ cup | 0.9 |
| White bread, commercially prepared, 1 slice | 0.9 |
| Whole-wheat bread, commercially prepared, 1 slice | 0.7 |
| Spaghetti or macaroni, whole wheat, cooked, ½ cup | 0.7 |
| Peanut butter, smooth style, 2 tbsp | 0.6 |
| Brown rice, medium-grain, cooked, ½ cup | 0.5 |
| . | Elemental Iron, mg . |
|---|---|
| Commercial baby food,a heme iron | |
| Meat | |
| Baby food, lamb, junior, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 1.2 |
| Baby food, chicken, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 1.0 |
| Baby food, lamb, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.8 |
| Baby food, beef, junior, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, beef, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, chicken, junior, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, pork, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, ham, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, ham, junior, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, turkey, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.5 |
| Baby food, veal, strained, 1 jar (2.5 oz) | 0.5 |
| Commercial baby food,a nonheme iron | |
| Vegetables | |
| Baby food, green beans, junior, 1 jar (6 oz) | 1.8 |
| Baby food, peas, strained, 1 jar (3.4 oz) | 0.9 |
| Baby food, green beans, strained, 1 jar (4 oz) | 0.8 |
| Baby food, spinach, creamed, strained, 1 jar (4 oz) | 0.7 |
| Baby food, sweet potatoes, junior (6 oz) | 0.7 |
| Cereals | |
| Baby food, brown rice cereal, dry, instant, 1 tbsp | 1.8 |
| Baby food, oatmeal cereal, dry, 1 tbsp | 1.6 |
| Baby food, rice cereal, dry, 1 tbsp | 1.2 |
| Baby food, barley cereal, dry, 1 tbsp | 1.1 |
| Table food, heme iron | |
| Clams, canned, drained solids, 3 oz | 23.8 |
| Chicken liver, cooked, simmered, 3 oz | 9.9 |
| Oysters, Eastern canned, 3 oz | 5.7 |
| Beef liver, cooked, braised, 3 oz | 5.6 |
| Shrimp, cooked moist heat, 3 oz | 2.6 |
| Beef, composite of trimmed cuts, lean only, all grades, cooked, 3 oz | 2.5 |
| Sardines, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone, 3 oz | 2.5 |
| Turkey, all classes, dark meat, roasted, 3 oz | 2.0 |
| Lamb, domestic, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable lean only, choice, cooked, 3 oz | 1.7 |
| Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids, 3 oz | 1.3 |
| Chicken, broiler or fryer, dark meat, roasted, 3 oz | 1.1 |
| Turkey, all classes, light meat, roasted, 3 oz | 1.1 |
| Veal, composite of trimmed cuts, lean only, cooked, 3 oz | 1.0 |
| Chicken, broiler or fryer, breast, roasted, 3 oz | 0.9 |
| Pork, composite of trimmed cuts (leg, loin, shoulder), lean only, cooked, 3 oz | 0.9 |
| Fish, salmon, pink, cooked, 3 oz | 0.8 |
| Table food, nonheme iron | |
| Oatmeal, instant, fortified, cooked, 1 cup | 14.0 |
| Blackstrap molasses,b 2 tbsp | 7.4 |
| Tofu, raw, regular, ½ cup | 6.7 |
| Wheat germ, toasted, ½ cup | 5.1 |
| Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified at different levels, 1 cup | ∼4.5 to 18 |
| Soybeans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, ½ cup | 4.4 |
| Apricots, dehydrated (low-moisture), uncooked, ½ cup | 3.8 |
| Sunflower seeds, dried, ½ cup | 3.7 |
| Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 3.3 |
| Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, ½ cup | 3.2 |
| Chickpeas, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 2.4 |
| Prunes, dehydrated (low-moisture), uncooked, ½ cup | 2.3 |
| Lima beans, large, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 2.2 |
| Navy beans, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 2.2 |
| Kidney beans, all types, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 2.0 |
| Molasses, 2 tbsp | 1.9 |
| Pinto beans, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup | 1.8 |
| Raisins, seedless, packed, ½ cup | 1.6 |
| Prunes, dehydrated (low moisture), stewed, ½ cup | 1.6 |
| Prune juice, canned, 4 fl oz | 1.5 |
| Green peas, cooked, boiled, drain, ½ cup | 1.2 |
| Enriched white rice, long-grain, regular, cooked, ½ cup | 1.0 |
| Whole egg, cooked (fried or poached), 1 large egg | 0.9 |
| Enriched spaghetti, cooked, ½ cup | 0.9 |
| White bread, commercially prepared, 1 slice | 0.9 |
| Whole-wheat bread, commercially prepared, 1 slice | 0.7 |
| Spaghetti or macaroni, whole wheat, cooked, ½ cup | 0.7 |
| Peanut butter, smooth style, 2 tbsp | 0.6 |
| Brown rice, medium-grain, cooked, ½ cup | 0.5 |
Note that all figures are rounded.
Baby food values are generally based on generic jar, not branded jar; 3 oz of table-food meat = 85 g; a 2.5-oz jar of baby food = 71 g (an infant would not be expected to eat 3 oz [approximately the size of a deck of cards] of pureed table meat at a meal).
Source of iron value was obtained from a manufacturer of this type of molasses.
Source of iron values in foods: US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20: Nutrient Data Laboratory home page. Available at: www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl.