Food Sources of Iron ranked by milligrams of iron per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All are >- 10% of RDA for teen and adult females, which is 18 mg/day.)
| Food, Standard Amount |
Iron (mg) |
Calories |
| Clams, canned, drained, 3 oz |
23.8 |
126 |
| Fortified ready-to-eat cereals (various), ~ 1 oz |
1.8 -21.1 |
54-127 |
| Oysters, eastern, wild, cooked, moist heat, 3 oz |
10.2 |
116 |
| Organ meats (liver, giblets), various, cooked, 3 oz a |
5.2-9.9 |
134-235 |
| Fortified instant cooked cereals (various), 1 packet |
4.9-8.1 |
Varies |
| Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup |
4.4 |
149 |
| Pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, 1 oz |
4.2 |
148 |
| White beans, canned, ½ cup |
3.9 |
153 |
| Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp |
3.5 |
47 |
| Lentils, cooked, ½ cup |
3.3 |
115 |
| Spinach, cooked from fresh, ½ cup |
3.2 |
21 |
| Beef, chuck, blade roast, lean, cooked, 3 oz |
3.1 |
215 |
| Beef, bottom round, lean, 0” fat, all grades, cooked, 3 oz |
2.8 |
182 |
| Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup |
2.6 |
112 |
| Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 3 oz |
2.5 |
177 |
| Beef, rib, lean, ¼” fat, all grades, 3 oz |
2.4 |
195 |
| Chickpeas, cooked, ½ cup |
2.4 |
134 |
| Duck, meat only, roasted, 3 oz |
2.3 |
171 |
| Lamb, shoulder, arm, lean, ¼ ” fat, choice, cooked, 3 oz |
2.3 |
237 |
| Prune juice, ¾ cup |
2.3 |
136 |
| Shrimp, canned, 3 oz |
2.3 |
102 |
| Cowpeas, cooked, ½ cup |
2.2 |
100 |
| Ground beef, 15% fat, cooked, 3 oz |
2.2 |
212 |
| Tomato puree, ½ cup |
2.2 |
48 |
| Lima beans, cooked, ½ cup |
2.2 |
108 |
| Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup |
2.2 |
127 |
| Navy beans, cooked, ½ cup |
2.1 |
127 |
| Refried beans, ½ cup |
2.1 |
118 |
| Beef, top sirloin, lean, 0” fat, all grades, cooked, 3 oz |
2.0 |
156 |
| Tomato paste, ¼ cup |
2.0 |
54 |