Sources of Nutrients – Food Sources of Iron


All foods in this list contain 0.8 mg or more of iron.

Food Item Serving Size* Iron (Mg)
Soybeans, mature cooked, boiled ½ cup 4.4
Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce ½ cup 4.0
Beans, white, mature seeds, canned ½ cup 4.0
Beef, liver, cooked 2 oz 3.5
Molasses, blackstrap 1 tbsp 3.5
Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled ½ cup 3.3
Spinach, cooked, drained ½ cup 3.2
Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked ½ cup 2.6
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), mature seeds, cooked ½ cup 2.4
Soybeans, green, cooked ½ cup 2.3
Beans, navy, mature seeds, cooked ½ cup 2.2
Lima beans, large, mature seed, dried, cooked ½ cup 2.2
Cake, gingerbread, from recipe 1 piece 2.1
Refried beans, canned (includes USDA commodity) ½ cup 2.0
Cereals ready-to-eat 1 cup 2 -22
Beans, great northern, mature seeds, cooked ½ cup 1.9
Potato, baked, flesh and skin 1 medium 1.9
Rolls, hard (includes Kaiser) 1 roll 1.9
Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked ½ cup 1.8
Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked boiled ½  cup 1.8
Beef, chuck, blade roast, braised 2 oz 1.8
Lima beans, immature seeds, frozen, baby or fordhook, cooked ½ cup 1.8
Biscuits, plain or buttermilk, prepared from recipe 2-1/2” biscuit 1.7
Cherries, sour, red, canned, water pack, solids and liquids (includes  USDA commodity) ½ cup 1.7
Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids ½ cup 1.7
Bread, cornbread, from recipe, made with low-fat milk 1 piece 1.6
Bread, pita, white, enriched 6-1/2” pita 1.6
Peas, green, cooked ½ cup 1.6
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled ½ cup 1.6
Food Item Serving Size* Iron (Mg)
Beans, baked, canned, plain or vegetarian ½ cup 1.5
Beef, round bottom round, braised 2 oz 1.5
Beets, canned ½ cup 1.5
Beef, ground, 80% lean meat/ 20% fat, patty, broiled 2 oz 1.4
Pizza, cheese, regular crust, frozen 1 serving 1.4
Rolls, hamburger or hotdog, plain 1 roll 1.4
Asparagus, canned, drained solids 4 spears 1.3
Noodles, egg, cooked, enriched ½ cup 1.3
Peas, split, mature seeds, cooked ½ cup 1.3
Turkey, all classes, dark meat, roasted 2 oz 1.3
Cowpeas, common (black-eyed, crowder, southern), mature seeds, canned ½ cup 1.2
Collards, cooked ½ cup 1.1
Pizza, meat and vegetable, regular crust, frozen 1 serving 1.1
Pork, fresh, shoulder, arm picnic, braised 2 oz 1.1
Sweet potato, canned ½ cup 1.1
Tomato products, canned, puree ¼ cup 1.1
Tortillas, read-to-bake or fry, flour 1 tortilla 1.1
Fish fillet, battered or breaded, and fried 2 oz 1.0
Fish, tuna salad ½ cup 1.0
Muffins, corn, dry mix, prepared 1 muffin 1.0
Plums, canned, purple, heavy syrup pack, solids and liquids ½ cup 1.0
Rice, white, long-grain or regular, parboiled, enriched ½ cup 1.0
Tomato products, canned, paste 2 tbsp 1.0
Tomato sauce for pasta, spaghetti/marinara, ready-to serve ½ cup 1.0
Turkey, ground, cooked 2 oz 1.0
Bread, mixed-grain (includes whole-grain, 7-grain) 1 slice 0.9
Bread, pumpernickel 1 slice 0.9
Bread, rye 1 slice 0.9
Bread, white, commercially prepared (includes soft bread crumbs) 1 slice 0.9
Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared 1 slice 0.9
Brussels sprouts, cooked, boiled, ½ cup 0.9
Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, roasted ½ breast 0.9
Food Item Serving Size* Iron (Mg)
Crackers, matzo, plain 1 matzo 0.9
Fish, tuna, light canned in water, drained 2 oz 0.9
Macaroni, cooked, enriched ½ cup 0.9
Muffins, blueberry, commercially prepared 1 muffin 0.9
Rolls, dinner, plain, commercially prepared 1 roll 0.9
Spaghetti, cooked, enriched ½ cup 0.9
Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, stewed ¼ cup 0.9
Tomato soup, canned, prepared with equal volume water ½ cup 0.9
Turkey roast, boneless, light and dark meat, roasted 1 oz light and

1 oz dark

0.9
Vegetables, mixed canned ½ cup 0.9
Bread, wheat (includes wheat berry) 1 slice 0.8
Chicken, broilers or fryers, dark meat, meat only, roasted 2 oz 0.8
Fish, catfish, channel, cooked, breaded and fried 2 oz 0.8
Fish, haddock, cooked 2 oz 0.8
Frankfurter, chicken or beef 1 frank 0.8
Potato salad, school-prepared ½ cup 0.8
Raspberries, frozen, red, sweetened ½ cup 0.8
Strawberries, frozen, sweetened, sliced ½ cup 0.8
Sweet potato, cooked, baked 1 medium 0.8
Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked ½ cup 0.7

Reference:  Adapted from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17.