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 |
Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.