All nutrients

Iron

Iron carries oxygen through the blood as part of hemoglobin, and contributes to normal energy metabolism and the reduction of tiredness. Iron from meat is absorbed more easily than iron from plants; vitamin C eaten at the same meal improves plant iron absorption.

Adult daily reference intake: 14 mg

Sources: MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine), EU Regulation 432/2012, authorized health claims

Best food sources of iron

Richest foods in each food group, per 100 g. Some foods, such as dried herbs, spices and oils, are eaten in far smaller amounts than 100 g, so a high rank does not always mean a meaningful contribution to a meal.

miscellaneous158 foods measured

  1. 1Sea lettuce (Enteromorpha sp.), dried or dehydrated234 mg1671%
  2. 2Thyme, dried124 mg886%
  3. 3Basil, dried89.8 mg641%
  4. 4Mint, dried87.5 mg625%
  5. 5Molokhia powder (dried jute leaves)87 mg621%
  6. 6Marjoram, dried82.7 mg591%
  7. 7Sea lettuce (ulva sp.), dried or dehydrated)78.9 mg564%
  8. 8Provence herbs, dried69.8 mg499%

beverages159 foods measured

  1. 1Cocoa powder, without sugar, powder, instant48.5 mg346%
  2. 2Tea leaf18 mg129%
  3. 3Cocoa or chocolate powder, for beverages, with sugar13 mg93%
  4. 4Chicory, powder, instant5.5 mg39%
  5. 5Mix of chicory and coffee, powder, instant4.76 mg34%
  6. 6Malted cocoa or chocolate powder for beverage, with sugar4.7 mg34%
  7. 7Coffee, powder, instant4.41 mg32%
  8. 8Coffee, ground4.1 mg29%

meat, egg and fish665 foods measured

  1. 1Blood, beef, raw46.5 mg332%
  2. 2Liver, goose, raw30.5 mg218%
  3. 3Liver, duck, raw30.5 mg218%
  4. 4Black pudding (blood sausage), sautéed/pan-fried22.8 mg163%
  5. 5Liver, pork, raw18.4 mg131%
  6. 6Liver, pork, cooked17.9 mg128%
  7. 7Black pudding (blood sausage), refrigerated17.4 mg124%
  8. 8Black or white pudding (blood sausage), sautéed (average)16.1 mg115%

sugar and confectionery184 foods measured

  1. 1Dark chocolate bar, without sugar and with artificial sweeteners22.8 mg163%
  2. 2Chocolate confectionery, sugar coated12.5 mg89%
  3. 3Dark chocolate bar, more than 70% cocoa11 mg79%
  4. 4Breakfast cereals, diet, plain or with honey, fortified with vitamins and chemical elements10.6 mg76%
  5. 5Breakfast cereals, diet, with fruits, fortified with vitamins and chemical elements10.6 mg76%
  6. 6Breakfast cereals, wheat flakes with walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, fortified with vitamins and chemical elements10.4 mg74%
  7. 7Breakfast cereals, diet, with dried fruits, fortified with vitamins and chemical elements10.2 mg73%
  8. 8Breakfast cereals, puffed/popped cereals, wholemeal, fortified with vitamins and chemical elements9.95 mg71%

fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts497 foods measured

  1. 1Soybean, whole grain15.7 mg112%
  2. 2Sesame seed14.6 mg104%
  3. 3Alfalfa seeds, raw12.9 mg92%
  4. 4Flaxseed10.2 mg73%
  5. 5Tomato, dried9.09 mg65%
  6. 6Cucurbitacea, seed8.82 mg63%
  7. 7Haricot bean, dry7.97 mg57%
  8. 8Sesame seed, grilled, husked7.78 mg56%

cereal products105 foods measured

  1. 1Rusk , slice, multigrain9 mg64%
  2. 2Amaranth, raw7.61 mg54%
  3. 3Frik (crushed immature durum wheat), raw5.2 mg37%
  4. 4Oat, raw4.72 mg34%
  5. 5Quinoa, raw4.57 mg33%
  6. 6Spelt, raw4.44 mg32%
  7. 7Millet, whole3.91 mg28%
  8. 8Khorasan wheat3.77 mg27%

ice cream and sorbet16 foods measured

  1. 1Ice cream on stick, with chocolate coating6.33 mg45%
  2. 2Belle Helene pear dessert (cooked pear topped with hot chocolate sauce on a bed of vanilla ice cream)2.43 mg17%
  3. 3Ice cream or sorbet or ice pop, flavoured (average)2.13 mg15%
  4. 4Ice cream, luxury, in cup1.3 mg9%
  5. 5Ice cream, chocolate coated1.1 mg8%
  6. 6Profiteroles (chou pastry), with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce1 mg7%
  7. 7Ice cream, cone (normal size)0.95 mg7%
  8. 8Peach melba (with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce)0.57 mg4%

milk and milk products203 foods measured

  1. 1Mousse, chocolate, plant-based, prepacked6 mg43%
  2. 2Chocolate mousse (milk-based), refrigerated4.64 mg33%
  3. 3Plant-based cheese, with cashew, prepacked3.9 mg28%
  4. 4French toast1.94 mg14%
  5. 5Cheese, dry, from goat's milk1.88 mg13%
  6. 6Cheese, semi-dry, from goat's milk1.62 mg12%
  7. 7Custard dessert, chocolate, refrigerated1.6 mg11%
  8. 8Emmental cheese, grated, from cow's milk1.5 mg11%

Other29 foods measured

  1. 1Soya flour5.19 mg37%
  2. 2Rye flour, type 1704.97 mg36%
  3. 3Chick pea flour4.86 mg35%
  4. 4Oatmeal flakes4.05 mg29%
  5. 5Millet flour3.8 mg27%
  6. 6Barley flour3.59 mg26%
  7. 7Phyllo or filo dough, raw3.21 mg23%
  8. 8Spelt flour3 mg21%

fats and oils27 foods measured

  1. 1Butter, 60-62% fat, light, lightly salted1.09 mg8%
  2. 2Vegetable fat (margarine type), spreadable, fat content unknown, light, unsalted0.5 mg4%
  3. 3Fat spreadfat content unknown, unsalted (average)0.5 mg4%
  4. 4Butter, 80% fat, salted0.23 mg2%
  5. 5Butter spread, low-fat (average)0.22 mg2%
  6. 6Butter, unknown fat content , half-salted (average)0.19 mg1%
  7. 7Pork fat, raw0.18 mg1%
  8. 8Butter, 80% fat, lightly salted0.13 mg<1%

Values per 100 g from CIQUAL. Percentages are shares of the adult daily reference intake (EU Regulation 1169/2011, fiber from EFSA). Foods whose value is below the detection limit or reported as traces are not ranked, since the amount is unknown rather than zero.