How much Iron do you need each day?

Daily needs depend on age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, health, and other factors. Use the requirement table on this page for general guidance.

Are high Iron foods safe for everyone?

Food sources are suitable for many people, but medical conditions, medicines, allergies, supplements, and pregnancy can change what is safe.

Foodmanac nutrient guide

100 Foods High In Iron With Benefits, Daily Needs and Warnings

Iron helps red blood cells move oxygen from the lungs to the body.

Use this page to understand Iron benefits, daily requirements, safety notes, and the top Foodmanac food sources.

See top Iron foods Daily needs table Warnings

Iron benefits in the body

Supports hemoglobin and oxygen transport.
Helps normal energy metabolism.
Supports brain development during growth.
Helps reduce risk of iron deficiency when intake is enough.
Works best when the diet includes both iron and absorption helpers.

Who should pay attention?

Menstruation raises iron needs for many females.
Pregnancy greatly increases iron needs.
Plant iron is absorbed less easily than heme iron from animal foods.
Vitamin C foods can help the body absorb non-heme iron.

How to use this list

Compare foods by measured database values.
Choose foods that fit your diet and culture.
Check serving size before judging a food.
Use medical advice for disease-specific diets.

Iron daily body requirements

Daily needs change by age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, body size, health, medicines, and activity. The table gives general U.S. reference values for healthy people.

Iron daily requirements by age, sex, and life stage
Group	Recommended intake
Children 1–3 years	7 mg/day
Children 4–8 years	10 mg/day
Ages 9–13 years	8 mg/day
Teen boys 14–18 years	11 mg/day
Teen girls 14–18 years	15 mg/day
Adult men	8 mg/day
Women 19–50 years	18 mg/day
Adults 51+ years	8 mg/day
Pregnancy	27 mg/day
Lactation	9–10 mg/day

These values are education guidance, not a personal prescription. Your clinician can adjust targets for medical conditions.

Iron warnings and safe-use notes

Accidental iron overdose can be very dangerous for children.
Keep iron supplements away from children.
Do not take iron supplements unless a clinician recommends them.
People with hemochromatosis should avoid extra iron unless prescribed.

Before you use the food ranking

A high value in the table does not automatically make a food best for everyone. Calories, allergies, sodium, added sugar, preparation, and portion size also matter.

Also, some foods are rich because they are dried, concentrated, fortified, or cooked. Compare similar serving sizes before making a meal decision.

Top 100 Foods High In Iron

Foodmanac ranks these foods from the database nutrient values available for this nutrient. Amounts are shown exactly as stored in the food record.

Top foods ranked by Iron amount
Rank	Food source	Iron amount
1	Spices, thyme, dried	124.00000000 mg
2	Spices, basil, dried	89.80000000 mg
3	Spearmint, dried	87.50000000 mg
4	Spices, marjoram, dried	82.70000000 mg
5	Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native)	72.40000000 mg
6	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON Enriched Wheat Bran flakes	67.70000000 mg
7	Babyfood, cereal, oatmeal, with honey, dry	67.20000000 mg
8	Spices, cumin seed	66.40000000 mg
9	Seaweed, Canadian Cultivated EMI-TSUNOMATA, dry	66.40000000 mg
10	Baby Toddler cereal, oatmeal, dry	64.10000000 mg
11	Babyfood, cereal, oatmeal, dry fortified	64.10000000 mg
12	Babyfood, cereal, Oatmeal, dry, GERBER, SINGLE GRAIN, fortified	64.00000000 mg
13	Baby Toddler cereal, oatmeal with fruit, dry	61.00000000 mg
14	Spices, turmeric, ground	55.00000000 mg
15	Parsley, freeze-dried	53.90000000 mg
16	Babyfood, cereal, rice, dry fortified	53.00000000 mg
17	Baby Toddler cereal, rice, dry	53.00000000 mg
18	Baby Toddler cereal, rice with fruit, dry	50.40000000 mg
19	Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native)	49.60000000 mg
20	Cereals, QUAKER, Quick Oats with Iron, Dry	49.40000000 mg
21	Spices, dill weed, dried	48.80000000 mg
22	Babyfood, cereal, barley, dry fortified	48.20000000 mg
23	Baby Toddler cereal, barley, dry	48.20000000 mg
24	Babyfood, cereal, brown rice, dry, instant	47.60000000 mg
25	Babyfood, cereal, rice, with bananas, dry	47.50000000 mg
26	Babyfood, rice cereal, dry, EARTHS BEST ORGANIC WHOLE GRAIN, fortified only with iron	47.50000000 mg
27	Babyfood, cereal, mixed, with bananas, dry	47.50000000 mg
28	Babyfood, cereal, high protein, with apple and orange, dry	47.50000000 mg
29	Cereal, O's, multigrain	46.60000000 mg
30	Babyfood, cereal, oatmeal, with bananas, dry	45.00000000 mg
31	Babyfood, cereal, whole wheat, with apples, dry fortified	45.00000000 mg
32	Spices, celery seed	44.90000000 mg
33	Beef, variety meats and by-products, spleen, raw	44.60000000 mg
34	Walrus, meat, dried (Alaska Native)	43.00000000 mg
35	Spices, bay leaf	43.00000000 mg
36	Cereals, MALT-O-MEAL, chocolate, dry	42.90000000 mg
37	Spices, coriander leaf, dried	42.50000000 mg
38	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Grits, Redeye Gravy & Country Ham flavor, dry	42.00000000 mg
39	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, spleen, raw	41.90000000 mg
40	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, OAT BLENDERS with honey & almonds	41.40000000 mg
41	Cereals, MALT-O-MEAL, Farina Hot Wheat Cereal, dry	40.90000000 mg
42	Beef, variety meats and by-products, spleen, cooked, braised	39.40000000 mg
43	Cereals, QUAKER, corn grits, instant, plain, dry	38.80000000 mg
44	Lamb, variety meats and by-products, spleen, cooked, braised	38.70000000 mg
45	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON Corn Biscuits	38.40000000 mg
46	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Grits, Ham 'n' Cheese flavor, dry	38.20000000 mg
47	Spices, savory, ground	37.90000000 mg
48	Babyfood, rice and apples, dry	37.00000000 mg
49	Spices, anise seed	37.00000000 mg
50	Spices, oregano, dried	36.80000000 mg
51	Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, HERSHEY'S European Style Cocoa	36.00000000 mg
52	Spices, poultry seasoning	35.30000000 mg
53	Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS, honey roasted	34.80000000 mg
54	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Blueberry MUFFIN TOPS Cereal	34.30000000 mg
55	Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS, with almonds	33.80000000 mg
56	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, HONEY GRAHAM SQUARES	33.80000000 mg
57	Spices, fenugreek seed	33.50000000 mg
58	Cereals, farina, enriched, assorted brands including CREAM OF WHEAT, quick (1-3 minutes), dry	33.40000000 mg
59	Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, partially dried (Alaska Native)	33.00000000 mg
60	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON CRISP RICE	32.70000000 mg
61	Spices, tarragon, dried	32.30000000 mg
62	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON TASTEEOS	32.10000000 mg
63	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER WHOLE HEARTS oat cereal	32.10000000 mg
64	Cereals, CREAM OF WHEAT, 2 1/2 minute cook time, dry	32.00000000 mg
65	Spices, chervil, dried	32.00000000 mg
66	Cereals ready-to-eat, rice, puffed, fortified	31.70000000 mg
67	Cereals ready-to-eat, wheat, puffed, fortified	31.70000000 mg
68	Cereals, MALT-O-MEAL, Maple & Brown Sugar Hot Wheat Cereal, dry	31.30000000 mg
69	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Honey BUZZERS	31.00000000 mg
70	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, QUAKER CRUNCHY BRAN	31.00000000 mg
71	Cereals, MALT-O-MEAL, original, plain, dry	30.90000000 mg
72	Cereal, O's, plain	30.90000000 mg
73	Duck, domesticated, liver, raw	30.50000000 mg
74	Goose, liver, raw	30.50000000 mg
75	Cereals, QUAKER, corn grits, instant, cheddar cheese flavor, dry	30.40000000 mg
76	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Grits Product with American Cheese Flavor, dry	30.40000000 mg
77	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Grits, Country Bacon flavor, dry	30.40000000 mg
78	Cereal, oat squares	30.10000000 mg
79	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Honey Nut SCOOTERS	30.00000000 mg
80	Cereals ready-to-eat, POST, ALPHA-BITS	30.00000000 mg
81	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, COLOSSAL CRUNCH	30.00000000 mg
82	Babyfood, cereal, mixed, dry fortified	30.00000000 mg
83	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, MARSHMALLOW MATEYS	30.00000000 mg
84	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, BERRY COLOSSAL CRUNCH	30.00000000 mg
85	Baby Toddler cereal, multigrain, dry	30.00000000 mg
86	Cereals, QUAKER, Instant Grits, Butter flavor, dry	30.00000000 mg
87	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, COCO-ROOS	30.00000000 mg
88	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, CINNAMON TOASTERS	30.00000000 mg
89	Babyfood, Multigrain whole grain cereal, dry fortified	30.00000000 mg
90	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, Toasted Multigrain Crisps	29.90000000 mg
91	Cereals, CREAM OF WHEAT, 1 minute cook time, dry	29.80000000 mg
92	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, QUAKER Honey Graham LIFE Cereal	29.70000000 mg
93	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, Oatmeal Squares, cinnamon	29.50000000 mg
94	Cereal, other, plain	29.40000000 mg
95	Cereals ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Frosted Mini SPOONERS	29.40000000 mg
96	Cereals, ready-to-eat, MALT-O-MEAL, Blueberry Mini SPOONERS	29.40000000 mg
97	Cereal, K's, plain	29.30000000 mg
98	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, QUAKER OAT LIFE, plain	29.30000000 mg
99	Cereals ready-to-eat, QUAKER, Oatmeal Squares	29.30000000 mg
100	Spices, rosemary, dried	29.20000000 mg

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Iron do in the body?

Iron helps red blood cells move oxygen from the lungs to the body.

How much Iron do I need each day?

Your need depends on age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, health, medicines, and other factors. Use the table above for general daily reference values.

Which foods contain the most Iron?

The table ranks foods by Foodmanac database values. Always compare serving size and preparation before choosing a food.

Can too much Iron be harmful?

Yes, excessive intake can be unsafe for some nutrients, supplements, and health conditions. Review the warnings above and seek medical advice when needed.

References

Foodmanac uses database values for rankings. Daily needs and warning notes are based on public nutrition references.