Fruits and Vegetables High in Iron

Iron is an essential mineral used to transport oxygen around the body in the form of hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells. A deficiency of iron causes anemia (low red blood cell count, leading to symptoms like fatigue and weakness), and a chronic deficiency can lead to organ failure. (1,2)

Contrary to popular belief, fruits and vegetables can be a good source of iron. In addition, vitamin C is abundant in fruits and vegetables and helps increase the absorption of iron into the body. (3,4)

Fruits and vegetables high in iron include dried fruits, dark leafy greens, podded peas, asparagus, button mushrooms, acorn squash, leeks, dried coconut, green beans, and raspberries. The current daily value (DV) for iron is 18 milligrams (mg). (5)

Below is a list of fruits and vegetables high in iron, for more, see the extended list of iron rich fruits and vegetables, and the top 10 vegetarian foods highest in iron.

• 1. Dried Fruit (Apricots)

  Iron per Cup	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  8mg (42% DV)	6mg (35% DV)	4mg (22% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Low-Moisture Dried Apricots. (Source)

  More Dried fruit High in Iron

  • 36% DV per cup of dried peaches
  • 26% DV per cup of dried prunes and currants
  • 24% DV per cup of dried raisins
  • 21% DV per cup of dried pears
  • 17% DV per cup of dried figs
  • 7% DV per cup of dried apples

  Note: Dried fruit is high in natural sugars, so should be eaten in moderate servings of around 1 handful per day.

• 2. Spinach

  Iron per Cup Cooked	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  6mg (36% DV)	4mg (20% DV)	31mg (172% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Spinach (Boiled, Drained). (Source)

  Other Greens High in Iron

  • 22% DV per cup of cooked Swiss chard
  • 16% DV per cup of cooked turnip greens
  • 6% DV per cup of raw chopped kale
  • 5% DV per cup of raw chopped beet greens
• 3. Podded Peas

  Iron per Cup	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  3mg (18% DV)	2mg (11% DV)	9mg (52% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Snow Peas (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
  • Lima beans provide 23% DV of iron per cup
• 4. Asparagus

  Iron per Cup	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  3mg (16% DV)	2mg (12% DV)	21mg (119% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Raw Asparagus. (Source)

  A cup of asparagus contains just 27 calories.

• 5. White Button Mushrooms

  Iron per Cup Cooked	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  3mg (15% DV)	2mg (10% DV)	12mg (69% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked White Button Mushrooms (Boiled, Drained). (Source)

  Other Mushrooms High in Iron

  • 45% DV per cup of cooked morels
  • 6% DV per cup of cooked oyster mushrooms
  • 3% DV per cup of shiitake
• 6. Acorn Squash

  Iron per Cup Cooked	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  2mg (11% DV)	1mg (5% DV)	3mg (18% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Baked Acorn Squash. (Source)

  Pumpkin provides 7% DV per cup, most other winter squash provide 6% DV per cup.

• 7. Leeks

  Iron per Cup	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  2mg (10% DV)	2mg (12% DV)	7mg (38% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Raw Leeks. (Source)

  Scallions (spring onions) are also high in iron with (2% DV) per onion.

• 8. Dried Coconut

  Iron per Oz	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  1mg (5% DV)	3mg (19% DV)	1mg (6% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Dried Coconut (Toasted). (Source)

  Other Coconut Products High in Iron

  • 5% DV per ounce of toasted desiccated (dried) coconut
  • 5% DV per ounce of creamed coconut
  • 5% DV per ounce of coconut milk
• 9. Green Beans

  Iron per Cup	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  1mg (5% DV)	1mg (4% DV)	5mg (26% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Green Beans (Previously Frozen). (Source)

  See more vegetarian foods high in iron.

• 10. Raspberries

  Iron per Cup	Iron per 100g	Iron per 200 Calories
  1mg (5% DV)	1mg (4% DV)	3mg (15% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Raspberries. (Source)

  Other Berries High in Iron

  • 14% DV per cup of Mulberries
  • 13% DV per cup of Elderberries
  • 9% DV per cup of Raspberries
  • 7% DV per cup of Blackberries
  • 6% DV per cup of Strawberries
  • 5% DV per cup of Raspberries
  • 5% DV per cup of Blackberries
  • 5% DV per cup of Longanberries
  • 5% DV per cup of Wild Blueberries

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How much Iron Do You Need Each Day?

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for iron ranges from 7mg to 27mg per day. The daily value for iron is 18mg per day. (5)

Life Stage	RDA
Infants
0-6 months old	0.27mg*
7-12 months old	11mg
Children
1-3 years old	7mg
4-8 years old	10mg
Males
9-13 years old	8mg
14-18 years old	11mg
19-50 years old	8mg
50+ years old	8mg
Females
9-13 years old	8mg
14-18 years old	15mg
19-50 years old	18mg
50+ years old	8mg
Pregnancy
14-18 years old	27mg
18+ years old	27mg
Lactation
14-18 years old	10mg
18+ years old	9mg

*The amounts for children less than 6 months old is the adequate intake (AI) not RDA.
Source: Dietary Reference Intakes for Iron.

From the Nutrient Ranking Tool

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• Foods High in Iron
• Foods Low in Iron
• Vegetables High in Iron
• Fruits High in Iron
• Vegetarian Foods High in Iron
• Nuts High in Iron
• Grains High in Iron
• Beans High in Iron
• Dairy High in Iron
• Breakfast Cereals High in Iron
• Fast Foods High in Iron

View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Related

• Iron Foods for Vegetarians and Vegans
• High Iron Foods
• Vitamin B12 Foods
• Natural Vegetarian Sources of Vitamin B12
• High Folate Foods (Vitamin B9)
• Vitamin C Foods

Data Sources and References

1. Uniyal N, Sethi Y, Chopra H, Dhawan M, Emran TB. Iron deficiency Int J Surg. 2022 Sep;105:106871. doi: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2022.106871. Epub 2022 Aug 29. 36049619
2. Crider K, Williams J, Qi YP, Gutman J, Yeung L, Mai C, Finkelstain J, Mehta S, Pons-Duran C, Menéndez C, Moraleda C, Rogers L, Daniels K, Green P. Iron Deficiency Anemia: An Updated Review Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Feb 1;2(2022):CD014217. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014217. 36321557
3. Ahmed F, Hasan N, Kabir Y. Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Their Association With the Indicators of Iron and Inflammation Status Among Adolescent Girls Eur J Clin Nutr. 1997 Oct;51(10):698-702. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600469. 9347291
4. Monsen ER. The role of vitamin C in iron absorption J Am Diet Assoc. 1988 Jul;88(7):786-90. 3290310
5. U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels