Ministry of Health    


Nutrition Series
BC HealthFile #68d, September 2007

Iron in Foods

printEnglish

PDF (135KB)

printChinese

PDF (282KB)

printFrench

PDF (270KB)

printPunjabi

PDF (95KB)

printSpanish

PDF (78KB)

printVietnamese

PDF (56KB)

What is Heme iron?

There are two types of iron found in foods: heme and non-heme. Your body absorbs heme iron more easily than non-heme iron. However, foods containing non-heme iron are also very important sources of iron in your diet. See BC HealthFile #68c Iron and Your Health, for more information on how much iron you need and how to get the most iron from foods

Foods with Heme Iron


Food** Serving Iron (mg)
Clams 75 g (2 ½ oz) 21.0
*Liver, pork 75 g (2 ½ oz) 13.4
*Liver, chicken 75 g (2 ½ oz) 8.7
Oysters 75 g (2 ½ oz) 6.4
Mussels 75 g (2 ½ oz) 5.0
*Liver, beef 75 g (2 ½ oz) 4.9
Beef 75 g (2 ½ oz) 2.4
Shrimp 75 g (2 ½ oz) 2.3
Sardines 75 g (2 ½ oz) 2.0
Turkey/Lamb 75 g (2 ½ oz) 1.5
Tuna/herring/trout/mackerel 75 g (2 ½ oz) 1.0
Chicken 75 g (2 ½ oz) 0.9
Pork 75 g (2 ½ oz) 0.8
Salmon (canned/fresh) 75 g (2 ½ oz) 0.6
Flatfish (flounder/sole/plaice) 75 g (2 ½ oz) 0.3
* Pregnant women should not eat liver. It has a very large amount of vitamin A, which can be be harmful to the baby.
* Liver is high in cholesterol, so people with high blood cholesterol levels should not eat it often.
** All iron values or amounts are for cooked meat, fish, shellfish and poultry.

Foods with Non-Heme Iron


Food Serving Iron (mg)
Pumpkin seeds, kernels, roasted 60 mL (1/4 cup) 8.6
Tofu, medium firm or firm 150 g (3/4 cup) 2.4 - 8.0*
Infant cereal, dry 28 g (10 Tbsp) 6 - 7*
Soybeans, dried, boiled 175 mL (3/4 cup) 6.5
Instant enriched oatmeal 1 package 4.2 - 6.0*
Lentils, cooked 175 mL (3/4 cup) 4.9
Enriched cold cereal 30 g 4.0*
Dark red kidney beans, boiled 175 mL (3/4 cup) 3.9
Blackstrap molasses 15 mL (1 Tbsp) 3.6
Refried beans 175 mL (3/4 cup) 3.1
Cream of wheat, quick, instant, prepared 175 mL (3/4 cup) 3.1
Soy beverage 250 mL (1 cup) 2.9
Wheat germ, ready to eat, toasted, plain 30 g (2 Tbsp) 2.7
Chickpeas, canned 175 mL (3/4 cup) 2.4
Soybeans, green, boiled 125 mL (1/2 cup) 2.4
Tahini, sesame seed butter 30 g (2 Tbsp) 2.3
Lima beans, boiled 125 mL (1/2 cup) 2.2
Swiss chard, boiled 125 mL (1/2 cup) 2.1
Asparagus, canned 6 spears 2.0
Potato, baked, with skin 1 medium 1.9
Bagel 1/2 1.8
Cherries, sour 125 mL (1/2 cup) 1.8
Shredded Wheat 30 g 1.8*
Quinoa, cooked 125 mL (1/2 cup) 1.7
Seaweed, agar, dried 8 g (1/2 cup) 1.7
Beets, canned 125 mL (1/2 cup) 1.6
Prune juice, canned 125 mL (1/2 cup) 1.6
Cream of wheat, regular, prepared 175 mL (3/4 cup) 1.5
Green peas, boiled 125 mL (1/2 cup) 1.3
Sunflower seeds, kernels, roasted 60 mL (1/4 cup) 1.2
Whole wheat bread 35 g (1 slice) 1.2
Eggs 2 1.1
Oats, quick or large flakes, prepared 175 mL (3/4 cup) 1.1
Pearled barley, cooked 125 mL (1/2 cup) 1.1
Sauerkraut 125 mL (1/2 cup) 1.1
Pasta, enriched, cooked 125 mL (1/2 cup) 1.0
Molasses, fancy 15 mL (1 Tbsp) 1.0
Raisins 60 mL (1/4 cup) 0.7
Broccoli, cooked 125 mL (1/2 cup) 0.6
Peanut butter 30 mL (2 Tbsp) 0.6
*Note: Iron amounts in enriched foods vary; check the label for accurate information. If the iron amount is given as a percentage of the daily value (DV), the standard used is 14 mg (or 7 mg for infant cereals). For example, if a serving of cereal has 25% of the daily value, it has 3.5 mg of iron (0.25 x 14 mg).

For nutrition information, call Dial-A-Dietitian and speak to a registered dietitian at 604-732-9191 in Greater Vancouver or 1-800-667-3438 toll-free in BC.


Dial-A-Dietitian

For more BC HealthFile topics visit www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/index.stm, or visit your local public health unit.

Call the BC NurseLine to speak to a registered nurse, available 24-hours every day:
Visit BC HealthGuide OnLine - a world of health information you can trust at www.bchealthguide.org.

 

Search the BC HealthFiles:

   Help with searching

Complete List of BC HealthFile Topics