Patient education: Good food sources of iron (The Basics)

What is iron? — Iron is a mineral that your body needs to make "hemoglobin." Hemoglobin is a protein in the blood. It helps red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

The amount of iron that you need in your diet depends on your age and sex. Your overall health also plays a role in how much iron you need each day.

Some people do not have enough iron. This is called "iron deficiency." Getting plenty of iron through your diet can help prevent iron deficiency. But if you already have too little iron, eating foods with iron will not be enough to treat it. In this case, your doctor will prescribe extra iron to correct your levels.

What foods are good sources of iron? — It depends on age:

●Babies – It's important to make sure that babies get enough iron, especially if they drink breast milk.

•Babies who drink breast milk need extra iron by the time they are 4 months old. This could come from an iron supplement, or solid foods that are high in iron (such as meats or iron-fortified baby cereal).

•Babies who do not drink breast milk should drink an "iron-fortified" formula. (Formulas labeled "low-iron" will not provide enough iron.) Cow's milk and other types of milk do not have the right amount of iron or other nutrients for babies younger than 1 year old.

•When a baby starts eating solid foods, include good sources of iron. Examples include meats or iron-fortified baby cereal.

•Wait until your baby is at least 1 year old before switching from breast milk or formula to cow's milk or another type of milk.

●Children and adults – Eating a healthy, balanced diet will give most people enough iron. Meat is a common source of iron. But if you don't eat meat, you should eat plenty of other foods that are rich in iron. Below are some examples of foods that are considered "high" or "moderate" in iron.

•High-iron grains – Whole-wheat breads, cereals, and bagels. Flour tortillas, biscuits, English or bran muffins, iron-fortified bran, pretzels, frozen waffles. Hot cereals like oatmeal, cream of wheat, or grits.

•Moderate-iron grains – Pita bread, egg noodles, whole-wheat pasta, hamburger and hot dog buns.

•Moderate-iron fruits – Dried apricots, dried figs, prune juice.

•High-iron vegetables – Spinach, soybeans, canned pumpkin.

•Moderate-iron vegetables – Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, green peas, white or sweet potato with the skin, tomato sauce, beets, beans such as garbanzo or lima. Greens such as collard, turnip, kale, beet, or Swiss chard.

•High-iron meats and other proteins – Beef, veal, lamb, pork, beef or chicken liver, clams, sardines, oysters, shrimp, tofu, baked beans with pork, lentils, tahini, tempeh. Beans such as kidney, lima, navy, or white.

•Moderate-iron meats and other proteins – Chicken breast, turkey, eggs, fresh or canned tuna or mackerel.

•Other high-iron foods – Pumpkin seeds.

•Other moderate-iron foods – Molasses, soy milk, seeds such as sesame or sunflower. Nuts such as almonds, pistachios, cashews, and walnuts.

What else should I know? — Some medicines and foods can change how much iron you absorb from your food. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or dietitian if you have questions.

More on this topic

Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron (The Basics)

Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in adults (Beyond the Basics)