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

What is iron? — 

This is a mineral the 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. Iron is also used in other cells in the body, like brain cells and muscle cells.

The amount of iron you need in your diet depends on your age and whether you have regular menstrual periods. 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."

What foods are good sources of iron? — 

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 raise your levels.

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

•Babies who drink breast milk need extra iron by 4 months old. This could come from an iron supplement or solid foods.

•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 enough iron for babies younger than 1 year old.

•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. If needed, you might be able to switch your baby to cow's milk, along with solid foods, once they are 8 or 9 months old.

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

●Children and adults – Eating a healthy, balanced diet gives most people enough iron. Meat is a good source of iron, and the iron in meat is easy for the body to take up and use.

If you don't eat meat, you can get iron from other foods. Eating enough of these foods can give you the iron you need.

Here are some examples of foods with iron:

•Meats and other proteins – The best sources include beef, veal, lamb, pork, beef and chicken liver, clams, sardines, oysters, shrimp, tofu, baked beans, lentils, tahini, tempeh, and beans such as kidney, lima, navy, and white.

Other good sources include chicken breast, turkey, eggs, and fresh or canned tuna and mackerel.

•Grains – Good sources include breads and cereals with added iron. Some ways to tell if iron has been added are:

-The label says "iron fortified," or the package mentions extra iron.

-The label lists the amount of iron as 5 mg or more per serving.

-The label says a serving contains 50 percent or more of the daily value of iron.

Lots of breads and cereals have some iron already. Examples are whole-wheat breads, cereals, and bagels, as well as flour tortillas, biscuits, English and bran muffins, iron-fortified bran, pretzels, frozen waffles, and hot cereals like oatmeal, cream of wheat, and grits.

Other good sources include pita bread, egg noodles, whole-wheat pasta, and hamburger and hotdog buns.

•Vegetables – Good sources include spinach, soybeans, and canned pumpkin.

Other good sources include asparagus, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, green peas, white or sweet potato with the skin, tomato sauce, beets, beans such as garbanzo and lima, and greens such as collard, turnip, kale, beet, and Swiss chard.

•Fruits – Good sources include dried apricots, dried figs, prune juice, raspberries, and raisins.

•Other foods with iron – Good sources include molasses, soy milk, seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower, and nuts such as almonds, pistachios, cashews, and walnuts.

What else should I know? — 

Some medicines and foods can change how much iron you take up from your food. For example:

●Vitamin C helps the body take up iron. You might choose to take a vitamin C supplement or drink orange juice along with iron-containing foods.

●Calcium makes it harder for the body to absorb iron. If you are worried about not getting enough iron, you can eat calcium-containing foods separately from high-iron foods. But calcium is also important, so do not avoid calcium just to improve iron uptake.

Talk to your doctor, nurse, or dietitian if you have questions.

More on this topic

Patient education: Low iron (The Basics)
Patient education: Iron studies panel (The Basics)
Patient education: Ferritin test (The Basics)

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