Oats. According to the USDA, 100 g of the instant breakfast staple will get you nearly 2.2 mg of iron (even if it isn't fortified). Your ticker will thank you for this meal, too.
Oats can be a great source of iron and other highly desirable nutrients such as dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.
The best way to get more iron is to eat more iron-filled foods. Meat, fish and poultry are rich sources of iron, but there are plenty of other plant-based options too. “If you're plant-based, include iron-rich foods such as fortified cereals (oatmeal, cream of wheat), tofu, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds.
Basically all grains, especially wholegrains with a high dietary fibre content (like the oats bran), tend to reduce the absorption of all minerals, including iron. However, most breakfast cereal manufacturers add iron to their products to compensate for this fact.
For example, 1 cup of cooked oats has about 2 milligrams (mg) of iron, or 11 percent of your DV, per the USDA. As the NIH points out, iron energizes the body and helps trigger the process of carrying oxygen through your body from your lungs.
Oats contain fibre and B vitamins to help release energy from food*, antioxidant vitamins and phytonutrients, and protein for cell growth and repair*. They also contain carbohydrates and small amounts of polyunsaturated fat, iron, magnesium, copper and zinc.
Eggs, Red Meat, Liver, and Giblets Are Top Sources of Heme Iron.
Tea, coffee and wine contain tannins that reduce iron absorption by binding to the iron and carrying it out of the body. Phytates and fibres found in wholegrains such as bran can reduce the absorption of iron and other minerals.
There is 0.3 mg of iron in one-third of a medium avocado. That's 2% of the daily value (DV) of iron. Nutrient-rich avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Learn more about the benefits of avocado here.
Berries – Berries are not a strong carrier of iron but they act as an active iron absorber. Strawberries, blueberries, cranberries or blackberries are all good sources of vitamin C. Consumption of any type of berries increases the absorption rate of non-heme iron. 100 grams of berries contain 0.3mg Iron.
Berries – vitamin-rich blueberries contain a variety of minerals, including iron. In 100 grams, this delicious and nutrient-dense berry contains 0.7 mg of iron. Currants also contain iron in a quantity of 0.9 mg per 100 g. With 100 grams of berries, our body will receive 12% of the daily norm of a useful mineral.
Carrots are high in iron, particularly non-heme iron, as well as a good source of vitamin C. In addition they have Vitamin A and beta-carotene.
Weetabix is a nutritionally packed**, tasty breakfast made with 100% wholegrain and fortified with vitamins and iron to help set you up to take on the day.
Although oats are naturally a good source of iron, Quaker Oats are a particularly good source of iron at almost 20mg per 100g.
Broccoli is a nutritious vegetable that is rich in fiber, vitamins C, vitamin K and iron. A one-cup serving of cooked broccoli has about one mg of iron, which is six percent of the required daily intake.
Canned Tomatoes
Raw tomatoes themselves don't contain a ton of iron, but canned stewed tomatoes pack in 2 mg of iron or 11% of the daily value in just 1/2 cup serving. Even tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes contain considerable amounts of iron as well.
That's about five eggs every week, and for good reason too! Eggs have 1.89 mg of iron, which increases energy and boosts your immune system.
Iron-Rich Foods
Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry. It is the form of iron that is most readily absorbed by your body. You absorb up to 30 percent of the heme iron that you consume. Eating meat generally boosts your iron levels far more than eating non-heme iron.
The geometric mean (range ± 1 SD) of basal iron absorption was 30.2% (13.8- 66.0). The absorption of iron plus blueberries, blueberries and breakfast, and breakfast were 6.8% (21.1-21.7), 7.5% (2.3-24.0), and 5.7% (1.5-22.4) respectively (ANOVA, p<0001).
Dried fruits like raisins, apricots and prunes are among the best sources of non-heme iron, followed by nuts like almonds and Brazil nuts (Wax, 2015).
We found the best bread for delivering iron was sourdough bread. That's because wheat contains a chemical called phytic acid that slows down iron absorption by the body. When sourdough bread is made, the fermentation process breaks down the phytic acid so the iron that remains is more available for absorption.