Meat, poultry, fish and seafood are good sources of heme iron. This is readily absorbed from your diet. Fortified cereal, beans and some vegetables are good sources of nonheme iron. Only 1-7% of nonheme iron is absorbed when consumed as part of your diet. Meat proteins and vitamin C will improve absorption of nonheme iron. The recommended daily intake of iron in an adult 50 years or older is 8 mg/day. Premenopausal women are recommended to have a daily dietary intake of 18 mg/day. The following list provides food sources of heme and nonheme iron and the number of mg/serving.
Food Sources of Heme Iron
| Food | Mg |
| Chicken liver, cooked, 3 ounces | 7.0 |
| Oysters, breaded and fried | 4.5 |
| Beef, chuck, braised, 3 ounces | 3.2 |
| Clams, breaded, fried, 3/4 cup | 3.0 |
| Beef, tenderloin, roasted, 3 ounces | 3.0 |
| Turkey, dark meat, roasted, 3 ounces | 2.0 |
| Tuna, fresh bluefin, cooked, dry heat, 3 ounces | 1.1 |
| Chicken, leg, meat only, 3 ounces | 1.1 |
| Crab, blue crab, flaked & pieces cooked, moist heat 1 cup | 1.1 |
| Chicken, breast, roasted, 3 ounces | 1.0 |
| Halibut, cooked, dry heat, 3 ounces | 0.9 |
| Pork, loin, meat only, broiled, 3 ounces | 0.8 |
| Tuna, white, canned in water, 3 ounces | 0.8 |
| Crab, blue crab, cooked, moist heat, 3 ounces | 0.8 |
| Shrimp, mixed pieces, cooked moist heat, 4 large | 0.7 |
Food Sources of Nonheme Iron |
|
| Food | Mg |
| Ready-to-eat cereal, 100% fortified, 3/4 cup | 18.0 |
| Ready-to-eat cereal, 50% fortified, 3/4 cup | 9.0 |
| Soybeans, mature, cooked, boiled, 1 cup | 8 |
| Lentils, cooked, boiled, 1 cup | 6 |
| Grits, white, enriched, instant, 1 packet prepared | 5.4 |
| Oatmeal, instant, fortified, 1/2 cup | 4.1 |
| Kidney beans, cooked, boiled, 1 cup | 5.2 |
| Pinto beans, cooked, boiled, 1 cup | 4.6 |
| Lima beans, cooked, boiled, 1 cup | 4.2 |
| Navy beans, cooked, boiled, 1 cup | 3.8 |
| Black beans, cooked, boiled, 1 cup | 3.6 |
| Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, 1 cup | 3.2 |
| Spinach, canned, drained solids, 1/2 cup | 2.5 |
| Tofu, firm, 1/2 cup | 1.8 |
| Black-eyed peas, cooked, boiled, 1cup | 1.8 |
| Spinach, frozen, cooked, boiled, 1 cup | 1.4 |
| Whole wheat bread, 1 slice | 0.9 |
| Molasses, 1 tbsp | 0.9 |
| White bread, enriched, 1 slice | 0.8 |
| Raisins, 50 | 0.5 |
