Foods High in Iron

If you are trying to eat more Iron, ranked lists are useful because the best options are often not the most obvious ones. The foods below are ordered by Iron content in mg per 100 g, drawn from the foods in our database.

Dried herbs, spices, garlic and chilli are excluded from this ranking. Per 100 g they top almost every nutrient table — ground turmeric alone would lead on iron, potassium and manganese — but they are eaten a teaspoon at a time, so listing them as a source would be misleading.

Remember: ranking by one nutrient is only one way to choose foods. Pairing matters too. Use the Iron compound page to understand absorption, forms and interactions.

Sesame Seeds — the top-ranked source

Top 15 Iron foods

1. Sesame Seeds — 14.6 mg per 100g (81% DV). Calcium, lignans, magnesium
2. Dark Chocolate (70–85%) — 11.9 mg per 100g (66% DV). Iron, magnesium, copper
3. Pumpkin Seeds — 8.36 mg per 100g (46% DV). Magnesium, zinc, iron
4. Lentils — 7.16 mg per 100g (40% DV). Folate, iron, manganese
5. Kidney Beans — 6.69 mg per 100g (37% DV). Folate, iron, magnesium
6. Chia Seeds — 6.04 mg per 100g (34% DV). Calcium, phosphorus, plant omega-3 (ALA)
7. Cashews — 5.99 mg per 100g (33% DV). Magnesium, copper, manganese
8. Flaxseed — 5.78 mg per 100g (32% DV). Thiamine, magnesium, lignans
9. Chickpeas — 5.09 mg per 100g (28% DV). Folate, manganese, iron
10. Pinto Beans — 5.07 mg per 100g (28% DV). Folate, fibre, plant protein
11. Black Beans — 5.02 mg per 100g (28% DV). Folate, magnesium, anthocyanins
12. Quinoa — 4.57 mg per 100g (25% DV). Manganese, magnesium, folate
13. Sunflower Seeds — 4.37 mg per 100g (24% DV). Vitamin E, magnesium, selenium
14. Oats — 4.25 mg per 100g (24% DV). Manganese, phosphorus, magnesium
15. Mussels — 3.95 mg per 100g (22% DV). Vitamin B12, iron, selenium

How to actually eat more Iron

A handful of additions usually move the needle more than a full diet reset. Iron is best consumed from whole foods rather than supplements whenever possible. Try adding one new source each week, track how you feel, and build from there rather than forcing every meal to hit a target.

For broader context, see our Energy & Performance hub and the Iron compound page.

Common questions

How much Iron do I need a day? Needs differ by age, sex, life stage and health status. The figures here are not prescriptions; use them to compare foods, then apply your own context.

Are supplements better than food sources? Not automatically. Food provides co-factors such as fibre, fat and other micronutrients that help the body use Iron effectively. Supplements are useful for filling confirmed gaps.