Iron-Rich Foods for Anemia Chart
Filter a static food table by diet, serving size and iron type to compare iron per serving with preparation notes. This is a food reference, not a diagnosis.
Food reference
Build your iron-rich foods chart
Filtered list
—
| Food | Iron / serving | Type | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose your filters to see the chart. | |||
A single food value is not a diagnosis. A clinician decides what any symptoms or lab results mean.
iPhone & iPad · Free
Track it in Iron Tracker.
Keep food notes, meal ideas and daily routines together on your device.
How this iron food chart works
This iron rich foods for anemia chart filters the static USDA FoodData Central table by diet preference and heme or non-heme type, then scales each listed iron value to the serving size you enter.
Iron from meat, poultry and fish is roughly 40% heme; iron from plants is entirely non-heme. The source notes that vitamin C in the same meal can increase non-heme absorption, while tea, coffee, calcium and phytates can reduce it. Milligrams from different sources are therefore not equivalent measures of absorbed iron.
For context only, the source lists an iron RDA of 8 mg/day for men and women 51+, 18 mg/day for women 19–50, 27 mg/day during pregnancy, 11 mg for teen boys and 15 mg for teen girls. A food chart cannot diagnose anemia or explain an individual result.
iron per serving (mg) = iron per 100 g × serving grams ÷ 100 This is a food reference, not medical advice or a diagnosis. A single food value is not a diagnosis, and a clinician decides what symptoms or lab results mean.
USDA FoodData Central ↗NIH Office of Dietary Supplements ↗FDA: Sodium in your diet ↗
Iron-rich foods chart FAQ
Does this chart diagnose anemia?
No. It only compares iron in selected foods. A single food value is not a diagnosis; a clinician decides what symptoms or lab results mean.
What is the difference between heme and non-heme iron?
The source describes iron from meat, poultry and fish as roughly 40% heme, while iron from plants is entirely non-heme. Their absorption is not equivalent.
Why does the serving size change the result?
The source values are reported per 100 g. The chart multiplies each value by your serving grams and divides by 100.
Are the food values estimates?
The chart uses the rounded per-100 g values listed in the provided USDA FoodData Central reference and leaves foods outside that list out.
What iron intake should I aim for?
The source lists different reference amounts by age, sex and pregnancy status. Use those figures as context only and ask a clinician about your individual needs.