Printable Iron Rich Food List [Free PDF]
“Printable Iron Rich Food List [Free PDF]” was written by Julia Salgado & edited/reviewed by Aly Bouzek, MS, RDN. Julia is a dietetic intern at Oregon Health & Science University.
Iron is a nutrition mineral that everyone needs. It is essential for growth and cognitive development. Additionally, it is helpful for physical performance, immunity, and preventing fatigue during everyday activities.
If you’re in a rush, then click to access your printable iron rich food list free PDF, or jump to that section below.
What’s So Great About Iron?
Iron is responsible for making hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen in your blood from the lungs to several organs throughout your body. 65% of iron in the body is found within this protein.
Our red blood cells are responsible for transporting and storing iron in the body. They have a 90–120 day lifespan. The body makes new healthy red blood cells through a process called hematopoiesis.
For this process to work, your body needs multiple vitamins and minerals including iron, vitamin B12, and folate to produce healthy new red blood cells.
Iron is also responsible for making myoglobin. Myoglobin is a protein in your blood that feeds oxygen to your muscles. Up to about 10% of iron in the body is found in this protein.
The body also needs iron to make several hormones (which uses about 1-5% of iron in the body). The remaining 20% of iron is leftover for storage.
Iron is stored as ferritin in the liver, spleen, muscle tissue, and bone marrow. Iron is then moved throughout the body as transferrin, which is a protein in the blood that binds to iron for transport.
How Much Iron Do You Need?
Iron needs depend on your age, sex, and nutrition choices. The recommended daily intake for adults aged 51 years and older is 8 mg. A further breakdown of iron needs is shown in the table below. Note the sex and age differences when determining iron needs.
| Sex | Age | Recommended Iron |
| Women | 19–50 years | 18 mg |
| Men | 19–50 years | 8 mg |
| Men & women | 51 years and older | 8 mg |
Heme Iron vs. Non-heme Iron
Iron is found in the body in two types: heme and non-heme.
Heme iron comes mainly from hemoglobin and myoglobin and is the easier for your body to absorb when compared to non-heme iron. It is found in animal products such as:
- Meat
- Fish and shellfish
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Dairy products
Non-heme iron is found in plant-based foods. Absorption is different for non-heme iron foods, as it is affected by other foods you eat at the same time. For this reason, try including foods high in vitamin C to help increase absorption
Non-heme iron foods include:
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Beans
- Legumes
- Dried fruits
- Vegetables
- Tofu
- Iron-fortified foods (breads, cereals)
If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, then you may need double as much iron as listed above. This is because your diet lacks heme iron (found in animal products) and your body does not absorb non-heme as well as heme iron.
Again, if you are following a vegetarian or vegan diet, increase your iron intake by consuming non-heme iron foods with foods high in vitamin C. Foods like oranges, kiwis, and other citrus fruits help your body absorb non-heme iron.
Iron Deficiency in Older Adults
When levels of stored iron become too low, iron deficiency anemia develops. Iron deficiency or anemia is caused by too few healthy red blood cells in the body.
This is an issue because red blood cells shrink in size and have less hemoglobin. This then causes the blood to carry less oxygen throughout the body. Less oxygen means fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, etc.
Older adults are at a higher risk for poor nutrition and chronic inflammatory diseases that can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is defined as hemoglobin levels less than 14 g/dL for adult men and less than 12 g/dL for adult women.
Iron deficiency anemia is common in the United States. During the 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the percentage of older adults who had anemia increased as age increased.
Additionally, the percentage was higher in men compared to women aged 74–85 years, and 85 years and older.
| Age | Men | Women |
| 65–74 years | 7.4% | 7.6% |
| 74–85 years | 23% | 12% |
| 85 years and older | 39.5% | 21.9% |
Causes of Iron Deficiency Anemia
- Poor nutrition: lack of iron in your diet
- Blood loss: losing blood = losing iron
- Blood donors
- Menstruation
- Chronic blood loss conditions such as peptic ulcers, hiatal hernias, colon cancer, and gastrointestinal bleeding
- Diseases where red blood cells are destroyed, or hematopoiesis is stopped
- Cancer
- General malnutrition (can become chronic)
- Inflammation & infection
- Kidney disease
- Heart failure
- Autoimmune diseases
- Bone marrow suppression
- Absorption complications: iron is absorbed in the small intestine of the gastrointestinal tract
- Older adults who have celiac disease, which is an intestinal disorder that affects the absorption of nutrients from food, can be at risk for iron deficiency.
- If the small intestine is bypassed with nutrition support, or if part of the small intestine has been surgically removed, then there is a risk of iron deficiency.
- Vegetarians & vegans
- There is a lack of heme iron rich foods in vegetarian and vegan diets. Check out Iron Supplements for Vegans for information on supplements that you can discuss with your doctor.
Signs & Symptoms
Iron deficiency anemia symptoms can vary from no symptoms to serious health conditions. As your body stays in a low iron state for a long period of time, signs and symptoms can emerge, and your deficiency may turn into serious health conditions.
Signs and symptoms include:
- Extreme fatigue
- Weakness
- Pale skin
- Chest pain, heartburn, shortness of breath
- Headache, dizziness, lightheadedness
- Cold hands and feet
- Inflamed or sore tongue
- Brittle nails
- Pica (unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances such as ice, dirt, and starch)
- Poor appetite
- Concentration and memory complications
Diet & Supplementation
While iron should mostly come from the diet, it is also available in multivitamins and as an iron supplement. Most over-the-counter supplements contain up to 65 mg of iron or more. There are four types of iron supplements:
- Ferrous sulfate
- Ferric citrate
- Ferric sulfate
- Ferrous gluconate
There are two quantities of iron listed on iron supplement labels. The larger number is the chemical compound (wherein iron is bound to salt) and the smaller number is the amount of iron in the compound (elemental iron).
Elemental iron is important because it is the amount of iron available for absorption in your body.
For example, the front of an iron supplement bottle may say that it contains 325 mg of the chemical compound, but the back of the bottle may say 65 mg of elemental iron. This means that there is 65 mg of iron in the supplement.
A physician is responsible for prescribing supplements and how much to take based on your health conditions, risk factors, and nutrition practices.
Remember, the upper limit for iron is 45 mg for all adults. Signs that there is too much iron in your body include:
- Constipation
- Upset stomach
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
Nutrient & Medication Interactions
Even though iron is vital for our survival, there are a few nutrients and medications that are affected by iron, or can affect the absorption of iron.
Iron & Calcium
Calcium can interfere with iron absorption. Calcium and iron compete for the same protein receptor for absorption. Because of this, It is recommended to take calcium and iron supplements at separate times of the day to improve iron absorption.
However, research studies say that this effect may be temporary, and that adaptation may happen if calcium and iron are taken together often. (1)
Iron & Vitamin C
You can enhance the absorption of iron in the body by consuming foods high in vitamin C. This is because vitamin C keeps iron in its active, most absorbable form. Specifically, it captures non-heme iron and stores it in an active form so that the body can absorb it easily.
By consuming foods high in vitamin C (like oranges or orange juice) with iron rich whole grains (like oatmeal) can increase iron absorption in your body. Another breakfast combo could be adding spinach to your fruit smoothie for increased iron absorption.
Foods high in vitamin C:
- Broccoli
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula)
- Melons
- Oranges (including orange juice)
- Bell Peppers
- Strawberries
- Tangerines
- Tomatoes
Iron Supplements & Medication Interactions
Supplementing with iron may reduce the effectiveness of some medications, including:
- Levodopa (used to treat Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome)
- Levothyroxine (used to treat hypothyroidism, goiters, and thyroid cancer)
- Aspirin (due to its blood thinning ability)
- Lansoprazole and Omeprazole (used to treat GERD and may affect the amount of non-heme iron that your body absorbs from food)
Printable Iron Rich Food List [Free PDF]
Wow! We learned a lot of helpful information about why we need iron and what it does for our bodies. You’re in the right place if you struggle with iron-deficiency anemia, follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, or simply want to include more iron rich foods in your diet.
Heme Iron Rich Foods
| Food | Serving Size | Iron (mg) |
| Pork liver | 3 oz | 20 |
| Beef liver | 3 oz | 15 |
| Oysters | 3 oz | 8 |
| Mussels | 1 cup | 6.8 |
| Chicken liver | 3 oz | 6 |
| Beef | 3 oz | 3 |
| Clams | 1 cup | 2.8 |
| Sardines, canned | 3 oz | 2.5 |
| Duck | 3 oz | 2.3 |
| Tuna, canned | 3 oz | 1.4 |
| Chicken | 3 oz | 1 |
| Salmon, canned | 3 oz | 0.7 |
| Turkey | 3 oz | 0.6 |
Non-heme Iron Rich Foods
| Food | Serving Size | Iron (mg) |
| Iron-fortified cereal | 1 cup | 3.6 – 40 |
| Tofu | ½ cup | 6.6 |
| Oats | 1 cup | 3.4 |
| Lentils | ½ cup | 2.9 |
| Quinoa | 1 cup | 2.8 |
| Black beans | ½ cup | 2.5 |
| Pumpkin seeds, without shell | 1 oz | 2.3 |
| Chia seeds | 1 oz | 2.2 |
| Flax seeds | 1 oz | 2.1 |
| White beans | ½ cup | 2.1 |
| Kidney beans | ½ cup | 1.9 |
| Chickpeas | ½ cup | 1.8 |
| Sesame seeds | 1 oz | 1.8 |
| Whole grain bread | 1 medium slice | 1.8 |
| Pistachios | 1 oz | 1.1 |
| Molasses | 1 Tbsp | 1 |
| Sweet potato, with skin | 1 medium | 1 |
| Broccoli | 1 cup | 0.6 |
| Figs, dried | 4 figs | 0.6 |
| Apricots, dried | 8 halves | 0.5 |
| Raisins | 1 oz | 0.5 |
| Spinach | 1 cup | 0.3 |
Check out our Printable Iron Rich Food List as a free PDF download, and be sure to read Iron Rich Foods for Elderly for even more information.
Printable Iron Rich Food List Infographic
Printable Iron Rich Food List Summary
Iron is an essential nutrient that we need for everyday functions and to thrive during our older years of life. There are two types of iron, heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in animal products, especially meat. Non-heme iron is found in plant-based foods, like spinach and broccoli.
Older adults are at risk for iron deficiency and, in some cases, anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is common in older adults 65 years and older. It is caused by blood loss, lack of iron in the diet, disease conditions, and absorption complications
Iron deficiency can also be a complication of following a vegan or vegetarian diet if iron rich foods are not consumed.
It’s important to eat foods rich in iron and to follow recommendations from your health provider or a registered dietitian. Ultimately, your health care team can base their recommendations on what is best for you!