Experienced vegans know that the vegan diet only contains non-heme iron and should be aware of what foods are giving them vegan sources of iron to avoid deficiencies. Eating a wide variety of plant based foods will give you the recommended intake of iron to not have to worry.
A common fear when going vegan is becoming anemic due to the low amounts of iron in the diet. Meat naturally contains sufficient amounts of iron so most people on standard diets never run into the issue.
Here is a list of the top vegan iron sources. Do yourself a favor, check your pantry and fridge and see how many of these vegan sources of iron you have readily available.
Remember, it is important to get your iron levels checked, and don’t assume just because you are eating the RDA #’s, that you body is actually absorbing all the iron.
If you are new to veganism, study these foods below and make sure you are eating enough iron rich foods. Have fun with it!
The Best Vegan Sources of Iron Infographic Summary
Source: Veganprogram.com
Fruits and Veggies mg/cup
- Apricot, dehydrated 7.51
- Heart of palm, canned 4.57
- Potatoes, baked, skin 4.08
- Swiss chard, cooked 3.95
- Peas 3.84
- Raisins 3.10
- Figs 3.02
- Mushrooms, white 2.71
- Spinach 2.70
- Avocado 1.04
- Kale 1.0
Beans mg/cup
- Soybeaks 8.84
- Tofu 6.65
- White Beans 6.62
- Lentins 6.59
- Black Turtle 5.27
- Kidney 5.20
- Chickpeas 4.74
- Adzuki 4.60
- Lima 4.49
- Tempeh 4.48
Nuts and Seeds mg/cup
- Pumpkin 11.38
- Sunflower seeds 9.13
- Cashews 8.22
- Almonds 5.78
- Hazelnuts 5.40
- Chestnuts 5.24
- Pistachios 4.96
- Macadamia Nuts 4.94
- Walnuts 3.40
- Brazil nuts 3.23
- Pecans 2.76
Grains mg/cup
- Amaranth 5.17
- Buckwheat 3.74
- White rice 2.77
- Quinoa 2.76
- Barley 2.09
- Oat bran 1.93
- Bulgur 1.75
- Wheat Pasta 1.52
- Millet 1.10
- Brown Rice 1.03
Did we miss listing any vegan sources of iron here? Shoot us an email and let the ForkstoFeet staff know!
