Food That's High in Iron

Iron is an important part of a balanced diet. Many foods are high in iron and are important because they keep the body from becoming anemic (having low levels of iron in the blood). Foods high in iron range from leafy greens to red meat.

Red Meats

• Many meats are high in iron, including beef, pork and lamb. It is important to stick to lean red meats when choosing meats for iron. Beef and chicken livers also are very high in iron.

Leafy Greens

• Many green vegetables are high in iron, especially leafy green vegetables. Some of the leafy greens high in iron are cabbage, turnip greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and parsley.

Grains

• Foods high in fiber can also be high in iron. Some of these foods are fortified with iron during processing, such as oatmeal, processed rice, and bran cereal.

Legumes

• Many legumes are high in iron as well. Some important legumes to include in your diet are kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas ("garbanzos"), navy beans and pinto beans.

Other foods

• Many other foods can be high in iron. Red fish such as salmon and tuna, tree nuts such as cashews and almonds, and dried fruit such as apricots and figs are all excellent sources of iron.