List of Vegetables High in Iron to Help You Meet Your Daily Iron Needs

Certain vegetables high in iron are also rich in other nutrients, making them a good addition to your diet (Image via Unsplash @Randy Fath)
Certain vegetables high in iron are also rich in other nutrients, making them a good addition to your diet. (Image via Unsplash/Randy Fath)

When it comes to vegetables high in iron, most people are unaware. Iron is generally considered to be a nutrient found mostly in meat and other non-vegetarian foods. However, there are certain vegetables that can help you up your iron intake too.

Vegetarians can get enough iron from foods like potatoes and leafy greens, as well as from nuts, seeds, and legumes. Iron is a crucial mineral that aids in numerous bodily processes. Low energy, shortness of breath, headaches, irritability, dizziness, and anemia are all symptoms of iron deficiency.


Why is it Important to Have Enough Iron in Diet?

Iron can be obtained from meat and vegetable sources. (Image via Unsplash/Chantal Garnier)
Iron can be obtained from meat and vegetable sources. (Image via Unsplash/Chantal Garnier)

Iron-containing foods contain both heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is only found in animal products, while non-heme iron is only found in vegetable sources of iron.

A daily intake of 18 mg is used as the basis for recommended dietary allowance (RDA). However, it needs change depending on a person's gender and stage of life.

Take iron intake as an example; men and postmenopausal women both have daily needs of about eight milligrams of iron. For women experiencing menstruation, the recommended daily intake rises to 18 mg, and for pregnant women, it rises to 27.

Moreover, the recommended daily allowance for vegetarians and vegans is 1.8 times that of meat eaters due to the fact that non-heme iron is less readily absorbed by the body than heme iron.


Vegetables High in Iron to Up your Iron Intake

Check out the following vegetables high in iron that you can consume to increase your iron level:

1) Leafy Greens

All leafy greens are rich in iron (Image via Unsplash/Pille r Priske)
All leafy greens are rich in iron (Image via Unsplash/Pille r Priske)

Leafy greens are one of the best vegetables high in iron you should include in your diet. Cooked cups of spinach, kale, swiss chard, and beet greens contain between 1.1 and 5.7 milligrams (mg) of iron, or 3.2-6.2 percent of the recommended daily intake (RDI).

It can be challenging to have 100 grams of raw, leafy greens due to their bulk. Most people would benefit from eating them after they have been cooked. Broccoli and brussels sprouts are also good options; each cooked cup of these vegetables provides 6-10% of the daily value for iron.

2) Black Salsify

Vegetarians can get all the protein they need from this lean, green root vegetable. Black oyster plants, serpent roots, viper herbs, and viper grass are some of the other names for this plant.

One of the vegetables high in iron, this vegetables packs 5.5 mg per 250 grams of steamed black salsify serving.

3) Tomato Paste

Dried or concentrated tomato paste is much richer in iron than raw tomatoes. (Image via Unsplash.Dennis Klein)
Dried or concentrated tomato paste is much richer in iron than raw tomatoes. (Image via Unsplash.Dennis Klein)

It may come across as surprising, but tomato paste is one of the vegetables high in iron. Raw tomatoes contain very little iron (0.5 mg per cup). However, their value increases significantly when they're dried or concentrated.

To give you an idea, the iron content of 1/4 cup (66 grams) of tomato paste is 2 mg, or 11% of the DV, while the iron content of one cup (245 grams) of canned tomato sauce is 2.4 mg, or 13% of the DV. Sun-dried tomatoes are another excellent source of iron; half a cup provides 2.5 milligrams, or 14% of the daily value.

Tomatoes are loaded with vitamin C, which has been shown to enhance iron absorption. In addition, they have a high concentration of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been associated with a diminished vulnerability to sunburn.

4) Boiled Green Peas

One of the tastiest vegetables high in iron, green peas, when boiled, have 2.46 milligrams of iron per cup.

They go well with other vegetables and also make a good snack on their own. An iron-rich salad featuring Swiss chard and spinach would benefit from the addition of peas for their unique textural qualities.

5) Potato

Believe it or not, but potatoes are rich in iron. (Image via Unsplash/Hai Nguyen)
Believe it or not, but potatoes are rich in iron. (Image via Unsplash/Hai Nguyen)

Potatoes are one of the best vegetables high in iron, and especially tasty to include in your diet. Their iron content is especially in the skins.

In particular, the iron content of a large unpeeled potato (299 grams) is 1.9 mg, which is 11% of the DV. Sweet potatoes have about 2.2 mg for the same quantity without the skins, which is about 12% of the DV.The fiber content of potatoes is also very high. Additionally, 42% of your daily vitamin C, B6, and potassium needs can be met with just one serving.

6) Palm Hearts

Green peas are one of the best vegetables high in iron. (Image via Unsplash/Artie Kostenko)
Green peas are one of the best vegetables high in iron. (Image via Unsplash/Artie Kostenko)

Fiber, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, and folate are just some of the nutrients found in palm hearts, one of the tropical vegetables high in iron.

Additionally, palm hearts have a respectable amount of iron, with 4.6 mg per cup (or 26% of the DV). You can blend it into dips, toss it on the grill, add it to a stir-fry, sprinkle it on a salad, or even bake it with your favorite toppings.

7) Mushroom

Some types of mushrooms can be counted as vegetables high in iron. One cup of cooked white mushrooms (156 grams) has about 2.7 mg, or about 15% of the DV. Whereas portobello and shiitake mushrooms have almost no dietary value, one cup (86 grams) of uncooked oyster mushrooms contains 7% of the DV.


The aforementioned iron rich vegetables are also rich in other nutrients required by the body. Consuming a balanced diet can help you tremendously in maintaining good health.

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