20+ Food & Supplement Sources of Iron for Omnivores, Vegans, & Everyone in Between

Iron is one of the most critical nutrients for healthy blood, energy, neurological function, a healthy pregnancy, and more.

Unfortunately, many people are iron deficient or trending in that direction.

Iron deficiency can sneak up slowly over many months or years, but once you have it, you feel it in terms of energy, brain function, stamina, and more.

Fortunately, iron deficiency or insufficiency can often be avoided by choosing high-quality nutrition and food sources of iron.

In this article, you’ll discover the best nutrition and food sources of iron, plus helpful tips for measuring your iron levels and optimizing absorption.

See Our Iron and Iron-Free Supplements

The Benefits of Iron & Optimizing Levels

Iron is an essential mineral that must be obtained from food or nutrition sources.

Iron is so essential to healthy function and development that many foods and beverages, including infant formula, are fortified with iron.

Why is iron so critical to our survival?

For starters, iron is essential in producing hemoglobin, a type of protein that up red blood cells.

Hemoglobin plays many roles, primarily facilitating the transportation of oxygen from our lungs to every other part of the body.

This is one reason fatigue is a common symptom of iron deficiency. As you’ve likely experienced, if you’ve ever been unable to come up for air, less oxygen means less energy.

Iron also plays a critical role in many other aspects of health, including:

• Brain function
• Cell health
• Connective tissue function
• Development of the fetus, infants, children, and teens
• DNA production
• Energy
• Endurance
• Growth
• Hair health
• Healthy pregnancy
• Immunity
• Muscle metabolism
• Nervous system function
• Neurological development
• Skin health
• Hormonal synthesis
• And more!

As you can see, getting enough iron is critical to nearly all aspects of healthy function and development.

Unfortunately, many people, especially menstruating women, are not getting enough iron.

Iron Deficiency is Not Uncommon, Especially in Women & Children

Many people associate iron deficiency, also known as anemia, with those who are vegan, vegetarian, over 65, or very sick or injured.

However, iron deficiency is one of the more common nutrient deficiencies, with The World Health Organization estimating up to 30% of non-pregnant women, 37% percent of pregnant women, and up to 40% of children have iron deficiency anemia worldwide.

These numbers are shocking but do not account for iron insufficiency in which an individual is trending toward iron deficiency.

Unfortunately, iron insufficiency is often missed in standard lab work, so it’s important to insist on more than one test. We’ll discuss this more in subsequent sections.

Symptoms of iron deficiency can include:

• Brittle nails
• Chest pain or changes in heartbeat
• Cognitive issues
• Cold hands and feet
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Hair loss
• Inflammation or soreness of the tongue
• Irritability
• Lack of stamina
• Pale skin
• Persistent fatigue
• Poor appetite
• Pregnancy complications
• Ringing in the ears
• Strange cravings for non-food items like ice, dirt, etc.
• Weakness

A lack of iron can be caused by many factors, including:

• A lack of dietary iron and/or other cofactors, such as vitamin C
• Cancer
• Certain medications and medical procedures
• Digestive health issues
• Environmental factors
• Excess consumption of iron-inhibiting foods
• Exercise
• Frequent blood donations
• Genetics
• Heart disease
• Inability to absorb iron
• Menstrual blood loss
• Pregnancy and giving birth
• Surgeries or injuries

Iron deficiency can also sneak up on you over time, so it’s important to check your levels if you notice any of these symptoms.

How Much Iron Do You Need?

Your iron needs may differ from those of your friends, parents, or partner based on the abovementioned factors, including your current levels, state of health, genetics, gender, age, and more.

However, the following are the standard recommended daily intakes (RDI) for different ages, sexes, and circumstances.

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
Birth to 6 months	0.27 mg*	0.27 mg*
7–12 months	11 mg	11 mg
1–3 years	7 mg	7 mg
4–8 years	10 mg	10 mg
9–13 years	8 mg	8 mg
14–18 years	11 mg	15 mg	27 mg	10 mg
19–50 years	8 mg	18 mg	27 mg	9 mg
51+ years	8 mg	8 mg

The best way to know how much iron you need is to have your iron levels checked, which we’ll discuss next.

Related Reading: What Vitamins Should Vegetarians Take?

Standard Lab Tests Don’t Always Detect Iron Deficiency or Insufficiency

Imagine you’re feeling chronically low on energy, your brain isn’t firing like it used to, and your hair is shedding much more than usual.

You read an article like this and suspect you may have iron deficiency.

So you talk to your doctor, who runs the standard CBC (complete blood count) test, and it comes back “normal,” but you still feel awful.

Ideally, your doctor would have run a CBC test, which checks the amount of iron in your blood, and a ferritin test, which tests your stored iron levels.

Ferritin isn’t iron, but a protein that stores and releases iron when your body needs it.

Therefore, if your ferritin levels are suboptimal, that can impact iron levels.

These two simple tests give a holistic view of your iron status and what may be causing deficiency or symptoms.

Although different labs and practitioners may have varying typical or “optimal” ranges, the Mayo Clinic recommends typical ferritin ranges of:

• 20 to 500 nanograms per milliliter in men
• 20 to 200 nanograms per milliliter in women

The takeaway: if you’re having your iron levels checked, be sure they’re also checking your ferritin levels.

Nutrition and Food Sources of Iron

Getting enough iron from nutrition and food sources is often the best defense against deficiency or insufficiency.

The following are the best food and nutrition sources of iron.

Sources of Heme Iron (Animal-Based)

Heme iron is the more absorbable form of iron and comes exclusively from animal-based sources, including:

• Red meats such as beef, lamb, venison, and bison
• Pork
• Organ meats, such as liver
• Dark meat poultry: Chicken, turkey, ostrich, duck, quail
• Seafood
• Tuna
• Eggs

Heme iron is more absorbable than non-heme iron because it exists with vitamin C, which is essential to optimal iron absorption.

Sources of Non-Heme Iron (Plant-Based)

Non-heme iron is not as absorbable as heme iron due to a lack of vitamin C in non-heme-rich foods.

However, non-heme iron makes up the majority of iron in the average person’s diet.

Sources include:

• Beans and legumes
• Blackstrap molasses
• Fortified foods, such as cereals and infant formula
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Kale
• Mustard Greens
• Nettles
• Prune juice
• Spirulina
• Soybeans
• Spinach
• Tofu

Non-heme iron can be made more absorbable by consuming Vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus, broccoli, peppers, mango, cherries, rosehips, and guava.

What About Iron Supplements?

Iron supplements may be recommended for people with iron deficiency, iron insufficiency or during specific stages of life, such as pregnancy.

However, you can get too much of a good thing.

Iron toxicity, resulting from ingesting too much iron from supplements or other sources, is common and can result in severe injury or death. It’s especially common in children.

Therefore, you must know your iron status before beginning a supplement regime.

As discussed, your iron levels can be measured using a CBC and ferritin test.

Although you can order these tests independently, it is recommended that you do this through your healthcare practitioner, as they can interpret these levels and recommend optimal dosages based on your unique needs.

Tips for Maximizing Iron Absorption From Foods or Supplements

As mentioned previously, certain foods, beverages, and medications can inhibit iron absorption.

Some examples include:

• Coffee
• Certain forms of antibiotics
• Foods high in phytic acid, such as grains, legumes, and pulses
• Foods high in calcium
• Levothyroxine
• Proton pump inhibitors
• Tea

Vitamin C intake can also affect iron absorption, especially of non-heme (plant-based) iron.

Some simple fixes for this are:

• Avoid consuming iron-rich foods or iron supplements at the same time as your morning coffee or tea. (Research has shown drinking coffee an hour before a meal, for example, does not interfere with iron absorption.)
• Take steps to lower phytic acid content in foods by soaking grains, legumes, and pulses
• Eat plenty of vitamin C-rich foods, or consider taking a vitamin C supplement
• Take a multivitamin or iron supplement that contains synergistic nutrients, like Vitamin C, B12, and folic acid, to support iron absorption and red blood cell function
• Avoid eating iron-rich foods or taking iron supplements with foods or supplements high in calcium
• Talk to your doctor if you’re taking proton pump inhibitors, thyroid medication (such as levothyroxine), antibiotics, or any medication, new or existing that may impact iron levels

Note that soaking grains or changing your morning coffee or tea routine may not be necessary for everyone.

Talk to your healthcare practitioner about the best practices for you.

Related reading: How To Increase Vitamin Absorption

Country Life Iron Supplements Offer Gentle Support for Optimal Iron Levels

If you’re concerned about getting enough iron, supplementation can help.

Although not appropriate for everyone (so check with your healthcare practitioner), specific forms of iron, such as Ferrochel®, are gentle on the stomach and easy to incorporate into your health and wellness routine.

Country Life has several iron supplements to support you, including:

• Easy Iron: Featuring Ferrochel®, a type of iron that is non-constipating and easy on the stomach
• Iron Aid™: An advanced iron supplement with 15mg of iron, as well as vitamins C, B-12, and folic acid. Vitamin C assists in iron absorption, while B-12 and folic acid aid in the formation of red blood cells**

We also offer multivitamins with iron, including:

• MAX for Vegans® with 50% of your daily value of iron
• Core Daily-1® for Women Multivitamin with 50% daily value of iron

Remember, iron supplementation is not for everyone, and excess iron can cause poisoning, injury, or death.

Therefore, always talk to your healthcare practitioner before starting supplemental iron.

For this reason, we also offer an array of iron-free multivitamins, such as Daily Total One® Iron-Free, MAX For Men® Iron Free Multivitamin, and Realfood® Organics Multivitamin for Women.

Sources mentioned in this article:

• “Iron”. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
• “What Iron Does for Your Body”. The Cleveland Clinic.
• “Review on iron and its importance for human health”.Journal of Research in Medical Sciences : The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
• “Anaemia in women and children”. World Health Organization.
• “Iron deficient anemia”. The Mayo Clinic.
• “Iron balance and iron supplementation for the female athlete: A practical approach”. European Journal of Sports Science.
• “Iron deficiency anemia”. Mayo Clinic.
• “Iron Fact Sheet for Health Professionals”. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
•  “Ferritin Test”. Mayo Clinic. 
• “Food Sources of Iron”. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
•  “Iron Toxicity”. [Updated 2023 Jun 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Ja.
• “Chronic Iron Deficiency”. [Updated 2023 Aug 8]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024
•  “Iron deficiency anaemia due to proton pump inhibitors: Clinical impact revealed”. Journal of Internal Medicine.
• “Inhibition of food iron absorption by coffee”. Am J Clin Nutr.