Vegan Iron-Rich Foods: Top Plant Sources Ranked by Iron Content

What Are the Best Vegan Foods High in Iron?

The best vegan foods high in iron include lentils, soybeans, tempeh, tofu, amaranth, teff, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and leafy greens such as spinach. Many of these foods provide around 2–4 mg of iron per serving, while pulse-based pastas made from lentils or chickpeas can provide more than 5 mg per serving. Including a variety of legumes, soy foods, whole grains, seeds and leafy greens regularly can help vegans meet their daily iron requirements.

Top Plant Foods High in Iron

The following foods provide some of the highest iron levels per typical serving size in a plant-based diet.

• Lentils
• Tempeh
• Tofu
• Amaranth
• Teff
• Sesame seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Spinach

How I Analysed Vegan Iron-Rich Foods

A few months after joining a running club, I started experiencing strange symptoms like insomnia and a fast heart rate. It turns out that my ferritin had fallen to 15 µg/L – increasing running distance had depleted my iron stores. Around the same time, I completed my qualification as an ANutr-registered nutritionist, and this motivated me to take a structured approach to optimizing my iron intake.

I began reviewing reliable food composition data and public health guidance to understand which plant foods provide the most iron per realistic serving sizes.

The tables below rank plant foods according to their iron content per typical serving size, based on recognised food composition data.

Why Iron Can Be Lower on a Vegan Diet

Vegans often have lower ferritin levels than omnivores (Pawlak, Berger, and Hines, 2016). One reason for this is that plant foods contain non-haem iron, which is typically absorbed less efficiently than the haem iron found in animal foods.

In addition, some plant compounds, such as phytates found in whole grains and legumes, can inhibit iron absorption. As a result, people following plant-based diets often need to pay closer attention to both the quantity of iron consumed and the dietary factors that influence its absorption.

Gluten-free vegans may find this even more challenging. Many gluten-free grains naturally contain less iron, and iron fortification is less common in gluten-free products compared with wheat-based foods (Ghunaim et al., 2024).

Endurance training can further increase iron losses through mechanisms such as sweat losses, foot-strike haemolysis and occasional gastrointestinal micro-bleeding. In addition, the hormone hepcidin rises temporarily after exercise, which can reduce iron absorption for several hours following training.

For these reasons, some plant-based eaters aim for higher daily iron intakes (around 16 mg/day) to help compensate for the typically lower absorption of non-haem iron.

Plant Foods Ranked by Iron Content

The tables below rank plant foods according to their iron content per typical serving size, highlighting the most concentrated plant sources of iron.

However, because plant foods contain non-haem iron, absorption is generally lower than from animal foods. For this reason, people following plant-based diets often benefit from combining iron-rich foods with vitamin C sources and distributing them across meals throughout the day.

Legumes High in Iron

Legumes are among the most iron-rich foods available on a plant-based diet. Lentils, beans and soy foods can provide meaningful amounts of iron per serving and are often a key foundation of vegan iron intake.

Soy Foods High in Iron

Soy foods such as tofu and tempeh are among the most concentrated plant sources of iron and can contribute meaningful amounts to daily intake.

Nuts and Seeds High in Iron

Nuts and seeds can also contribute useful amounts of iron to a plant-based diet, particularly when consumed regularly in small portions.

Whole Grains High in Iron

Several whole grains also contribute meaningful amounts of iron and can help increase overall intake when included regularly in plant-based meals.

Leafy Greens that Contain Iron

Leafy greens are another plant-based source of iron. Spinach and Swiss chard provide some of the highest amounts among commonly eaten greens.

Although leafy greens contain iron, compounds such as oxalates may reduce iron absorption. Pairing these foods with vitamin C-rich ingredients can help improve absorption.

Other Plant Foods that Provide Iron

In addition to whole foods such as legumes, seeds and leafy greens, several commonly consumed plant foods can also contribute meaningful amounts of iron to the diet.

Some plant-based foods outside the main categories of legumes, grains and seeds can also provide meaningful amounts of iron. Pulse-based pastas, fermented soy foods and fortified cereals can contribute several milligrams of iron per serving and may help increase overall iron intake on a vegan diet.

Note: Iron values for foods such as fortified cereals and pulse-based pastas can vary considerably between brands and formulations. The values shown below are approximate estimates based on food composition databases and typical serving sizes.

Want a Simple Way to Achieve This?

If you’d like a clear, structured way to hit your daily iron needs on a plant-based diet, see my Vegan Iron Optimiser, which shows exactly what to eat and how to combine foods to meet your iron targets consistently.

Key Takeaway

A wide range of plant foods can provide iron, including legumes, soy foods, seeds, whole grains and leafy greens. Because iron from plant foods is absorbed less efficiently than haem iron, it is necessary to be strategic. Including several iron-rich foods across the day and pairing them with vitamin C-rich foods can help support adequate intake.

Iron is one of several nutrients that can require attention on a plant-based diet. For a broader overview of common nutrient gaps and practical ways to prevent them, see my guide to vegan diet deficiencies.

Portion & Data Notes

Portion sizes follow recognised public health guidance from the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), with some adjustments for realistic household servings. Iron values are derived primarily from McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, with additional values from USDA FoodData Central where UK data were unavailable.

Iron values represent database estimates derived from food composition datasets. Actual nutrient levels can vary depending on factors such as food variety, brand, growing conditions and cooking method.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much iron do vegans need per day?

Vegans often aim for higher iron intakes, around 16 mg per day, because plant-based iron is less efficiently absorbed than haem iron from animal foods.

What vegan food has the most iron?

Some of the highest iron-containing vegan foods include lentils, tempeh, tofu, sesame seeds, amaranth, teff and fortified cereals. Pulse-based pastas and fortified products can provide more than 5 mg of iron per serving.

References

1. Pawlak, R., Berger, J. and Hines, I. (2016) ‘Iron status of vegetarian adults: A review of literature’, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 12(6), pp. 486–498.
2. Ghunaim, M. et al. (2024) ‘Impact of a gluten-free diet in adults with celiac disease: Nutritional deficiencies and challenges’, Cureus, 16(12), p. e74983.
3. British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) (n.d.) Portion size guidance. Available at: https://www.nutrition.org.uk
4. Public Health England (2021) McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset.
5. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) (n.d.) FoodData Central. Available at: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov