Ranked by iron per 100 g of the food in the form named on its card, using the figure on the card. The Source column names the dataset and row. "Closest official match" means no row exists for the same food in the same form, so the card uses the nearest published row. Foods whose figures come from the same row are one entry, with each food linked to its card.
| # | Food | Iron per 100 g | % NRV (UK) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spirulina Dry | 28.5 mg | 204% | USDA FoodData Central Seaweed, spirulina, dried (USDA FDC SR Legacy 170495) |
| 2 | Seaweed, dried (arame, dulse, hijiki, sea lettuce) Dry | 25 mg | 179% | USDA FoodData Central Seaweed, dried (USDA FNDDS 2709988) Closest official match |
| 3 | Agar, dried Dry | 20.6 mg | 147% | UK CoFID Agar, dried (CoFID 2021 13-146) |
| 4 | Nutritional yeast As sold | 20 mg | 143% | UK CoFID Yeast, dried (CoFID 2021 17-379) Closest official match |
| 5 | Nori Dry | 19.6 mg | 140% | UK CoFID Seaweed, nori, dried, raw (CoFID 2021 13-340) |
| 6 | Cacao nibs | 17.4 mg | 124% | USDA FoodData Central Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares (USDA FDC SR Legacy 167568) Closest official match |
| 7 | Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried (black sesame seeds Closest official match, sesame seed) Raw | 14.6 mg | 104% | USDA FoodData Central Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried (USDA FDC SR Legacy 170150) |
| 8 | Cacao powder Dry | 13.9 mg | 99% | USDA FoodData Central Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (USDA FDC SR Legacy 169593) |
| 9 | Kombu Dry | 12.7 mg | 91% | UK CoFID Seaweed, kombu, dried, raw (CoFID 2021 13-339) |
| 10 | Morel Raw | 12.2 mg | 87% | USDA FoodData Central Mushrooms, morel, raw (USDA FDC SR Legacy 168423) |
| 11 | Poppy seeds Raw | 9.76 mg | 70% | USDA FoodData Central Spices, poppy seed (USDA FDC SR Legacy 171330) |
| 12 | Soya beans, dry Dry | 9.7 mg | 69% | UK CoFID Beans, soya, dried, raw (CoFID 2021 13-115) |
| 13 | Sun-dried tomato Dry | 9.09 mg | 65% | USDA FoodData Central Tomatoes, sun-dried (USDA FDC SR Legacy 168567) |
| 14 | Tahini As sold | 8.95 mg | 64% | USDA FoodData Central Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from roasted and toasted kernels (most common type) (USDA FDC SR Legacy 170189) |
| 15 | Irish moss Raw | 8.9 mg | 64% | USDA FoodData Central Seaweed, irishmoss, raw (USDA FDC SR Legacy 168456) |
| 16 | Fenugreek leaves (methi) Raw | 8.8 mg | 63% | UK CoFID Fenugreek leaves, raw (CoFID 2021 13-243) |
| 17 | Pumpkin seeds Raw | 8.8 mg | 63% | USDA FoodData Central Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried (USDA FDC SR Legacy 170556) |
| 18 | Natto As sold | 8.6 mg | 61% | USDA FoodData Central Natto (USDA FDC SR Legacy 172443) |
| 19 | Baobab powder Dry | 8.42 mg | 60% | USDA FoodData Central Baobab powder (USDA FDC SR Legacy 167806) |
| 20 | Hemp seeds Raw | 7.95 mg | 57% | USDA FoodData Central Seeds, hemp seed, hulled (USDA FDC SR Legacy 170148) |
| 21 | Chia seed Raw | 7.72 mg | 55% | USDA FoodData Central Seeds, chia seeds, dried (USDA FDC SR Legacy 170554) |
| 22 | Watermelon seeds Raw | 7.28 mg | 52% | USDA FoodData Central Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried (USDA FDC SR Legacy 169407) |
| 23 | Red split lentils, dry Dry | 7 mg | 50% | UK CoFID Lentils, red, split, dried, raw (CoFID 2021 13-657) |
| 24 | Cloud ear Dried, soaked | 6.8 mg | 49% | UK CoFID Mushrooms, Jew's ear, tough, dried, soaked, raw (CoFID 2021 13-292) Closest official match |
| 25 | Goji berry Dry | 6.8 mg | 49% | USDA FoodData Central Goji berries, dried (USDA FDC SR Legacy 173032) |
% NRV (UK) is against the UK Nutrient Reference Value for iron, 14 mg. Herbs, spices (eaten in pinches) and dry teas (brewed, not eaten) are left out, and so are foods with no iron value. Per 100 g is not a portion: compare foods eaten in similar amounts.
Also see the Iron per 100 g list, all rankings and about our data.
Answer-ready: In Thrive's plant-food data (UK CoFID and USDA FoodData Central), the plant foods highest in iron per 100 g are Spirulina (28.5 mg), Seaweed, dried (arame, dulse, hijiki, sea lettuce) (25 mg), Agar, dried (20.6 mg).