Legumes high in iron (per serving)
40 legumes ranked by iron per common serving, from USDA FoodData Central. Soybeans leads with 8.8 mg per 1 cup (49% of the Daily Value), followed by Beans, white (7.8 mg) and Tofu, raw (6.6 mg).
Top 10 at a glance
Top 10 legumes highest in iron
- Soybeans, mature cooked (boiled, without salt)1 cup (172 g) · 296 kcal8.8 mg49% DV
- Beans, white (mature seeds, canned)1 cup (262 g) · 299 kcal7.8 mg44% DV
- Tofu, raw (regular, prepared with calcium sulfate)0.5 cup (124 g) · 94 kcal6.6 mg37% DV
- Lentils, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (198 g) · 230 kcal6.6 mg37% DV
- Beans, small white (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (179 g) · 254 kcal5.1 mg28% DV
- Beans, navy (mature seeds, canned)1 cup (262 g) · 296 kcal4.8 mg27% DV
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram) (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (164 g) · 269 kcal4.7 mg26% DV
- Beans, adzuki (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (230 g) · 294 kcal4.6 mg26% DV
- Beans, black (mature seeds, canned, low sodium)1 cup (240 g) · 218 kcal4.6 mg25% DV
- Lima beans, large (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (188 g) · 216 kcal4.5 mg25% DV
All 40 legumes ranked
Sort any column. Serving sizes are USDA household measures (a cup, a medium fruit, 3 oz of cooked meat or fish, 1 oz of nuts or cheese). %DV is based on the FDA Daily Value of 18 mg.
| # | Food | Serving | Iron (mg) | % Daily Value | Per 100 g | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soybeans, mature cooked (boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (172 g) | 8.8 | 5.1 | 296 | |
| 2 | Beans, white (mature seeds, canned) | 1 cup (262 g) | 7.8 | 3 | 299 | |
| 3 | Tofu, raw (regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) | 0.5 cup (124 g) | 6.6 | 5.4 | 94 | |
| 4 | Lentils, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (198 g) | 6.6 | 3.3 | 230 | |
| 5 | Beans, small white (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (179 g) | 5.1 | 2.8 | 254 | |
| 6 | Beans, navy (mature seeds, canned) | 1 cup (262 g) | 4.8 | 1.9 | 296 | |
| 7 | Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram) (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (164 g) | 4.7 | 2.9 | 269 | |
| 8 | Beans, adzuki (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (230 g) | 4.6 | 2 | 294 | |
| 9 | Beans, black (mature seeds, canned, low sodium) | 1 cup (240 g) | 4.6 | 1.9 | 218 | |
| 10 | Lima beans, large (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (188 g) | 4.5 | 2.4 | 216 | |
| 11 | Tempeh | 1 cup (166 g) | 4.5 | 2.7 | 319 | |
| 12 | Beans, yellow (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (177 g) | 4.4 | 2.5 | 255 | |
| 13 | Cowpeas, common (blackeyes (crowder, southern), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (171 g) | 4.3 | 2.5 | 198 | |
| 14 | Mungo beans, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (180 g) | 3.1 | 1.8 | 189 | |
| 15 | Mung beans, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (202 g) | 2.8 | 1.4 | 212 | |
| 16 | Tofu, soft (prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)) | 1 cup (1/2" cubes) (248 g) | 2.8 | 1.1 | 151 | |
| 17 | Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds (canned) | 1 cup (256 g) | 2.6 | 1 | 182 | |
| 18 | Vermicelli, made from soy | 1 cup (140 g) | 2.5 | 1.8 | 463 | |
| 19 | Peas, split (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (196 g) | 2.5 | 1.3 | 231 | |
| 20 | Tofu, firm (prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)) | 0.5 cup (126 g) | 2 | 1.6 | 98 | |
| 21 | Pigeon peas (red gram), mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (168 g) | 1.9 | 1.1 | 203 | |
| 22 | Okara | 1 cup (122 g) | 1.6 | 1.3 | 93 | |
| 23 | Soymilk (all flavors), unsweetened (with added calcium, vitamins A and D) | 1 cup (243 g) | 1.3 | 0.5 | 80 | |
| 24 | Peanuts, spanish (raw) | 1 oz (28 g) | 1.1 | 3.9 | 162 | |
| 25 | Vitasoy USA, Vitasoy Organic Classic Original Soymilk | 1 cup (243 g) | 1.1 | 0.4 | 114 | |
| 26 | Soymilk, original and vanilla (with added calcium, vitamins A and D) | 1 cup (243 g) | 1 | 0.4 | 104 | |
| 27 | Vitasoy USA, Vitasoy Organic Creamy Original Soymilk | 1 cup (243 g) | 1 | 0.4 | 107 | |
| 28 | Peanut spread, reduced sugar | 2 tbsp (31 g) | 0.9 | 2.8 | 202 | |
| 29 | Soymilk (all flavors), nonfat (with added calcium, vitamins A and D) | 1 cup (243 g) | 0.8 | 0.3 | 68 | |
| 30 | Vitasoy USA, Vitasoy Light Vanilla Soymilk | 1 cup (243 g) | 0.7 | 0.3 | 73 | |
| 31 | Hummus, commercial | 2 tbsp (30 g) | 0.7 | 2.4 | 71 | |
| 32 | Peanuts, virginia (raw) | 1 oz (28 g) | 0.7 | 2.5 | 160 | |
| 33 | Peanut Butter, smooth | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 0.7 | 2.2 | 188 | |
| 34 | Peanut butter, reduced sodium | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 0.6 | 1.9 | 189 | |
| 35 | Peanut butter, chunk style (without salt) | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 0.6 | 1.9 | 188 | |
| 36 | Peanuts, valencia (raw) | 1 oz (28 g) | 0.6 | 2.1 | 162 | |
| 37 | Peanut butter, smooth style (without salt) | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 0.6 | 1.7 | 191 | |
| 38 | Peanut butter with omega-3, creamy | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 0.5 | 1.7 | 195 | |
| 39 | Hummus, home prepared | 2 tbsp (30 g) | 0.5 | 1.6 | 53 | |
| 40 | Peanuts, all types (dry-roasted, without salt) | 1 oz (28 g) | 0.4 | 1.6 | 166 |
Iron in specific foods
How this list is built. Values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, with Foundation Foods analytical updates where available). The pool is 1,677 whole foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, grains, fish, meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. Spices, herbs, baby foods, powders, flours, dried and freeze-dried items, juices, processed meats, organ meats other than liver and uncommon foods are excluded; meats, fish, grains and legumes are ranked cooked. Each food family appears once and no single animal or plant fills more than six places. Ranking is by amount per serving; the per-100 g column is shown for reference. A food that USDA has not analysed for iron is left out rather than counted as zero. Full methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which food is highest in iron?
Among legumes in the USDA database, Soybeans, mature cooked (boiled, without salt) has the most iron per serving: 8.8 mg per 1 cup (49% of the Daily Value). Per 100 g it contains 5.1 mg.
How much iron do I need per day?
The FDA Daily Value used on Nutrition Facts labels is 18 mg of iron for adults and children aged 4 and over. Individual needs vary with age, sex, pregnancy and health conditions.
What counts as a food high in iron?
FDA labeling rules call a food a 'good source' when one serving provides 10 to 19% of the Daily Value and 'high' or 'excellent' at 20% or more. 13 of the 40 foods on this list reach 20% DV per serving.
Related rankings
- Foods high in potassium
- Foods high in magnesium
- Foods high in calcium
- Foods high in zinc
- Foods high in selenium
- Foods high in copper
- All foods high in iron
- Fruits high in iron
- Vegetables high in iron
- Nuts and seeds high in iron
- Grains high in iron
- Fish and seafood high in iron
- Meat and poultry high in iron
- Dairy and eggs high in iron
Nutrient values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, April 2018; Foundation Foods, April 2026) and shown per serving as described on each page. %DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. This is nutrition data for general information, not medical or dietary advice; talk to a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs. How the numbers are calculated.