{"id":13718,"date":"2026-08-30T14:37:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T12:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elmercadodeorigen.com\/que-verduras-tienen-mas-hierro\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:13:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T09:13:32","slug":"que-verduras-tienen-mas-hierro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elmercadodeorigen.com\/en\/vegetables-highest-in-iron\/","title":{"rendered":"Which vegetables are highest in iron? Comparison per 100 grams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vegetables provide iron, but which vegetables are highest in iron<\/strong> cannot be answered well with a ranking alone. Plant iron is mainly non-haem iron<\/strong> and its absorption is more variable than haem iron from meat.<\/p>\n

Vegetables highest in iron per 100 grams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Vegetable<\/th>\nApprox. iron<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Spinach<\/td>\n2.5\u20133 mg\/100 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Swiss chard<\/td>\n2\u20132.5 mg\/100 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fresh peas<\/td>\n\u2248 1.5 mg\/100 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Artichoke<\/td>\n1.3\u20131.5 mg\/100 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Broccoli<\/td>\n\u2248 1 mg\/100 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Green beans<\/td>\n\u2248 1 mg\/100 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tomato<\/td>\n\u2248 0.5 mg\/100 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Quick answer:<\/strong> spinach and Swiss chard usually rank near the top among common vegetables. However, 3 mg of plant iron is not nutritionally identical to 3 mg from meat in terms of absorption.<\/p>\n

How to read this comparison<\/h2>\n

Comparing foods per 100 g is useful for ranking nutrient density, but it is not the same as comparing normal serving sizes. Portion size, water content and cooking method can substantially change what reaches the plate.<\/p>\n

To avoid misleading rankings, this guide uses raw edible food as the reference whenever possible. Figures are approximate because variety, soil, climate, ripeness, storage and preparation all introduce natural variation.<\/p>\n

Raw and cooked are not the same<\/h2>\n

Cooking changes food weight and therefore nutrient concentration per 100 g. Water-soluble vitamins may also be reduced by heat and by leaching into cooking water. Minerals and fibre are not destroyed in the same way, but water loss or gain still changes per-weight values.<\/p>\n

Whenever you compare two nutrition tables, first check that both refer to the same food state. Mixing raw and boiled values can change a ranking without representing a true like-for-like difference.<\/p>\n

Does spinach really contain a lot of iron?<\/h2>\n

Spinach contains more iron than many vegetables, but its reputation is often oversimplified. Total amount matters, as do chemical form and the rest of the meal.<\/p>\n

Plant iron versus meat iron<\/h2>\n

Vegetable iron is non-haem. Beef also provides haem iron, which is generally more bioavailable. A fair comparison therefore separates amount<\/strong> from bioavailability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

How to improve absorption<\/h2>\n