Iron-Rich Vegetarian Foods in India: Iron per 100 g (IFCT 2017)
"Which vegetarian foods have iron?" is one of the most common food questions in India. This page lists iron per 100 g for 38 foods from the ICMR-NIN Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017), grouped so that like is compared with like, and says what the numbers do not tell you.
The short answer
Per 100 g as listed in IFCT 2017, the highest iron values on this page are in seeds: garden cress seeds (halim) 17.20 mg and gingelly (sesame) seeds 13.90 to 15.04 mg. Among foods eaten in larger amounts, dry pulses range from 3.90 mg (red gram dal) to 8.76 mg (horse gram), and fresh leaves from 2.95 mg (spinach) to 7.25 mg (red amaranth leaves). Our reading: do not read the tables as a ranking of what to eat. Seeds are eaten by the spoonful, leaves are mostly water, and the iron in a food is not the iron your body absorbs (see below).
Iron per 100 g, by food group
Every value is the mean printed in IFCT 2017 Table 5 (Minerals and Trace Elements), column Iron (Fe), in mg per 100 g edible portion. Each row's IFCT code is shown; the PDF pages are in the sources list. Foods are sorted high to low inside each group.
Leafy vegetables and herbs, raw (fresh, as listed)
Fresh leaves are mostly water, so their iron per 100 g is not comparable gram for gram with dry seeds or pulses.
| Food (IFCT 2017 row) | Iron, mg per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Curry leaves (G010) | 8.67 |
| Mint leaves (G016) | 8.56 |
| Amaranth leaves, red (lal saag) (C003) | 7.25 |
| Garden cress (chandrashoor leaves) (C021) | 6.19 |
| Fenugreek leaves (methi) (C020) | 5.69 |
| Pumpkin leaves, tender (C030) | 5.58 |
| Coriander leaves (G009) | 5.30 |
| Amaranth leaves, green (C002) | 4.64 |
| Drumstick leaves (moringa) (C019) | 4.56 |
| Spinach (palak) (C033) | 2.95 |
Pulses, dry (uncooked)
IFCT lists pulses dry. Cooking adds water, and IFCT has no cooked rows.
| Food (IFCT 2017 row) | Iron, mg per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Horse gram, whole (kulthi) (B012) | 8.76 |
| Soybean, brown (B024) | 8.29 |
| Lentil, whole, yellowish (B015) | 7.91 |
| Lentil dal (masoor dal) (B013) | 7.06 |
| Bengal gram, whole (kala chana) (B002) | 6.78 |
| Rajmah, red (B020) | 6.13 |
| Bengal gram, dal (chana dal) (B001) | 6.08 |
| Green gram, whole (sabut moong) (B011) | 4.89 |
| Black gram, dal (urad dal) (B003) | 4.67 |
| Green gram, dal (moong dal) (B010) | 3.93 |
| Red gram, dal (toor dal) (B021) | 3.90 |
Cereals, millets and pseudo-cereals, dry
| Food (IFCT 2017 row) | Iron, mg per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Amaranth seed, black (rajgira) (A001) | 9.33 |
| Quinoa (A009) | 7.51 |
| Bajra (A003) | 6.42 |
| Ragi (A010) | 4.62 |
| Rice flakes (poha) (A011) | 4.46 |
| Wheat flour, atta (A019) | 4.10 |
Seeds, nuts, dried fruit and jaggery
These are usually eaten in small amounts, so a high figure per 100 g does not mean a large amount of iron per serving.
| Food (IFCT 2017 row) | Iron, mg per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Garden cress seeds (halim) (H008) | 17.20 |
| Gingelly seeds, white (sesame, til) (H011) | 15.04 |
| Gingelly seeds, black (sesame, til) (H009) | 13.90 |
| Raisins, dried, black (E057) | 6.81 |
| Cashew nut (H005) | 5.95 |
| Sunflower seeds (H020) | 5.85 |
| Linseeds (flaxseed) (H014) | 5.44 |
| Dates, dry, dark brown (E018) | 4.79 |
| Jaggery, cane (I001) | 4.63 |
| Almond (H001) | 4.59 |
| Groundnut (H012) | 3.44 |
IFCT 2017 gives raw or dry values only for these foods, so the tables say nothing about iron after cooking, and we give no cooked figures.
What the guidelines say adults need
The ICMR-NIN 2020 brief note on nutrient requirements for Indians (PDF page 6) lists, for iron, an RDA of 19 mg in its Table 3 (males) and 29 mg in its Table 4 (females), and an EAR of 11 mg and 15 mg. Its tables do not say here what diet the figures assume. As a size check, our arithmetic: 100 g of red amaranth leaves has 7.25 mg of iron, which is 7.25 / 19 = 38% of 19 mg and 7.25 / 29 = 25% of 29 mg. That is iron in the food, not iron absorbed, and it is not a statement about what you personally need.
Iron in the food is not iron absorbed
- Vegetarian diets. A 2010 review estimated iron bioavailability at 14 to 18% for mixed diets and 5 to 12% for vegetarian diets in people with no iron stores. It lists phytate, polyphenols, calcium, ascorbic acid and muscle tissue as dietary factors that influence absorption, and says that in multi-meal studies the effect of single components was more modest (Hurrell and Egli, 2010).
- Vitamin C. A 2004 review describes ascorbic acid as "the most efficient enhancer of non-heme iron absorption when its stability in the food vehicle is ensured" (Teucher et al., 2004). Our reading: lime juice or tomato with a meal are ordinary vitamin C foods; the review was about iron absorption in general, not about any Indian dish.
- Tea and coffee. A 2000 review lists plant components in vegetables, tea, coffee and calcium as inhibiting factors. For people at risk of iron deficiency it suggests having tea between meals rather than during them and taking ascorbic acid with the meal (Zijp et al., 2000). Our reading: that advice is written for people at risk of iron deficiency, so ask a doctor if that may be you.
What this page leaves out
- Cooked values: IFCT lists the foods raw or dry, and cooking adds water or changes the food.
- Certainty of each row: six rows rest on one or two regions of sampling in IFCT 2017 (red amaranth leaves C003 and amaranth seed A001 and quinoa A009 on one region; garden cress leaves C021, lentil whole yellowish B015 and dates E018 on two), so treat those as less certain than rows from six regions.
- How much iron your body absorbs from each food: we did not read a source that gives this for Indian foods, so we make no claim for any single food, including spinach.
- Iron-fortified foods, supplements and non-vegetarian sources: not covered. The same Table 5 also gives zinc, which we rank in zinc-rich vegetarian foods.
- Whether you have enough iron: only a doctor can tell you that.
A note on health
This article is general educational content, not medical advice. It does not say that any food prevents or treats anaemia or iron deficiency. If you feel unusually tired, are pregnant, have heavy periods, follow a restricted diet or have been told your iron is low, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about your own situation before changing your diet or taking any supplement.
For protein in the same foods, see our high-protein Indian foods guide. For calories and macros of everyday dishes, see calories and macros of common Indian foods. For a vitamin ranked in the same IFCT 2017 book, see folate-rich vegetarian foods.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
Which vegetarian Indian foods have the most iron?
Among the IFCT 2017 rows on this page, per 100 g as listed, garden cress seeds have 17.20 mg of iron, white gingelly (sesame) seeds 15.04 mg and black 13.90 mg, then dry horse gram 8.76 mg, curry leaves 8.67 mg, dry brown soybean 8.29 mg and red amaranth leaves 7.25 mg. Seeds and pulses are listed dry and leaves fresh, so compare within a group; iron in a food is not the same as iron absorbed.
How does spinach compare with other iron-rich leaves?
IFCT 2017 lists spinach (C033) at 2.95 mg of iron per 100 g, lower than red amaranth leaves (7.25 mg), garden cress (6.19 mg), fenugreek leaves (5.69 mg) and tender pumpkin leaves (5.58 mg). These are raw, fresh values per 100 g. We did not read a source on how much iron each leaf gives up when eaten, so we make no claim about absorption from leaves.
Does vitamin C or tea change how much iron you absorb?
A 2004 review (Teucher et al.) describes ascorbic acid as the most efficient enhancer of non-heme iron absorption when its stability in the food vehicle is ensured. A 2000 review (Zijp et al.) lists plant components in vegetables, tea, coffee and calcium as inhibiting factors and, for people at risk of iron deficiency, suggests having tea between meals rather than during them. These are reviews of absorption, not trials of any Indian dish. Our reading: the tea advice is written for people at risk of iron deficiency; ask a doctor if that may be you.
How much iron does an adult need a day?
The ICMR-NIN 2020 brief note lists an iron RDA of 19 mg in its table for males and 29 mg in its table for females, with EARs of 11 mg and 15 mg. Your own need depends on you, and this page does not say whether you are getting enough. If you think your iron may be low, ask a doctor.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017). Table 5, Minerals and Trace Elements, column Iron (Fe), per 100 g edible portion, read from the PDF 23 Oct 2026, PDF pages 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 169, 171, 175, 177, 179, 181 (rows C002 to C033, G009, G010, G016, B001 to B024, A001 to A019, H001 to H020, E018, E057, I001; the code of each row is in the tables above).
- ICMR-NIN brief note. ICMR-NIN, Nutrient Requirements for Indians 2020, brief note, Tables 3 and 4, PDF page 6 (read 23 Oct 2026).
- Hurrell R, Egli I. Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values. Am J Clin Nutr 2010 (PubMed 20200263; abstract read 23 Oct 2026).
- Teucher B, Olivares M, Cori H. Enhancers of iron absorption: ascorbic acid and other organic acids. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2004 (PubMed 15743017; abstract read 23 Oct 2026).
- Zijp IM, Korver O, Tijburg LB. Effect of tea and other dietary factors on iron absorption. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2000 (PubMed 11029010; abstract read 23 Oct 2026).
The arithmetic (percent of 19 and 29 mg) and every sentence starting "Our reading" are NYUS's own, not from a study. Common names in brackets (for example masoor dal, toor dal) are our matching to the IFCT row names.