This food contains 2.0 milligrams of iron per 100 grams. Grams is a measure of weight. To put 100 grams in perspective, consider alternative measures for this food:
- 1 cup equals 246 grams.
One cup of amaranth is a dense serving of grain, but it is certainly possible to eat it. That one cup would contain approximately 5 milligrams of iron which is extremely iron-rich. Though do read our caveat below the graph.
In the category of grain, we included whole grains and flours in the Top 10 list. Foods may be fortified with iron but are not included in this Top 10 list.The food tested for the particular graph below can be described more specifically as:
Amaranth grain, cooked
Read more about iron in grains or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Iron In Amaranth
Amaranth is high in iron but it also contains iron inhibitors, most notably, phytic acid. Phytic acid will bind to the iron in the amaranth and keep your body from absorbing all of the iron. However, there are some basic cooking strategies you can employ to reduce the phytic acid and increase your absorption of iron. For instance, if you are eating amaranth as a breakfast porridge, you can soak it overnight in warm water the night before. In the morning, you can simply cook it. It will cook up twice as fast as it normally would making it both a fast food and iron-rich. Read our iron rich foods tips page for more ideas.
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