Beef (composite of trimmed cuts) contains 2.9 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 piece equals 240 grams.
- 3 oz equals 85 grams.
In the category of beef, we included whole food products 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:
Beef, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable lean only, trimmed to 0″ fat,
Read more about iron in meat or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Meat as a class is a very good iron source, in particular red meat. Red meat gets its red color from the high content of iron. People who eat red meat do not generally struggle with iron deficiency. If you do eat red meat and have low levels of iron, speak with your doctor about your health status because you may have aggravating factors, from your digestive function to high levels of blood loss.
All meats have another benefit of assisting your digestive tract to assimilate iron from vegetable-based foods. Plant-based iron is normally locked in iron inhibitors, making it more difficult to digest. A small amount of meat will help your body to unlock that iron and take it into your blood where your body can use it. Learn more about meat as an iron enhancer in this peer reviewed study.