Green leaf lettuce contains .86 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 35 grams.
- 1 head equals 359 grams.
In the category of vegetables, we included whole vegetable products in the Top 10 list. We excluded dried/dehydrated products from the Top 10. You will find some dehydrated vegetables high in iron per 100 grbut they tend to be far more volume than anyone would consume. Furthermore, 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:
Lettuce, green leaf, raw
Read more about iron in vegetables or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Vegetables in general are not an exceptional iron source. Those vegetables that are packed with iron also tend to be loaded with iron blockers, making it difficult to absorb a great deal of the iron from the vegetables.
Nonetheless, even a vegetable with modest amounts of iron may play an important part in iron absorption. Vegetables can be packed with vitamin C, a vitamin that can help you digest the iron more completely in your vegetarian food items; green leaf lettuce is a solid source of vitamin C.
For example, you may wish to combine tomatoes and green peppers with a grain-based salad or with beans to help you absorb more of the iron in your meal as a whole. A fresh kiwi treat with your dinner would also help because of the vitamin C in the fruit itself. A glass of fruit juice is also an excellent plan.