Pinto beans (immature) contain 2.7 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 package equals 284 grams.
- .333 package equals 94 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 1but 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:
Beans, pinto, immature seeds, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Read more about iron in vegetables or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Vegetables generally are not a strong iron source. Those vegetables that have a high content of iron also are more likely to be high in iron inhibitors, making it difficult to absorb a large amount of iron from the vegetables.
However, even a vegetable with little iron can play a significant part in your absorption of iron. Vegetables often times are high in vitamin C, which will help you take up the iron more completely in your plant-based foods; pinto beans are a modest source of vitamin C.
Still, for instance you may wish to incorporate bell peppers and vine ripened tomatoes with a whole grain main dish or with beans to increase your absorption of the iron in your entire meal. A fresh pineapple treat with a meal would also help because of the fruit’s content of vitamin C. A glass of fruit juice is a further an effective strategy.