Pork contains 1.3 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 135 grams.
- 3 oz equals 85 grams.
In the category of pork, we included whole 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:
Pork, fresh, shoulder, whole, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted
Read more about iron in meat or visit our list of iron-rich foods.
Pork and Iron
Pork provides a good bit of iron to the diet. In a 100-gram serving of pork (about 3 1/2 ounces), the amount of iron provides a young woman with about seven percent of her daily required iron. The iron in pork is a form of iron (heme iron) that is better absorbed that non-heme iron found in plant-based foods such as grains and beans. It is absorbed two to three times better than plant-based sources of iron. In addition, muscle meats tend to be iron enhancing — they help your body absorb more iron in the plant-based foods you eat along with them. You might eat pork with beans, for instance, and you will likely absorb more iron from the beans than you would have had you not included the pork.
For more information about the iron content of your favorite foods, explore the resources on this website either by food group or using the search function to examine thousands or food along with iron in pork.