Tilapia contains .68 milligrams of iron per 100 grams.
In the category of fish and seafood, 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:
Tilapia, cooked, dry heat
Read more about iron in meat or visit our list of iron-rich foods.
Tilapia and Iron
Tilapia is a decent source of iron, though not a stand-out among meats or fish. A 3 1/2 ounce serving of tilapia provides about four percent of the daily iron recommended for a woman ages twenty to fifty. It is a highly absorbed form of iron called “heme iron,” a form found in all meats, including tilapia and other fish. It is absorbed on the order of two to three times better than iron found in plant-based sources of food such as whole grains or legumes. Muscle meats like tilapia may also be iron enhancers that help you absorb more iron from your plant-based foods. You could enjoy tilapia along with a baked potato and perhaps absorb more iron from the baked potato because of the enhancing effects of the tilapia itself.
Check out the resources on this site to learn about the iron content of your favorite foods. Examine foods by food group or use the search function on the site to examine the iron content of some more unusual foods that you may enjoy along with your tilapia.