White beans contain 3.7 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 cup equals 179 grams.
In the category of beans, we excluded protein isolates and other processed foods from the Top 10 list and include only whole beans. You can assume that if the whole version made the top 10 list, so too would the refined version.The food tested for the particular graph below can be described more specifically as:
Beans, white, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt
Read more about iron in beans or visit our iron-rich foods list.
White Beans And Iron
White beans contain a considerable amount of iron. One cup of white beans cooked would provide a woman with about forty percent of her daily required iron. However, a problem with beans as a class is that they contain a substance called phytic acid which reduces your absorption of iron from the beans. You will not absorb very much of those milligrams of iron because of the phytic acid. Luckily, you can soak you beans overnight in warm water before you cook them to reduce the phytic acid in the white beans. You can also serve the white beans with tomatoes, bell peppers, or other high vitamin C foods to counteract the effect of the phytic acid. Read more about these processes on our iron rich foods tips page.
To learn more about the iron content of your favorite food, explore this website using our search function or check your favorite food group to find foods you commonly eat.