Nutrient explorer
Iron
Iron occurs in both animal and plant foods, with amounts varying by ingredient and preparation.
Daily Value18mg
What iron means in a meal
Iron can come from meats, legumes, fortified grains, leafy greens, seeds and other foods. The quantity shown here is the amount reported in the matched food record.
On the labelFDA uses 18 mg as the Daily Value for Nutrition Facts label context.
Real serving examples
See the number in actual foods
Values below are calculated from the matched USDA record and the serving shown. Brand, preparation and food match can change the result.
Lentils
1 cup6.6 mg37% DV
Matched to Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt
Black beans
1 cup3.6 mg20% DV
Matched to Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt
Spinach
1 cup0.7 mg4% DV
Matched to Malabar spinach, cooked
Cooked oatmeal
1 cup0.5 mg3% DV
Matched to Oatmeal, multigrain
Tofu
0.5 cup1.4 mg8% DV
Matched to FIRM TOFU
Foods that commonly contribute iron
MeatLegumesFortified grainsSpinachSeeds
These are food categories, not fixed nutrient values. The amount depends on the exact food record, serving, preparation and product.
How to read the percentage
Daily Values are general label reference amounts, not personalized nutrition targets.
Trace iron through a meal
Analyze a recipe, then open the nutrient contribution explorer to see which ingredient supplies the total and how much each food contributes.
Analyze food →