15 Best Cereals High in Iron
Need to boost your iron intake? Having these cereals high in iron for breakfast is the perfect way to start your mornings on the right foot and ensure that you’ll get your daily dose of iron. Check out more quick breakfast ideas stock up on these Weight Watchers Breakfast Bars.
Iron is a much needed nutrient in the body. Failure to consume enough iron can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Some symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include chest pain, dizziness, fatigue, poor appetite, headache, and more.
The good news is that once you have figured out the source of these sorts of ailments you can more easily work iron into your diet to help support your body with the fuel it needs to perform at its best! These are the best cereals that are high in iron to help you meet all your body’s needs so you can feel great and live a healthy life.
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Fortunately, there are cereals high in iron that you can easily include in your diet. I’ve compiled some of them here, so you don’t have to search for them one by one. You’ll love having plenty of options to choose from.
There are a lot of ways to work more iron into your diet but iron dense cereals are a great choice for doing that without having to consume a lot of foods that are not so easy to eat in larger quantities. Red meat, tofu, beans, and even tomatoes can be hard to eat for breakfast in portions that would do a great service to your iron levels.
With these nutrient dense breakfast cereals with high iron levels you will be able to raise your iron levels more easily and without having to cook up anything too crazy for breakfast. It’s a more simple way to consume iron in the morning and start the day off on the right foot!
How can I raise my iron levels quickly?
Iron is responsible for the healthy development and growth of the skin, teeth, and bones. But most importantly, it is a vital component of the red blood cells that help in transporting oxygen throughout the body.
A lot of foods naturally contain iron. This includes potatoes, red meat, spinach, tofu, chocolate, beans, tomatoes, and more. There are also a lot of other ways to get iron into your diet so don’t stress if those aren’t your favorite foods.
Getting the required amount of iron that your body needs every day can still be a difficult task. Starting your day with a bowl of cereal high in iron is the best way to combat or prevent iron deficiency. It’s also a great way to make sure that you are keeping your nutritional goals front and center as you start your day.
There’s no way to raise iron levels super quickly. The best thing you can do is follow your doctors recommendations in terms of medications and supplements and you can adjust your diet in order to consume more iron throughout the day.
Start the day off with a cereal that is high in iron so that you can get a big portion of your iron needs met right away with your first meal of the day. Sticking to a plan where you regularly consume the nutrients you need is the best way to stabilize your iron levels and keep your body working at its best. So instead of shooting for raising your levels quickly you should try and make consistency your goal.
What cereal is good for low iron?
Cereals high in iron or iron fortified cereals typically have 3.6 mg to 18 mg of iron per serving so make sure to check the labels. If you have iron deficiency, choosing a breakfast cereal with higher iron content is better for you.
To help you, I’ve included the iron content of each product here so you can easily decide which cereals are perfect for your diet. This is a great way to make a plan for getting all the nutrients like iron, that you need in a day. Starting off the day with a solid breakfast is a simple way to meet those goals more easily.
Think about it, if you skip one meal a day that means you have to cram more nutrients into the other meals and snacks you have throughout the day. By eating a nutritionally dense breakfast like these cereals you can get more of your nutrients in for the day and meet more of those goals!
Best Cereal for Iron and B12
Vitamin B12 is essential not only in forming DNA and red blood cells but it also plays an important role in the development and functions of nerve cells and the brain. Aside from being high in iron, these cereals also contain a fair amount of Vitamin B12.
Post Honey Bunches of Oats Crunchy Honey Roasted Cereal comes with 90% or 16.2 mg iron and 100% of Vitamin B12.
With 50% or 10.8 mg of iron and 20% of Vitamin B12 per serving, Kellogg's All Bran Cereal is also clearly an excellent choice. Plus, it comes in individual boxes and is ready to eat.
Made with whole grain oats, this heart healthy cereal has 20% or 3.6 mg of iron and 20% of Vitamin B12 per serving as well.
You can also try the original Cheerios if you want. Original Cheerios Heart Healthy Cereal has 70% or 12.6 mg of iron and 20% Vitamin B12 per serving.
If you love Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted Cereal, you'll also love this Pecan & Maple Brown Sugar flavor. It contains 100% or 18 mg of iron and 100% of Vitamin B12 per serving as well.
Made with 34g of whole grain, 100% Vitamin B12 and 100% or 18mg of iron per serving, this breakfast cereal from General Mills will be an awesome choice too.
Gluten free and made with no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup, Rice Chex Breakfast Cereal is definitely a must try! It has 20% Vitamin B12 and 50% or 9 mg of iron per serving.
Malt-O-Meal, Original Malt-O-Meal Hot Breakfast Cereal, Quick Cooking, 28 Ounce – 1 count
This old time favorite cereal is not only delicious but is high in iron as well. It has 60% (or more) of daily recommended value in one serving.
If you're a fan of Malt-O-Meal, you'll love the fact that their Frosted Mini Spooners are also rich in iron. It contains 90% or 16.2 mg of iron per serving.
Excellent source of fiber and a good source of eight essential vitamins and minerals, specifically, iron. Post Grape Nuts The Original has 90% or 16.2 mg of iron per serving.
Made with crunchy clusters & flakes, scoops of sweet raisins & delicious sun kissed dates and crunchy pecans. Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Pecans cereal is a wholesome way to start the day with breakfast or for an afternoon snack, 60% of daily recommended iron in one serving.
Made with 100% whole grain oat. Delicious, crunchy and packed with fiber. Contains 40% of daily recommended iron.
15 Best Cereals High in Iron
These breakfast cereals are fortified with iron and are sure to help you get your required daily iron intake.
Ralston Enriched Bran Flakes Cereal is one of the best breakfast cereals high in iron. It has about 108% recommended daily value or 19.6 mg of iron per serving.
This old time favorite cereal is not only delicious but is high in iron as well. It has 50% or 9 mg of iron per serving.
If you're a fan of Malt-O-Meal, you'll love the fact that their Frosted Mini Spooners are also rich in iron. It contains 90% or 16.2 mg of iron per serving.
Excellent source of fiber and a good source of eight essential vitamins and minerals, specifically, iron. Post Grape Nuts The Original has 90% or 16.2 mg of iron per serving.
This multigrain cereal has 25g of whole grain and 45% or 8.1 mg of iron per serving. The kids and the adults are sure to love this Kellogg's Smart Start Cereal.
Another iron rich breakfast cereal from Kellog's, these Frosted Mini Wheats contain 100% or 18 mg of iron per serving.
Heart healthy, 100% made with whole grain, and a good source of fiber and iron, Quaker Oatmeal Squares have 90% or 16.5 mg of iron per serving.
Looking for more healthy breakfast ideas?
Aside from these cereals rich in iron, you might also want to give these healthy breakfast ideas a try. You can check out these recipe collections so you can enjoy your favorite breakfast items in more ways than one.
- Healthy Toppings for Toast
- Weight Watchers Breakfast Casserole Recipes
- 30 Weight Watchers Breakfast Muffins
- 25 Weight Watchers Breakfast Ideas
- What to Make with Egg Roll Wrappers
- 20 Creative Recipes with Eggs for Breakfast
- 21 Day Fix Breakfast Recipes
According to the FDA, a food product can be considered high in nutrients if it has at least 20% of the recommended daily value or %DV. This equals 3.6 mg of iron per serving based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Since iron is a significant nutrient for the growth and development of the body, your Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA varies depending on your gender and age group. If you have a health condition, please refer to this post from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to know your RDA.
Keep in mind that we’re not doctors and nothing in this post is meant to diagnose or treat a medical condition. Your doctor should always be your first point of contact for health issues an it’s also smart to seek advice from a nutritionist if you have major nutritional deficits or needs!
