Question: Do eggs have iron?
Answer: Yes, eggs do contain iron but the iron content depends on the portion of the eggs you eat. Many people just eat egg whites to save on calories or maybe they just don’t care for the yolk. However, the yolk contains the majority of the nutrients. You will consume minimal iron if you eat only the egg whites. The yolk is what houses the majority of the iron.
Before we get into the iron in eggs, we should discuss how much iron is recommended per day. The National Institutes of Health recommends the following iron intake for non-vegetarian people:
Recommended Iron Per Day
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnant | Lactation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 months | .27 mg | .27 mg | ||
| 7-12 months | 11 mg | 11 mg | ||
| 4-8 years old | 10 mg | 10 mg | ||
| 9-13 years old | 8 mg | 8 mg | ||
| 14-18 years old | 11 mg | 15 mg | 27 mg | 10 mg |
| 19-50 years old | 8 mg | 18 mg | 27 mg | 10 mg |
| 51 and over | 8 mg | 8mg |
Eggs Iron Content
| Type of Egg | Serving Size | Iron (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Egg, Whole, Raw, Fresh | 1 Large (50g) | 0.88mg |
| Egg, Whole, Raw, Fresh | 1 Extra Large (56g) | 0.98mg |
| Egg, Whole, Raw, Fresh | Jumbo (63g) | 1.10mg |
| Egg, White, Raw, Fresh | 1 Large (33g) | 0.03mg |
| Egg, Yolk, Raw, Fresh | 1 Large (17g) | 0.46mg |
| Egg, Whole, Cooked, Fried | 1 Large (46g) | 0.87mg |
| Egg, Whole, Cooked, Poached | 1 Large (50g) | 0.88mg |
| Egg, Whole, Cooked, Scrambled | 1 Large (61g) | 0.80mg |
| Egg, Whole, Cooked, Scrambled | 1 Cup (220g) | 2.88mg |
| Egg, Whole, Cooked, Omelet | 1 Cup (240g) | 3.55mg |
Other Foods High In Iron
Most people are not going to eat a dozen or more eggs to obtain their recommended daily iron intake. Therefore, it is important to diversify with other iron-rich foods if you wish to consume adequate iron. Here are some examples of foods that are high in iron.
- Cooked beef or turkey(3 ounces) 2.1 milligrams
- Oysters approximately 2-3 mg per medium oyster
- Chickpeas 1.80 milligrams per 1/2 cup
- Raw spinach .81 milligrams in 1 cup (30 grams)
- Almonds 5.31 milligrams in 1 cup whole (143 grams)
- Tuna 2.38 milligrams per 1 can, drained (171g)
- Tofu 3.35 milligrams in a 1/2 cup raw, firm (126 grams)
- Broccoli .66 milligrams per 1 cup (91 g) chopped