Pregnancy nutrition
Iron-rich foods for pregnancy
The pregnancy RDA for iron is 27 mg a day, up from 18 mg. These foods carry the most per serving.
18 mgFortified breakfast cereal
1 servingFortified67% of daily target
8 mgOysters, cooked
3 oz30% of daily target
8 mgWhite beans, canned
1 cup30% of daily target
3 mgLentils, boiled
½ cup11% of daily target
3 mgSpinach, boiled
½ cup11% of daily target
3 mgTofu, firm
½ cup11% of daily target
2 mgBeef, braised bottom round
3 oz7% of daily target
2 mgChickpeas, boiled
½ cup7% of daily target
Per serving. % of the 27 mg pregnancy RDA.
Pair plant iron with vitamin C
Beans, greens and fortified cereal carry nonheme iron. Vitamin C in the same meal, like peppers, citrus or strawberries, helps it absorb.
Meat and fish help too
Meat, poultry and seafood carry heme iron and also help the body absorb the nonheme iron in the rest of the meal.
Space out calcium and iron pills
Calcium can lower how much iron you absorb. Ask your care team about taking them at different times of day. The upper limit for iron is 45 mg a day.
Keep going
In the Alma app
Pregnancy nutrition, set up for you.
- Choose Pregnancy nutrition as your goal.
- Alma turns calorie counting off by default and applies pregnancy nutrient targets.
- Caffeine starts at a 200 mg daily default.
- Alma’s coach never suggests fasting or a calorie deficit.
Questions
What people ask
How much iron is needed in pregnancy?
The RDA is 27 mg a day during pregnancy, compared with 18 mg for nonpregnant women aged 19 to 50. The tolerable upper intake level is 45 mg a day.
Which foods have the most iron?
Fortified breakfast cereals (18 mg in some brands), cooked oysters (8 mg per 3 oz) and canned white beans (8 mg per cup) top the NIH list. Beef liver is also high but is very high in vitamin A, so it is left off this board.
Does a prenatal vitamin cover iron?
Many prenatal vitamins contain iron, and amounts vary by brand. Blood tests during pregnancy check iron status, and your care team decides whether extra iron is needed.
Sources
Written by Alma from the primary sources below and reviewed November 13, 2026. Food amounts are from the NIH ODS iron food table. Beef liver is left off because of its vitamin A content. This is general information, not medical advice. Your care team knows your pregnancy, so check questions with them. Editorial standards
Eat well for two, without the guesswork.
Alma tracks iron in every meal you log by photo, voice or text, against your pregnancy target.