This article has been updated by Michelle Saari, MS RD, on April 3, 2025 with the most up to date information available.
Iron is an essential mineral, but did you know that many people don’t get enough in their diet? Iron fortified cereal is the perfect way to make sure that you get enough iron everyday! As a Registered Dietitian these are the top 25 high iron cereals with the highest amount of iron.
Why is Iron Important?
Iron is an essential nutrient that we need to help our bodies:
- Produce red blood cells
- Move oxygen throughout our blood system
- Increase energy
- Reduce fatigue and weakness due to anemia (low iron in our blood)
Benefits of Iron
If you’ve ever had a blood test and heard you have low iron you’ll notice because you likely feel extra tired. But when you start meeting your daily iron requirements you’ll feel your energy boosted!
This is why high iron cereals are the perfect and easy way to increase your iron levels quickly and daily.
Heme Iron vs. Non-Heme Iron
There are two different types of iron that you can eat. Heme iron comes from natural sources such as meat, seafood and poultry. Non-heme iron is found in plant sources. The type of iron in high iron cereals is non-heme iron because it is not a meat or seafood source.
Both are beneficial and both can raise our iron levels. So getting non-heme iron from iron rich cereals will still increase your levels and boost your energy! The best way to increase the absorption of iron in our blood is to have it with a Vitamin C rich food. This can include a glass or orange juices, an orange, grapefruit or other citrus rich fruits. See below for more ideas.
How Much Iron Do You Need?
The amount of iron someone needs depends on their age, sex, and lifestage. Below are the current general recommendations for iron recommendations daily.
| Age | Male | Female |
| Birth to 6 Months | 0.27 mg | 0.27 mg |
| 7-12 Months | 11 mg | 11 mg |
| 1-3 Years | 7 mg | 7 mg |
| 4-8 Years | 10 mg | 10 mg |
| 9-13 Years | 8 mg | 8 mg |
| 14-18 Years | 11 mg | 15 mg |
| 19-50 Years | 8 mg | 18 mg |
| 51+ Years | 8 mg | 8 mg |
Top 26 High Iron Cereals
Most cereals are fortified with iron these days, choosing the right one will vary based on your taste preference and how much iron you need. But to be considered a high iron cereal look for one that has at least 30% iron, 15% is considered a high source of iron.
When choosing the right cereal for you, take into account your personal health conditions. If you need high fiber, low sugar, or are calorie conscious, look at the nutrition label. If you have questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
18.6 mg of iron (100%) per 6 tablespoon serving, 240 calories.
18 mg of iron (100%) per 1 ⅓ cup serving, 150 calories.
18 mg of iron (100%) per 1 ⅓ cup serving, 210 calories.
18 mg of iron (100%) per 1 cup serving, 140 calories.
Moms Best Cereal Blueberry Wheatfuls
16.8 mg of iron (90%) per 21 biscuits, 210 calories.
Great Grains Banana Nut Crunch Cereal
16.5 mg of iron (90%) per 1 cup serving, 230 calories.
Quaker Oatmeal Brown Sugar Squares
16.3 mg of iron (90%) per 1 cup serving, 210 calories.
Maple Cinnamon Cheerios Heart Nut Medley
16.2 mg of iron (90%) per 1 cup serving, 210 calories.
Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds
16.2 mg of iron (90%) per 1 cup serving, 170 calories.
Cheerios Oat Crunch, Oats n’ Honey
16.2 mg of iron (90%) per 1 cup serving, 220 calories.
16.2 mg of iron (90%) per ½ cup serving, 200 calories.
Cheerios Veggie Blends, Apple Strawberry
12.6 mg of iron (70%) per 1 ¼ cup serving, 170 calories.
12 mg of iron (60%) per 100 gram serving, 362 calories.
12 mg of iron (60%) per 1 ½ cup serving, 150 calories.
11.2 mg of iron (60%) per 1 cup serving, 160 calories.
11.2 mg or iron (60%) per 1 ½ cup serving, 150 calories.
11.2 mg of iron (60%) per 1 cup serving, 160 calories.
10.8 mg of iron (60%) per 1 cup serving, 140 calories.
Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal
10.8 mg of iron (60%) per 1 cup serving, 150 calories.
Cranberry Almond Crunch Cereal
8.5 mg of iron (47%) per 1 cup serving, 240 calories.
7.5 mg of iron (47%) per 1 cup serving, 180 calories.
7.5 mg of iron (47%) per 1 cup serving, 230 calories.
7.5 mg of iron (47%) per 1 cup serving, 200 calories.
7.2 mg of iron (40%) per 1 cup serving, 160 calories.
Vector High Protein Maple Crunch Cereal
6 mg of iron (33%) per 1 cup serving, 160 calories.
5.0 mg of iron (28%) per 1 ¼ cup serving, 213 calories.
My Top 6 High Iron Cereal Choices
As a Registered Dietitian these are my top choices which high in iron cereal to pick!
#1 Cream of Wheat
This high iron cereal is on top of the list for a good reason, it has 18.6 milligrams of iron per serving!
The perfect thing about cream of wheat is you can add so much to make it a full complete meal! Try adding in:
- Peanut butter for extra protein
- Chopped strawberries and pineapple for extra fiber and vitamin C
- Crushed walnuts for more protein and omega-3 fatty acids
All of these components will help increase iron absorption and provide additional nutrients.
#2 Multigrain Cheerios
Offering 18 milligrams of iron per serving makes this cereal is the ideal snack choice.
Multigrain Cheerios offers the slightest hint of sweetness in comparison to plain Cheerios. So if you’re looking for just a little bit more flavour, then this is the type to try!
I love chopping up some bananas, 2% milk, and chopped up raspberries. It is a delicious mid afternoon snack if you need one.
#3 Vanilla Spice Cheerios
Another cereal that provides 18 milligrams of iron per serving! Your whole days serving in 1 bowl of cereal.
If you haven’t tried this new version of Cheerios then I highly recommend giving it a try! Surprisingly it is relatively low in added sugar with only 6 grams per serving.
If you want to reduce the amount of sugar, you can mix half Classic Cheerios with this version. Eating this alone with milk is a good enough snack for me!
#4 Oatmeal Squares
With 16.5 milligrams of iron per serving it offers almost your daily total, and it is incredibly filling. So if Cheerios aren’t quite your favourite, than I’d give this one a try.
It is very crunchy which makes it all the more satisfying as a breakfast or as a snack to chew on throughout the day.
#5 Honey Bunches of Oats
At 16.2 milligrams of iron per serving, Honey Bunches of Oats offers a delicious sweet flavour. It has a mixture of crunchy granola and flakey cereal. It gives a combination of crunch and sweetness in each bite.
I personally love this one, but if you want to look at other versions of honey bunches of oats they have a wide variety of options now!
#6 Cheerios Oat Crunch
If you want some healthy smoothie recipes, try these ones!
If I could pick my personal favourite out of all of these, THIS would be it!
At 16.2 milligrams of iron per serving, I have never loved the flavour of a cereal more than this one. While it doesn’t offer 100% of your daily iron recommendations, it is easily the best tasting one.
Give this cereal a try and I am sure you will love it too!
How to Increase Iron Absorption from Cereal
Vitamin C plays a key role in enhancing the absorption of non-heme iron found in cereals. Pairing your breakfast with fruits like oranges, strawberries, kiwi, or bell peppers can significantly improve how much iron your body takes in. On the other hand, tea and coffee contain tannins that can block iron absorption, so it’s best to avoid them during meals rich in iron.
Adding iron-rich toppings to your cereal is another easy way to boost intake. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds, nuts, or dried fruits like raisins and apricots for an extra dose of iron. If you prefer hot cereals like oatmeal or Cream of Wheat, cooking them in an iron skillet can slightly increase their iron content, making your breakfast even more beneficial.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to up your iron levels then grab your favourite bowl of high iron cereal and a source of vitamin c and enjoy! Adding into your diet other sources of iron from a variety of meat, seafood, poultry and plant foods can help increase your energy levels and boost your red blood cells!
What are some of your favourite high iron cereals from the list? Drop them in the comments!
Michelle Saari is a Registered Dietitian based in Canada. She has a Master's Degree in Human Nutritional Sciences and is a passionate advocate for spreading easy to understand, reliable, and trustworthy nutrition information. She is currently a full time online entrepreneur with two nutrition focused websites.
Does taking a iron pill lower your iron even when taken with vitamin c
Taking an iron pill should increase your iron levels. Vitamin C in addition to Iron at the same time helps to increase the absorption of iron!
The information about iron rich food related is really helpful for us. Subscribed your blog.
Hi Michelle and/or editor, I notice a discrepancy regarding the iron content in Vanilla Spice Cheerios. According to your article, a 1 1/3 cups serving can provide 100% of the recommended daily iron intake; however, when I look at the website for Vanilla Spice Cheerios (https://www.cheerios.ca/products/vanilla-spice-cheerios/), it states that 1 cup provides only 4 grams of iron. I don’t know which is right, but readers should be aware of the discrepancy.
Hi Tim,
Thank you for the comment. I’m not sure about the discrepancy between websites, but here is the nutrition facts panel that has the information that 1 1/3 cups of the Vanilla Spice Cheerios has 18 mg of Iron. I hope this answered your question!
https://www.cheerios.com/products/vanilla-spice-cheerios
I was told that you should not take iron or eat iron rich foods with any milk products since they both compete for the same receptors. How will you get the iron you need with iron rich cereals if you have it with milk?
Hi Aashi,
That’s a great question, thanks for asking!
While milk can decrease the absorption of iron in theory, studies have actually found that it doesn’t decrease the absorption. If you want to increase your chance of increasing absorption then I recommend pairing some source of Vitamin C with it. This could be some type of citrus fruit and orange juice. Vitamin C rich foods/drinks increase the absorption of Iron, so pairing them together helps!
I hope that answers your question.