Tomato sauce contains 1.0 milligrams of iron per 100 grams. Grams is a measure of weight. To put 100 grams in perspective, consider alternative measures for this food:
- 1 cup equals 245 grams.
In the category of vegetables, we included whole vegetable products in the Top 10 list. We excluded dried/dehydrated products from the Top 10. You will find some dehydrated vegetables high in iron per 100 grams,but they tend to be far more volume than anyone would consume. Furthermore, foods may be fortified with iron but are not included in this Top 10 list. The food tested for the particular graph below can be described more specifically as:
Tomato products, canned, sauce
Read more about iron in vegetables or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Vegetables typically are not a good iron source. Those vegetables that do have a lot of iron also are more likely to be high in
iron inhibitors, making it difficult to take in a large amount of iron from the vegetable itself.
Nonetheless, even a vegetable with very little iron can play a substantial part in your ability to absorb iron. Vegetables can be high in vitamin C and vitamin C can help you digest the iron better in non-meat food items; tomato sauce is a medium source of vitamin C.
For example, you may wish to include vine ripened tomatoes and green peppers with a grain-based entree or with a bean recipe to improve your metabolism of the iron in your meal as a whole. A fresh orange treat with your dinner would also help because of the fruit’s content of vitamin C. A glass of fruit juice is also a good plan.