Walnuts contain 3.1 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 125 grams.
- 1 tbsp equals 7 grams.
In the category of nuts and seeds, we included whole nut and seed products in the Top 10 list. 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:
Walnuts, black, dried
Read more about iron in nuts and seeds or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Walnuts and Iron
Walnuts are a good source of iron. In one cup of walnuts there is enough iron to provide a woman with about twenty percent of her daily recommended iron. Walnuts in snacks or toasted and added to salads can help chip away at an iron deficiency.
One caution with walnuts that applies to all nuts and seeds is that walnuts contain a potent iron inhibitor called phytic acid which reduces your absorption of all that iron. You can reduce the phytic acid in walnuts by toasting them and, to some degree, by sprouting them. If you do rely on walnuts and other nuts and seeds for your dietary iron, consider following some of the soaking and dehydrating strategies we outline on this website and in the Iron Rich Foods book.
For more information on the iron content of some of your other favorite foods, explore foods on this site by food group or use the search function to examine less commonly consumed foods.