Apricots are a useful plant source of iron, but the amount you get depends a lot on whether you're eating them fresh or dried. Drying concentrates the fruit's nutrients, so dried apricots contain far more iron per gram than fresh ones. This calculator helps you convert any apricot serving — grams, ounces, or cups — into milligrams of iron and a percentage of the adult Daily Value.
Choose dried or fresh apricots, enter your portion, and press Calculate. You'll see the exact iron amount, its share of an 18 mg reference intake, and a clear breakdown of the math. This is useful for anyone tracking micronutrients, following a plant-based diet, planning iron-rich snacks, or simply curious about how apricots fit into a balanced eating plan.
🍑 Apricot Serving Details
Preset fills the amount field in grams; choose the grams unit.
Quick Start: How to Use This Calculator
Using the apricot iron calculator only takes a few steps:
- Choose Dried apricots or Fresh apricots from the first dropdown.
- Enter how much apricot you plan to eat — either by weight in grams or ounces, or by volume in cups.
- Select the matching unit, then press Calculate iron.
- Read the main result in milligrams of iron and as a percentage of the 18 mg Daily Value. The breakdown also shows the gram conversion and the iron value per 100 g.
The preset tiles give you common serving sizes so you don't need to weigh anything — tap one to fill the form automatically.
The Math Behind the Iron Calculation
Most nutrition databases list iron per 100 grams of food. This calculator uses the standard USDA values for dried apricots and raw apricots, then scales them to your serving size:
Iron (mg) = (serving grams ÷ 100) × iron per 100 g
For example, one ounce of dried apricots is 28.35 g. Since dried apricots contain about 2.66 mg of iron per 100 g, the calculation is:
- Serving in grams: 28.35 g
- Iron = (28.35 ÷ 100) × 2.66 = 0.75 mg
- Percentage of Daily Value = 0.75 ÷ 18 × 100 = 4.2% DV
Cup measurements are converted using a standard cup weight of about 130 g for dried apricot halves and 165 g for fresh sliced apricots. These values are practical averages; if you weigh your portion, grams are always the most accurate unit.
Apricot Iron Reference Table
The table below compares common apricot portions. DV percentages are based on an 18 mg daily reference intake for adults.
| Apricot form | Serving | Iron | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried apricots | 100 g (about ¾ cup halves) | 2.66 mg | 14.8% |
| Dried apricots | 1 oz (28.35 g) | 0.75 mg | 4.2% |
| Dried apricots | 5 halves (about 17 g) | 0.45 mg | 2.5% |
| Fresh apricots | 100 g (about 2–3 fruit) | 0.39 mg | 2.2% |
| Fresh apricots | 1 cup sliced (165 g) | 0.64 mg | 3.6% |
Note that the actual iron can vary with variety, soil, and drying process, so treat these as reliable averages rather than lab measurements of your exact bag.
Tips for Better Iron Absorption
Iron from plant foods like apricots is non-heme iron, which the body absorbs less efficiently than the heme iron in meat. You can improve absorption with a few simple habits:
- Pair apricots with vitamin C: oranges, kiwi, strawberries, tomatoes, or a squeeze of lemon.
- Skip coffee or tea right at the meal — tannins and caffeine can lower iron absorption.
- If you take calcium supplements, take them at a different time than your iron-rich snack.
- Space high-phytate foods like bran cereal or unsoaked beans away from the apricot you eat.
Quick pairing tip: a handful of dried apricots with a small orange or a few strawberries provides around 1 mg of plant iron plus a healthy dose of vitamin C to help your body use it.
Common Questions About Apricot Iron
Are dried apricots really that much higher in iron than fresh ones? Yes. Drying removes water and concentrates nutrients, so iron jumps from about 0.39 mg per 100 g in raw fruit to about 2.66 mg per 100 g in dried halves. That's why dried apricots are often recommended as a portable plant-based iron source.
Can apricots help with iron deficiency? They can contribute to daily iron intake, especially when eaten alongside vitamin C and as part of a varied diet containing other iron-rich foods such as leafy greens, legumes, and fortified grains. They are not a substitute for medical treatment of diagnosed anemia.
Do all dried apricots have the same iron content? No. The USDA values used here are for sulfured, unsweetened dried apricots. Organic, sun-dried, or specialty varieties can differ slightly. Always check the package nutrition label when precise numbers matter.
What is the Daily Value for iron? The 18 mg DV used here is the FDA adult reference value. Needs can be higher during pregnancy or for people with heavy menstrual bleeding and lower for young children, so individual targets vary.
Real-World Uses for This Tool
This calculator fits naturally into everyday nutrition tracking. Athletes planning iron-rich snacks, vegetarians and vegans checking their micronutrient intake, parents building school lunches, and anyone using a food diary can convert a handful of apricots into exact numbers. You can also pair it with other food calculators to build a fuller picture of your daily iron intake — for example, compare apricots with watercress iron calculator if you like adding leafy greens to meals.