Increasing your intake of iron rich foods should not be too difficult. All it takes is for you to know which of the foods you eat are rich in iron, and start planning your meals accordingly. Sadly, the extent of most people’s knowledge, when it comes to iron and iron rich foods, is limited.
Statistics show that as many as one in every four young women or 26% have trouble identifying iron rich foods. As a result, young women are more prone to having low iron levels. What is even more surprising is that only 40% of the young women interviewed knew that green vegetables are among the iron rich foods, whilst less than one in four pointed to liver as a good source of iron.
Here are some more statistics for you:
- Only 17% knew that reaching across the breakfast table and grabbing a box of fortified breakfast cereal is a smart move towards increasing iron intake.
- Only 12% correctly named the good old staple baked beans as a food rich in iron.
- Only 10% knew that boiled eggs are among the many iron rich foods.
- Only 9% named red meat as a good source of iron, even if one of the real power players in the iron world is actually red meat. As a rule, the darker the meat, the more iron it contains.
- Only 2% thought of dried figs as a significant iron source. In fact, just by snacking on four dried figs, you can get over a quarter of your daily iron fix in one hit!
Iron Rich Foods at a glance
It is important to ensure that you have iron rich foods as part of your daily diet. This step is vital, not just in guaranteeing your body’s optimum performance, but also in preventing diseases associated with iron deficiency.
With proper knowledge of what the iron rich foods are, you can easily meet your daily requirements for iron. Here is a list of iron rich foods at a glance.
- Red meats, such as beef, lamb, pork and offal, are iron rich foods. They contain heme iron—form of iron easily absorbed by the body.
- Poultry is a good source of iron. Since darker meat contains more iron, the leg part is richer in iron than the breast part.
- Fish contains some iron too. This holds particularly true with mollusks (mussels, etc.) and oily fishes.
- Other unknown iron rich foods are dried fruit, nuts, dark turkey meat and canned sardines.
Iron Rich Foods for Vegetarians:
Vegetarians may find it a challenge to meet their daily requirement for iron due to several factors. Vegetables, although they are iron rich foods, typically contain less iron than meat and other animal products.
It may be a challenge for vegetarians to meet their RDA (recommended daily allowance) for iron, but it is not impossible. Here are some facts on iron rich foods for vegetarians:
- Green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and kale, contain some iron.
- Salad vegetables (including tomatoes) contain vitamin C. Vitamin C help the body absorb iron from iron rich foods.
- Eating fresh fruit or drinking fruit juice with meals greatly improves iron absorption.
- Snack on nuts and dried fruit, especially apricots to increase iron intake.
Easy meals and snacks to boost your iron intake
You can boost your iron intake by including iron rich foods in your daily diet. The kind of food you eat and the way you prepare them can greatly affect your iron level. Load up on iron, while enjoying your iron rich foods, in these scrumptious menu ideas.
Iron Rich Breakfast Ideas:
- fortified breakfast cereal, such as whole wheat biscuits with semi-skimmed milk
- poached egg, baked beans, grilled tomato, two reduced-fat sausages, wholemeal toast
- a glass of orange or grapefruit juice with one of these breakfasts
Iron Rich Lunch Ideas:
- chicken salad (watercress, grilled lean chicken without the skin, tomatoes, raw grated carrot)
- sardines on wholemeal toast
- bean salad (chickpeas, red kidney beans, butter beans, onion, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cucumber, tomato)
- pita bread with houmous, red pepper and celery
- a glass of juice or a smoothie to go with one of these lunches
Iron Rich Dinner Ideas:
- beef or vegetable stir-fry
- low-fat grilled beef burger in a bun and oven chips
- spaghetti bolognese with lamb mince, peas and kidney beans (for a vegetarian option use soya mince and lentils)
- a glass of juice with the above or some fruit (fresh, frozen, tinned or dried) to follow
Iron Rich Snacks:
- almonds
- dried apricots or raisins
- small bar of dark chocolate
- slice of gingerbread cake
- small flapjack
Iron: an Absorbing Issue
Your body does not easily absorb the form of iron present in vegetables. This is why it is advisable that you eat meat, poultry or fish along with your green vegetables or beans to help in iron absorption. Not to mention that meat by itself is one of the many iron rich foods.
Another factor that affects iron absorption is intake of iron absorption enhancers. One of the known iron absorption enhancers is vitamin C. By including vitamin C with iron rich foods, you are maximizing the amount of iron absorbed by your body. Try a glass of orange juice with breakfast, a tomato salad at lunchtime and a piece of fruit with your evening meal. Fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C are perfect complement to iron rich foods.
If there are foods or drinks that enhance iron absorption from iron rich foods, there are also iron absorption inhibitors. Foods or drinks that fall on this category reduce the amount of iron absorbed by your body. Tea and coffee are known iron absorption inhibitors, and experts recommend that you do not take them with iron rich foods within a meal or 30 minutes after a meal.
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Helpful blog, bookmarked the website with hopes to read more!