How do I get iron?!
Answers: Im 14 and have been a vegetarian since I was born, and Im pretty sure I get enough protein, but what vegetarian foods provide a lot of iron? Or should I just get iron supplements?
Iron tablets, as Michael said, can cause constipation. So, be prepared for that inconvenience, if you decide to take them.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of iron for men is 10 milligrams. For women, it's 15 milligrams.
The best vegetable sources of iron (over 4.5 mg per 100 grams) are:
(The variations in amounts given are the result of different books giving different values for certain foods.)
amaranth (7.6 mg), enriched flour (4.6 mg), oats (3.7 to 4.7 mg), parsley (9.4 mg), peanuts (4.6 mg), quinoa (9.3 mg), soybeans (2.2 to 5.1 mg), sunflower seeds (2.0 to 4.6 mg), tofu (5.4 mg), wheat bran (10.6 to 12.0 mg).
Next best (between 2.0 and 4.5 mg per 100 g) are:
adzuki beans (2.0 mg), almonds (3.9 mg), apricots (dried) (3.1 mg), black beans (2.1 mg), bread (varying from about 2.0 to 3.5 mg, depending on the type), buckwheat (2.2 mg), chickpeas (1.35 to 2.9 mg), dandelion (3.1 mg), Jerusalem artichoke (3.4 mg), kasha (2.5 mg), lamb's-lettuce (2.2 mg), leek (2.1 mg), lentils (2.0 to 3.3 mg), lima beans (2.4 mg), pepitas (3.8 mg), prunes (dried) (2.5 mg), purslane (2.0 mg), red kidney beans (2.9 mg), rye (2.7 mg), sesame seeds (2.5 to 5.2 mg), sorrel (2.4 mg), spinach (2.71 to 3.2 mg), triticale (2.6 mg), wheat (3.5 mg), white beans (3.7 mg), wholewheat flour (3.9 mg), wild rice (2.0 mg).
Then comes (between 1.5 mg and 1.9 mg per 100 g):
arugula (rocket), blackcurrants, broad beans, cashews, chard, kale, olives, passionfruit, peas (green), raisins, rambutan, spring onion.
Other good sources (although the book I used doesn't give the amounts) include:
agar-agar, cocoa, dulse, gai-lohn (Chinese broccoli), kombu, spirulina, other seaweeds and other dried fruits.
A high milk intake can interfere with the body's ability to absorb iron. Caffeine and fizzy drinks also interfere with iron absorption.
Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron from food, so make sure you're getting plenty of vitamin C.
Cooking with iron pots and pans is supposed to add a trace of iron to food also.
raisins, beans of all sorts, a lot of green veggies like spinach and such. i am severely anemic and have also tried it all. talk to your doc too. you might want to take supplements so you don't become anemic.
Try the link below. I have some deficiencies in my diet and have found the site very useful for showing me nutrients in unexpected places.
get iron pills or take vitamins
...one time i went to the doctors and they said i needed more
iron and they gave me the option of taking iron pills or a drink with iron something like that or eat meat ....i didn't do either cuz i they said the pills are awful and i don't like eating meat cuz its disgusting in my opinion lol
I don't know what veggies provide Iron... but you should take supplements. You can also try to eat cereal as it contains a lot of iron. (whole grain cereal, preferably). To get protein, you need to eat alternatives such as nuts , and peanut butter, soya beans, soya drink, tofu, milk.
i am vegitarian too, there is a lot of iron in spinach particularly uncooked, other veggies that have iron are broccoli, asparagus, swiss chard, and brussel sprouts. beans are also a good source of iron kidney, black, pinto, lima beans and lentils. There are also iron fortified grains (cereals, bread, pasta and even rice) tofu has iron, along with nuts. As long as youre getting a good variety of these foods, you should be ok with your iron. Ive been to a nutritionist and i was fine with iron. the oly thing i was low on with a vegitarian diet was calcium so you might want to look into that hope this helps : )
Eat a varied diet heavy on fresh produce.
Iron supplements can cause constipation, especially in girls. Green vegetables, particularly the leafy kind will provide the iron you need. Spinach is high in iron. Raw is better, cooking will remove some of the iron and other nutrients. A salad a day keeps the anemia away.
eggs, prunes and prune juice, spinach and any dark green leafy veggies, dry beans/peas,
taking an iron supplement is never a bad idea....especially for women.
Have your blood checked by your Dr...
routinely....
broccoli, beat greens, brussels sprouts, and Popeye's favourite, spinach. Supplements are only for people who don't think they have the time to eat right or those whose bodies have conditions that do not allow the proper absorption of essential nutrients. Do you, or have you ever drank milk? Be it breast milk or formula, where do you think it is derived from? Conditioning has made you a vegan, nobody is born a vegan. Humans eat meat, plain and simple. I suggest you try to at least to eat some fish. Steamed of course!! All that fibre will make you too regular.
Just a question back to you...why do you think you are iron deficient? Or are you feeling fine and just think iron must be met from a daily value?
If you have been diagnosed as being anaemic or you feel exhausted, weak, withdrawn, etc. then I would say to eat nuts, beans, dark leafy greens, and maybe a supplement if you must. But you don't have to supplement unless you are feeling ill.
Anemia affects omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans at about the same rate, so don't fret.
More info below.
Some iron-rich vegetarian foods are black beans, bran flakes, cashews, Cream of Wheat, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), GrapeNuts, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, raisins, soybeans, soymilk, spinach, sunflower seeds, tofu, tomato juice, and whole wheat bread.
Hope this helps.
make yourself pickled beets and keep them in the fridge they last a long time add a few pieces along with fresh spinach leaves to your tossed salad. If you feel you still are not getting enough iron no harm in a good multi-vitamin.
Sources of Iron include: Bananas, Avocados, Pruens, Rasins, Peaches, Dates, Pistachio nuts, Almonds, Chickpeas, Parsley, Spinach, and Endive leaves.
Go for Indian great dishes full of iron and nuts of jamun
I donate blood on a regular basis and my iron is higher than most people who eat meat. I eat vegetarian (near vegan, sometimes I eat foods with trace amounts of dairy-so not quite).
1. Blackstrap molasses-eat a spoonful. It is a raw unsulfured version of molasses that contains VERY high mounts of potassium, calcium, and iron. It is a win-win for those hard to get nutrients. It tastes somewhat like black liquorice to me. But gulp the spoonful down and take a drink-its over.
2. This one may sound a little weird at first. If you eat fried foods, use a cast iron skillet. If you eat out of a teflon skillet and it chips and freys like they all do with time, where do you think the teflon goes? In your belly! So why not absorb a metal you can use?
3. Of course things like beans, raisins, seeds and so on.
Good Luck!