Five Fantastic Iron Rich Foods
Are you getting enough iron rich foods in your diet? Iron deficiency can cause all sorts of health issues, from fatigue to headaches. Also known as anaemia, a lack of iron is especially common in pregnant women, and can also affect those with coeliac disease. To avoid this along with your usual healthy snacks, you should try to incorporate some iron rich foods into your meals. Here are five fantastic iron rich foods, according to our nutritionist Lucy-Ann Prideaux.
Pistachio nuts
Of all the popular nut varieties, pistachios have the most iron, containing 14mg per 100g – nearly 4 times the amount of almonds, brazils or cashews. They are also a great source of protein, vitamin E, calcium and magnesium, making pistachios the ideal healthy snack.
Dulse
Dulse is a sea vegetable, harvested off the coast of Britain and Ireland. It is one of the richest plant sources of iron and is high in iodine and protein too. You can find it in most health food shops or online on sites such as Farmdrop.
Lentils
Lentils are not only a great source of protein, carbs and fibre; they are also surprisingly high in iron. A cooked 150g portion will supply 5mg iron, nearly ½ the daily requirements for men, and a 1/3rd of the requirements for women.
Blackstrap Molasses
After removal of the white crystals, the natural nutrients of the sugar cane are concentrated into this dark bittersweet treacle. Rich in iron (2 tbsp contain around 7mg iron) and other minerals, it’s a perfect natural sweetener.
We hope you enjoy making some healthy snacks and meals with these! Now you know more about these iron rich foods, try to add them to your shopping basket the next time you’re at the health food shop or supermarket.
Want to learn more about healthy eating? If you’d like to learn how to ensure you get enough nutrition on a plant based diet, read our blog post on Macronutrients. Then, once you’re got your head around the macro, you can learn more about the micro in our “What Are Micronutrients?” blog post.
Make sure you also buy a TREK bar today for a delicious, high protein snack that can keep you energised throughout the day!
