Above: I thought it was mint. It tasted like oregano. When you're primarily eating plants, everything in the yard starts to look edible. |
Meat-eaters often grill me on vegetarian nutrition. So, here's the 411 on IRON, which your body needs to support proper blood health. How's your iron intake?
Age | Males (mg/day) | Females (mg/day) | Pregnancy (mg/day) | Lactation (mg/day) |
---|---|---|---|---|
7 to 12 months | 11 | 11 | N/A | N/A |
1 to 3 years | 7 | 7 | N/A | N/A |
4 to 8 years | 10 | 10 | N/A | N/A |
9 to 13 years | 8 | 8 | N/A | N/A |
14 to 18 years | 11 | 15 | 27 | 10 |
19 to 50 years | 8 | 18 | 27 | 9 |
51+ years | 8 | 8 | N/A | N/A |
While flesh and organ meat are tremendous sources for iron, there are more than ample plant-based options. The National Institutes of Health recommend:
Food | Milligrams per serving | % DV* |
---|---|---|
Ready-to-eat cereal, 100% iron fortified, ¾ cup | 18.0 | 100 |
Oatmeal, instant, fortified, prepared with water, 1 cup | 10.0 | 60 |
Soybeans, mature, boiled, 1 cup | 8.8 | 50 |
Lentils, boiled, 1 cup | 6.6 | 35 |
Beans, kidney, mature, boiled, 1 cup | 5.2 | 25 |
Beans, lima, large, mature, boiled, 1 cup | 4.5 | 25 |
Beans, navy, mature, boiled, 1 cup | 4.5 | 25 |
Ready-to-eat cereal, 25% iron fortified, ¾ cup | 4.5 | 25 |
Beans, black, mature, boiled, 1 cup | 3.6 | 20 |
Beans, pinto, mature, boiled, 1 cup | 3.6 | 20 |
Molasses, blackstrap, 1 tablespoon | 3.5 | 20 |
Tofu, raw, firm, ½ cup | 3.4 | 20 |
Spinach, boiled, drained, ½ cup | 3.2 | 20 |
Spinach, canned, drained solids ½ cup | 2.5 | 10 |
Black-eyed peas (cowpeas), boiled, 1 cup | 1.8 | 10 |
Spinach, frozen, chopped, boiled ½ cup | 1.9 | 10 |
Grits, white, enriched, quick, prepared with water, 1 cup | 1.5 | 8 |
Raisins, seedless, packed, ½ cup | 1.5 | 8 |
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice | 0.9 | 6 |
White bread, enriched, 1 slice | 0.9 | 6 |
But don't forget about: spirulina (1 tsp): 5 mg, pumpkin seeds (1 ounce): 4.2 mg, quinoa (4 ounces): 4 mg, tomato paste (4 ounces): 3.9 mg, white beans (1/2 cup) 3.9 mg, dried peaches (6 halves): 3.1 mg, prune juice (8 ounces): 3 mg. Look at the plethora of options. Easy, diverse, and cruelty-free.
Here are some tips to get the most iron out of your food:
- Eat iron-rich foods along with foods that contain vitamin C, which helps the body absorb the iron.
- Tea and coffee contains compounds called polyphenols, which can bind with iron making it harder for our bodies to absorb it.
- Calcium also hinders the absorption of iron; avoid high-calcium foods for a half hour before or after eating iron-rich foods.
- Cook in iron pots. The acid in foods seems to pull some of the iron out of the cast-iron pots. Simmering acidic foods, such as tomato sauce, in an iron pot can increase the iron content of the brew more than ten-fold. Cooking foods containing other acids, such as vinegar, red wine, lemon or lime juice, in an iron pot can also increase the iron content of the final mixture.
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