Iron is one of the important nutrient that are body needs to make blood cells. The deficiency of iron leads anemia that reduces the hemoglobin number in the body. According to the various studies, women are found most with iron deficiency. In contrary they need more iron as compared to men. Because it supports healthy menstruation and delivery. All the women out their suffering from iron deficiency here is a list of best iron rich foods for you. Read more, list of foods rich in iron.
List of Iron Rich Foods:
1.) Liver – High in Iron
Liver is one of the best iron rich foods. It has approximately 23 mg iron. The most easily available liver is beef liver that has good content of the iron. Organic liver is better for health as compared to other. You do not have to eat beef in high amount in order to get the maximum iron. 100 grams of liver in a day is more than sufficient for you. It will make the deficiency of the iron. Liver is not only a good source of iron in fact it is packed with minerals like zinc, copper and phosphorus. You can add slices of the liver in your soup or can prepare a nice dish including liver.
2.) Soybeans- Rich Source of Iron
If you are a vegetarian, then you must consume soybean to make the iron deficiency. It has almost 15.7 mg of iron. The raw consume is much beneficial since it has highest content of the iron. However, soybean that is made into the tempeh or tofu have less amount of iron i.e. 3-5 mg. So, it is better to consume the raw form. Well, soybean is not only one of the iron rich foods, it is also packed with other nutrients such as proteins and fibre also. As said above you should consume the raw form of soybean to get most out of it. Nevertheless, adding chunks of soybeans to soup is also a good idea.
3.) Dark Chocolates Iron Rich Foods
Next in the list of iron rich foods we have, dark chocolates. Who does not like chocolates but there will only few who prefer the dark ones. Ones who like to have dark chocolates never fall short of iron since it is top source of iron. It contains approximately 11.9 mg iron. Most of the dark chocolates have some amount of cocoa that reduces the amount of iron in it. So, chose the dark chocolate wisely that is pure and has maximum amount of iron in it. You can add dark chocolates into milk, if you find it too strong or can have a single bar of dark chocolate. Apart from the iron content dark chocolates have antioxidants that are good for health. In addition to this, they have a good amount of sugar that is another addition to its benefits.
4.) Oysters- High in Iron
Ousters are known to be an aphrodisiac but are rich source of iron as well. To be on safe side in terms of nutrients it is best to consume farm raised oysters as compared to the wild caught. They are good source of proteins and minerals like amino acids and zinc as well. It is believed that the amount of amino acids it has helps to raise the sex hormones. As far as eating tips are concerned you can prepare a stew or chowders out of them. Or can simply have it in the raw form.
5.) Spinach-Foods Highest in Iron
Nothing can be better than green leafy vegetables. They are wholesome of all the nutrients like iron. And spinach is no less than other food high in iron. It has 3.5 mg iron. That is sufficient for the daily requirements. It keeps the body alkaline. In addition, it is packed with the antioxidants that boost the immunity system. And is best source of iron. Moreover, it has a bundle of phytochemicals. To conclude it is one of the healthy foods. Thus, you should definitely include this in your diet.
Though you cannot eat it in the raw form, but you can prepare delicious spinach curries or can add it in your bread and smoothies.
6.) Lentils- Foods Highest in Iron
Next in our list of foods rich in iron is lentils. They are packed with a generous amount of iron i.e. 3.3 mg and fiber as well. In addition to this, lentils are good for stomach as it is easily digested and dies not leads flatulence or gastric problems. To add more to its benefits, you should consume lentils with beef or chicken breast. It will raise the nutrient level in the body. To get most out of it buy lentils in bulk and then boil them before consuming. Lentils that are available in the can do not have a great amount of iron thus you should avoid consuming it. You can simply add lentils in your soup.
7.) Olives- Top Iron Rich Foods
Olives are also good source of iron. They contain 3.3 mg iron that is quite a fair content, isn’t it? There are various types of olives available in the market. However, look for ones that have a high amount of the iron. Moreover, do not get allure with the fancy names of the olives, since they high amount of fat and negligible amount of iron. So be wise while choosing olives for yourself. Olives have fiber and monosaturated fat that is considered to be a good fat. Thus, you must include it in your diet. You can add some olives into your salad, soup or pasta also.
8.) Pumpkin Seeds- Iron Rich Foods for Vegetarians
Pumpkin is one of the best healthy foods available to vegetarians since it is packed with wholesome of the nutrients like vitamins, proteins and omega -3s. In addition to this pumpkin seeds also have tryptophan that calms down your body and gives a sound sleep. Moreover, it also contains zinc and magnesium that is good for the prostate and heart. It has 3.3 mg iron that is quite enough for well being. You can prepare tasty snacks with it or can also have it in the raw form early in the morning with a glass of water. If you don’t like any of the above alternative, then simply sprinkle some seeds over your favorite salad or use them to garnish your soup or any dish.
9.) Beef- Foods High in Iron
This might be not a good alternative for vegetarians but for vegetarians it is one of the best iron rich foods. It has 2.9 mg of iron content that is fairly enough to make up the lacking content. In addition to this beef is a wonderful source of other nutrients like vitamins, minerals like potassium and magnesium that is quite essential for the body to function properly. However, it has saturated fat that is not good for the health. So, you need to consume it occasionally. Beef is one of the versatile meets that can be used to make numerous recipes.
10.) Asparagus- Rich Source of Iron
Asparagus has 2.1 mg of iron content that is decent amount if consumed regularly to meet the deficiency. Apart from this it is a good source of the vitamin A and C that are also powerful antioxidants as well. It is good for immune system and eyes as well. In addition, it gives a good amount of the fiber to body as well that makes it one of the healthy foods. As far as eating is concern you can add to your vegetable soup or salads. If eaten fresh it tastes good and gives crispy flavor.
11.) Chicken Breast- Rich Source of Iron
Most of the vegetarians prefer chicken. But do you know the breast of the chicken is more nutritious? It has 1.1 mg of iron that is quite decent amount to make up for the depleting iron content in the body. It is not only a fair source of the iron, in fact it is a good source of the protein. That is the reason why most of the body builders prefer chicken breast in their diet. The best thing is, it is easily available in the supermarkets and therefore you can consume it wisely. You can prepare different dishes of chicken breast. Though it will not give you a much amount of iron but whatever it gives that is quite sufficient.
12.) Broccoli- Iron Rich Foods for vegetarians
Broccoli is one of the easily available and most consumed vegetable. It has 0.7 mg iron content that reasonably but if consumed on the daily basis it works amazing to build the iron level in your body. Another advantage of broccoli is, it has fiber that makes the food easy to digest and keeps the stomach infections, constipation at the bay. Not only this it has a fair number of vitamins also. It is a good source of vitamin C thus it will accomplish your vitamin C needs also. In addition to this, broccoli is a good source of protein as well. You can prepare several dishes with broccoli from curries, to adding it in the pastas and pizzas it can be used in many ways.
