Different food contains different levels of nutrients like some are rich in protein, some in vitamins, some in calcium or some foods rich in iron so the amount and type of nutrient we consume from our intake of food is important. Often people suffer from lack of nutrients which results in further problems.
Lack of iron leads to many diseases like anemia. Some iron rich foods list is meat (lamb, turkey, chicken, pork, eggs), seafood (shrimp, clams, scallops, oysters, tuna), bread & cereals (white bread, whole wheat bread, enriched pasta, wheat products, bran cereals, corn & oatmeal, rye breads, enriched rice), fruits (dried peaches & apricot, prunes, figs, dates, raisins, watermelon, strawberries), vegetables (spinach, sweet potatoes, peas, broccoli, string beans, beet greens, dandelion greens), beans & other foods (tofu, kidney beans, tomato products, dried peas, lentils, molasses).
Food has Two Types of Iron:-
heme iron (form of iron that is most readily absorbed from our stomach and taken up into our body after we eat it) and non-heme iron (form of iron which is good to eat but the iron contained in these foods won’t be absorbed as completely as heme iron). Heme irons are found in meat, fish and poultry whereas non-heme iron is found in plant food as well as in meat. Our body absorbs 30% of heme iron found only in animal tissues (meat, fish and poultry) and our body absorbs just 2-10% of non-heme iron found in plant as well as in meat. Foods high in Vitamin C, like tomatoes, citrus fruits and red, yellow and orange bell-peppers can also help with the absorption of non-heme iron.
Following are the best 15 iron rich foods which both vegetarians and non-vegetarians can try out according to their preference. The iron food list is below.
1. Oatmeal:
It’s easy to cook and is available in pre-cooked or dried form. It is commonly used in foods like meat loaf (as an extender), breads, muffins, cookies, granola, muesli, stuffing but it is most widely used as hot cooked cereal (porridge). This oatmeal containing foods rich in iron.
2. Broccoli:
It belongs to cabbage family whose large flower head is used as a vegetable. It contains 0.73mg of iron per 100g. Broccoli is often boiled or steamed but many eat it even as raw with other vegetable salads. Broccoli recipe includes dishes like broccoli Manchurian, broccoli chicken in soy sauce, cabbage broccoli carrot pea’s poriyal, potato broccoli fry, broccoli usili, broccoli stir fry, broccoli dalcha, everyday salad etc. Finally the combination of broccoli foods rich in iron. Actually the broccoli food rich in iron.
Read More: Broccoli Benefits And Uses For Hair, Skin And Health
3. Dates:
Dates provide a wide range of essential nutrients and are a very good rich source of iron. The ripen dates are deep dark brown in color, tender skin, sweet flavor, small seed and remains in good condition even when they are packed half ripen. They are usually chopped and are used in a range of sweet and savory dishes. It contains 1.02 mg of iron per 100 g. It is rich sources of iron.
See More: Sources Of Vitamin A
4. Lentils:
Lentils are an important part of human diet. Lentils contain 7.54 mg of iron source per 100 g. They vary in sizes, colors and are sold in many forms, with or without the skin, whole or split. Rice and lentils are cooked together in khichdi, a popular dish in Indian subcontinent. Lentil casserole, lentil cakes, lentil salads, lentil stew with winter vegetable, banana lentil muffin, lentil soup are other lentil used famous dishes. It is one of the best iron rich food.
5. Peas:
It contains 1.47 mg of iron per 100 g. Generally green peas (raw) are used for cooking but its dried form i.e yellow split peas are also used for cooking which contains more amount of iron (4 mg per 100 g). Peas are used in pot pies, salads, casseroles, stir-fried dishes. In India it is used in cooking various recipes like pulao, aloo matar, matar paneer, soups etc. This is best iron food.
See More: Foods Rich In Fibre
6. Kidney Beans:
These popular kidney shaped beans are especially good in simmered dishes where they absorb the flavors of seasonings and the other foods they are cooked along. It contains 21 mg of iron per 100g. Some of the famous dishes are rajma (kidney beans) chawal, kidney beans burger patty, kidney beans curry, sweet kidney beans dumplings. Kidney bean-walnut burgers, pasta red kidney beans soup, bean burrito etc. From the above in which food contains iron, finally the answer says all foods items rich in iron.
7. Spinach:
Spinach leaves are not only appealing to the eyes but more nourishing as well. It can be used to make salads and other recipes like poached egg over spinach & mushrooms, Mediterranean baby spinach, warm spinach with tuna, Indian style lentils golden spinach and sweet potato sauté all are iron rich foods.
8. Sweet Potatoes:
Some nutritional benefits from sweet potatoes simply may not be achievable unless they are steamed or boiled. Few recipes of sweet potatoes are baked sweet potato, sweet potato fries, roasted sweet potato, stir-fried, steamed sweet potato with broccoli & tofu, sweet potato puree with banana, black bean burrito, Indian style lamb with sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, yams with ginger and cinnamon, braised kidney beans & sweet potato, curried mustard greens & Garbanzo beans with sweet potato etc. One of the best sources of iron is sweet potato.
9. Tomato:
Tomato is used in all the dishes are it simply soup to curries or can be eaten as raw. Few tomato dishes are Italian tomato cheese salads, various chutneys and sauces. One of the iron food sources is tomato which also contains citric acid and contains vitamin c.
10. Eggs:
Eggs are an easy form to get the entire important nutrient. Few egg used dishes are egg curries, boiled egg salad, crumbled eggs etc.
11. Tuna:
Fishes are an important source of nutrients and they are easily available. Few tuna used dishes are Italian tuna balls, spicy tuna crispy rice cakes, tuna salad, grilled salt & pepper tuna, Greek tuna steaks, tuna patties etc. the list of foods high in iron after chicken. Tuna Fish is one of the iron content foods and it contains omega 3 fatty acids.
See More: Potassium Rich Foods
12. Shrimp:
Shrimp is more or like similar to prawns. It is very easy to cook and they are iron containing food . Some of the shrimp dishes are Thai lemon shrimp, Vietnamese caramel shrimp, breaded shrimp, garlic baked shrimp, sautéed shrimp etc. These all are iron containing foods.
13. Chicken:
Chicken is the best source of food containing iron which actually provides broad nutrient support. It can be cooked in various ways like chicken salads, chicken masala, chicken with Parmesan cheese, chicken stir-fry, garlic chicken, tandoori chicken, kebabs, chicken curries etc,these all are very good iron rich foods.
14. Lamb:
After chicken lamb is another good source of getting heme iron in food of our diet. Few lamb dishes include lamp chops, lamp curry, lamb korma, nishari (lamb stew), lamb leg soup etc.
15. Strawberries:
It is the best way to get iron in your diet as they are easily absorbed by our body. Cakes, truffles, tart, milkshakes, strawberry cheese cake, strawberry and banana smoothie etc all are the dishes everyone loves to try the above all food items iron rich foods. the above fruits containing iron rich.
Iron rich foods lists are available easily in markets ans some them are very low cost ,some of them are little high but both type of foods rich in iron, which is very useful to your body and healthy also.
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