Iron Rich Foods For Vegetarian & Non Vegetarians

The iron is the vital mineral whose main function is to raise the level of haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin is the blood protein that gives colour to the RBCs and supplies the oxygen to every part of the body. If someone has too low a level of haemoglobin then he can become anaemic. Therefore it is necessary to eat iron rich vegetarian foods to maintain the optimum level of HB in the blood. It is important to note the symptoms of iron deficiency before it starts affecting the production of red blood cells.

Here are the symptoms of iron deficiency -:

• Trouble in breathing
• Excessive fatigue
• Feeling dizzy
• Frequent headaches
• The pale colour of the face
• Weakness during menstruation
• Irregular heartbeat

If you are also experiencing the above health problems then you should get the haemoglobin test done and should consider iron-rich foods in your diet plan. There are plenty of veg and non-veg foods which can fill the iron needs of your body.

But anaemic people need to take iron supplements in addition to an iron-rich diet to stay healthy and to increase the number of red blood cells.

Here is the list of iron rich foods

7 Animal meat-based Iron-Rich Foods

These are also known as heme sources of iron. Heme means those foods in which iron is readily available to absorb.

• Beef -:
  Beef meat is an abundant source of iron. It consists of 5.5mg of iron per 100 gram. This meat is also rich in zinc, selenium and several other minerals and vitamins.
• Shellfish -:
  This is another good source of heme iron. It consists of around 9.2mg iron per 100 gm. Generally, all types of shellfish have high iron content in them, but Oysters are the best among them.
• Tuna -:
  Tuna fish is rich in heme iron. Every 100 gm of tuna meat consists of around 2mg of iron. In addition to this, it is filled with plenty of vitamin B and potassium.
• Lamb -:
  Eating Lamb meat is good for iron-deficient persons. Every 100gm of it consists of 1.9mg of iron content. But it is also rich in saturated fats, which is not good for those whose cholesterol levels are high.
• Turkey -:
  It is an important source of highly bioavailable iron, especially dark turkey meat. Every 100gm of dark turkey meat contains 4mg of iron. Also, it’s rich in niacin and selenium. Subway’s Turkey sandwiches are very popular among people, which are rich in iron, protein, fat and protein.
• Sea Bass -:
  Every 100gm of sea bass contains around 1mg of iron, you can also consider this to increase your haemoglobin level. It also provides calcium, vitamin B12 and protein to our body.
• Trout -:
  It is also a valuable source of iron. It contains 1 mg iron per 100 gm. Also, it provides you with a sufficient amount of vitamin D, calcium and fatty acids (such as omega3).

Iron rich foods vegetarian -:

These are the sources of nonheme iron. And this type of iron is less absorbed by the human body. You should take vitamin C rich foods for the consumption of non-heme iron. Following is the list of iron rich vegetarian foods.

• Tofu -:
  Soya based Tofu is a good source of iron for vegetarians. Every 100 gm of Tofu has 3mg of iron content. It’s also rich in protein, calcium, magnesium and several other minerals. It is made by coagulating the soya milk.
• Whole-grain foods -:
  Whole-grain foods such as whole wheat bread, cornmeal, oat cereal etc, are high in iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Whole wheat products should be taken in breakfast to keep iron level up to the mark.

• Green Peas -:
  Green peas are loaded with iron, every 100gm of green peas consist of 1.4 gm of iron. Besides, it also contains a good amount of vitamin B6 & B2, molybdenum, magnesium, and protein.

• Dry fruits -:
  Many dried fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes, resins, almonds, plums, walnuts are another iron-rich source. You can incorporate these high-iron snacks in your routine diet to combat Anemia.

4 Major Iron-rich Fruits-:

Here is the list of fruits that contain high iron.

• Figs -: Per 100gms of figs contain 0.37mg of iron
• Pears -: Every 100gms of pears contain 0. 18mg of iron
• Berries-: 0.3mg iron is found in every 100gms of berries
• Watermelon -: Every 100gms of watermelon contain 0.24mg of iron content
• Pomegranate-: 0.30mg iron is present in 100mg of pomegranate
• Apple-: Every 100gms of the apple contains 0.13gm of iron.

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In Final Words -:

You should eat above mentioned both heme and nonheme foods to reduce the risk of being iron deficient. Also, if you are not getting enough time to take a balanced diet then it is advised to take supplements of vital nutrients such as iron, calcium, multivitamins, etc.