I need more iron, but I HATE red meat??
shantal_96
Posts: 14 Member
Can anybody recommend how I can get enough iron without red meat? I'm not vegetarian or anything, it's just I only like chicken and fish. I absolutely HATE red meat 
I'm so tired all the time. I sleep for about 8 hours a night and I wake up so fatigued and am drowsy for the whole day and its really starting to effect me emotionally and mentally.
If anybody can give me some advice that would be much appreciated
I'm so tired all the time. I sleep for about 8 hours a night and I wake up so fatigued and am drowsy for the whole day and its really starting to effect me emotionally and mentally.
If anybody can give me some advice that would be much appreciated
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Replies
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Mushrooms, spinach, apricots. There are a lot of fruits and veg that are high in iron. You can also get fortified breads and cereals.0
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Other meats (especially liver) and fish (clams!) have iron. Even chicken has some.
You can get a lot of little bits of iron here and there and they add up! Potatos, pinto beans, tofu - it all adds up. Even some cereals and breads are iron-fortified. Take it with some Vitamin C to help absorb it.
Cooking in cast iron is a help. Hard to log! But helpful all the same.
If you get too low, the doctor will have you take it in pill form. If that happens, ask about constipation. It becomes an issue for many of us.
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Do you know that the problem is iron deficiency, or just guessing?0
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There's a search tool in this site.:nutritiondata.self.com/tools/nutrient-searchYou can combine more features depending on the vitamins/minerals that you are missing and even specify the food category if you want to.0
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »Mushrooms, spinach, apricots. There are a lot of fruits and veg that are high in iron. You can also get fortified breads and cereals.
Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.0 -
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Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.
False. I'm anemic and have to work hard to keep my iron levels in an acceptable range. There are two types of iron, heme and non-heme. Heme which is meat sourced is easily absorbed by our bodies so it is the preferred source of iron. Plant based iron is non-heme which is hard to absorb but it can be a viable source of iron. Adding vitamin c while eating non-heme iron foods will aid in the absorption of the iron. For instance, tossing fresh spinach with orange slices and other salad toppings will provide a healthy dose of iron.
Caution...excess iron isn't flushed from the body and can lead to medical complications. Talk to your doctor to find out if you really need the extra iron.
Here is a list of items that are high in iron. The last number is the amount of mg of iron per the serving listed.
Iron (mg)
Soybeans,cooked 1 cup 8.8
Blackstrap molasses 2 Tbsp 7.2
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 6.6
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 6.4
Tofu 4 ounces 6.4
Bagel, enriched 1 medium 6.4
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 4.7
Tempeh 1 cup 4.5
Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 4.5
Black-eyed peas, cooked 1 cup 4.3
Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 4.0
Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup 3.9
Black beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6
Pinto beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6
Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 3.2
Potato 1 large 3.2
Prune juice 8 ounces 3.0
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 2.8
Beet greens, cooked 1 cup 2.7
Tahini 2 Tbsp 2.7
Veggie hot dog, iron-fortified 1 hot dog 2.7
Peas, cooked 1 cup 2.5
Cashews 1/4 cup 2.1
Bok choy, cooked 1 cup 1.8
Bulgur, cooked 1 cup 1.7
Raisins 1/2 cup 1.6
Apricots, dried 15 halves 1.4
Veggie burger, commercial 1 patty 1.4
Watermelon 1/8 medium 1.4
Almonds 1/4 cup 1.3
Kale, cooked 1 cup 1.2
Sunflower seeds 1/4 cup 1.2
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 1.1
Millet, cooked 1 cup 1.1
Soy yogurt 6 ounces 1.1
Tomato juice 8 ounces 1.0
Sesame seeds 2 Tbsp 1.0
Brussels sprouts, cooked 1 cup 0.9
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24, 2011
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I would not assume you are low in iron if you have those symptoms. I would go to the doctor and get your blood checked. It could by your thyroid. I have not had red meat in 19 years, and never experience that.... only when I was in my first three months of pregnancy! :-)0
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Talk to your dr. There are many conditions that can cause what you describe. Iron deficiency is not the first I would think of.0
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I have anemia and most of my issues have nothing to do with being tired. You can pass out from low iron which has happened to me a long time ago mostly I am just physically weak from it from time to time. I never feel it in a daily basis though. I have other issues that may mask some of symptoms though.0
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I found a green powder that has 35% RDA in one tablespoon. I mix it in my smoothie in the morning.0
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »Mushrooms, spinach, apricots. There are a lot of fruits and veg that are high in iron. You can also get fortified breads and cereals.
Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.
False. Our body uses it, we just don't absorb it as well as iron that comes from meat.Iron is found in food in two forms, heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron, which makes up 40 percent of the iron in meat, poultry, and fish, is well absorbed. Non-heme iron, 60 percent of the iron in animal tissue and all the iron in plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts) is less well absorbed.
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php
OP, Check out some of what is listed below:
Legumes: lentils, soybeans, tofu, tempeh, lima beans Grains: quinoa, fortified cereals, brown rice, oatmeal Nuts and seeds: pumpkin, squash, pine, pistacio, sunflower, cashews, unhulled sesame Vegetables: tomato sauce, swiss chard, collard greens, Other: blackstrap molasses, prune juice -0 -
There are lots of options besides red meat to get iron. Many mentioned above.
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It's generally recommended to also increase your vitamin C, as it helps with the absorption of iron from plant sources. nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ida/treatment0
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Certain types of seafood are better than red meat0
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Cream of Wheat. We used to have it often as children but kind of forgot about it for the last twenty years. It has different varieties now.0
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I had my physical last year and my PCP told me my iron was too low, so she had me take pre-natal vitamins because they contain higher amounts of iron than regular multi-vitamins. She then re-tested my bloodwork several weeks later and my iron levels went back up to normal range. I also try to eat more spinach these days.0
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »Mushrooms, spinach, apricots. There are a lot of fruits and veg that are high in iron. You can also get fortified breads and cereals.
Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.
I'm under the impression that it is a good plant source due to the fact it has a vitamin c content to help the heme iron absorb.
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Talk to your dr. There are many conditions that can cause what you describe. Iron deficiency is not the first I would think of.
This. And if it is iron deficiency your doctor will be able to help you more than posters here can. If your doctor says eat more of certain foods, we can certainly give information about how we include those foods in our diets, though!0 -
You could very likely have low Vitamin D with those symptoms. It's best to get blood work done to be sure if you have a vitamin deficiency, then it'll be much easier to pinpoint the changes that need to be made. Good luck!0
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »Mushrooms, spinach, apricots. There are a lot of fruits and veg that are high in iron. You can also get fortified breads and cereals.
Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.
I'm under the impression that it is a good plant source due to the fact it has a vitamin c content to help the heme iron absorb.
Spinach is high in oxalic acid (I couldn't remember what it was called so I had to Google it), and oxalic acid interferes with the body's ability to absorb non heme iron. Non heme iron is the stuff in plants. Heme iron comes from hemoglobin, aka the stuff in meat. Oxalic acid also impacts the amount of calcium you get from spinach.0 -
Raw Cacao Powder is the highest plant based source of iron. It contains 7.3mg per 100g combared to lamb and beef at 2.5mg and spinach at 3.6mg.
Combine with vitamin C for maximum absorption0 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »Mushrooms, spinach, apricots. There are a lot of fruits and veg that are high in iron. You can also get fortified breads and cereals.
Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.
I'm under the impression that it is a good plant source due to the fact it has a vitamin c content to help the heme iron absorb.
Spinach is high in oxalic acid (I couldn't remember what it was called so I had to Google it), and oxalic acid interferes with the body's ability to absorb non heme iron. Non heme iron is the stuff in plants. Heme iron comes from hemoglobin, aka the stuff in meat. Oxalic acid also impacts the amount of calcium you get from spinach.
Thanks for that, I'll have a read up on it. I love MFP, I never fail to learn things 0 -
Iron sources from food is actually super confusing. I am pretty good with nutrition stuff in general and have looked into it some because my mother has liver damage stemming from a condition where her body absorbs too much iron from the foods she eats (hemochromatosis), and when she was first diagnosed she was basically told to avoid high iron foods which made her paranoid about everything (like greens), and yet despite that research I still feel somewhat uncertain. It's one reason I push people to ask questions of their dietitians and make sure they understand and feel comfortable talking to them, because my parents were both really confused and I don't think my mother ever understood what she was supposed to be eating (due to the liver damage and some other things she's on a different diet now and lots of meds).
Possibly unnecessary warning: conditions like the one my mother has (which are often symptom free for years) are why it's a good idea to get things like iron levels checked (also D, where deficiency is common) and, for iron specifically, not to simply assume it's good to supplement in the absence of a diagnosis.0 -
No, it's true. While you're working really hard to raise your iron levels, you should ask your doctor (or even a dietitian) about spinach. If you're relying on Spinach and vitamin C for your iron, you will remain anemic.debrakgoogins wrote: »Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.
False. I'm anemic and have to work hard to keep my iron levels in an acceptable range. There are two types of iron, heme and non-heme. Heme which is meat sourced is easily absorbed by our bodies so it is the preferred source of iron. Plant based iron is non-heme which is hard to absorb but it can be a viable source of iron. Adding vitamin c while eating non-heme iron foods will aid in the absorption of the iron. For instance, tossing fresh spinach with orange slices and other salad toppings will provide a healthy dose of iron.
Caution...excess iron isn't flushed from the body and can lead to medical complications. Talk to your doctor to find out if you really need the extra iron.
Here is a list of items that are high in iron. The last number is the amount of mg of iron per the serving listed.
Iron (mg)
Soybeans,cooked 1 cup 8.8
Blackstrap molasses 2 Tbsp 7.2
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 6.6
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 6.4
Tofu 4 ounces 6.4
Bagel, enriched 1 medium 6.4
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 4.7
Tempeh 1 cup 4.5
Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 4.5
Black-eyed peas, cooked 1 cup 4.3
Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 4.0
Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup 3.9
Black beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6
Pinto beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6
Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 3.2
Potato 1 large 3.2
Prune juice 8 ounces 3.0
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 2.8
Beet greens, cooked 1 cup 2.7
Tahini 2 Tbsp 2.7
Veggie hot dog, iron-fortified 1 hot dog 2.7
Peas, cooked 1 cup 2.5
Cashews 1/4 cup 2.1
Bok choy, cooked 1 cup 1.8
Bulgur, cooked 1 cup 1.7
Raisins 1/2 cup 1.6
Apricots, dried 15 halves 1.4
Veggie burger, commercial 1 patty 1.4
Watermelon 1/8 medium 1.4
Almonds 1/4 cup 1.3
Kale, cooked 1 cup 1.2
Sunflower seeds 1/4 cup 1.2
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 1.1
Millet, cooked 1 cup 1.1
Soy yogurt 6 ounces 1.1
Tomato juice 8 ounces 1.0
Sesame seeds 2 Tbsp 1.0
Brussels sprouts, cooked 1 cup 0.9
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24, 2011
Spinach is not a good source for iron.
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A lot of people are under that impression. It's not true. But don't take my word for it! Ask a doctor or dietitian if spinach is a good source of iron. See what they say.RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »Mushrooms, spinach, apricots. There are a lot of fruits and veg that are high in iron. You can also get fortified breads and cereals.
Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.
I'm under the impression that it is a good plant source due to the fact it has a vitamin c content to help the heme iron absorb.
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A lot of people are under that impression. It's not true. But don't take my word for it! Ask a doctor or dietitian if spinach is a good source of iron. See what they say.RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »Mushrooms, spinach, apricots. There are a lot of fruits and veg that are high in iron. You can also get fortified breads and cereals.
Things like spinach are fakers. While spinach does have a lot of iron - it's in there! - we cannot use it, so it does us very little good. It seems like a good choice, but really isn't.
I'm under the impression that it is a good plant source due to the fact it has a vitamin c content to help the heme iron absorb.
I don't think every dietitian would agree with you. Dietitian Jack Norris disagrees with your assessment: http://jacknorrisrd.com/category/iron/
Nobody should be relying on a single food to meet their iron needs, whether that food is spinach or not. That said, if one is adding iron-rich foods in general to the diet, there's no reason to exclude spinach.0
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