vegetarian lack iron

wordena

Im a vegetarian and I lack iron in my diet. Im usually at about 20% of my daily needs. I can usually feel when im particularly low. I can take iron pills but I would much rather get my iron from my food. Any suggestions?

vanguardfitness

Pumpkin seeds? A lot of calories though.

betweenthesedays

-Cook in cast ironpans
-Pair you iron intake food wise with high vitamin c foods, it helps you absorb more
-Follow some of the suggestions here - http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php - it's meant for vegans, but the same info applies for vegetarians.

wordena

Thank you for this source! I eat many of the things on the list. Is it possible mfp just doesn't have iron measurements on foods listed?

takumaku

- Eat more legumes (esp. lentils), tofu

- Cook in a cast iron, esp. acidic foods.

- Blackstrap molasses

- If all else, eat some fortified cereals (Cheerios, grits, etc.)

x1v16

My quaker instant oatmeal has massive amounts of iron. I suppose it is enriched with it. I ate 370 calories of oatmeal today and got 50% of my iron requirements from it. It appears I rarely reach my iron goals though so maybe I'll make oatmeal a more regular occurrence.

misti777

I hear beets have a lot of iron. Also greens have a lot of iron like kale, spinach and cabbage.

Docmahi

yeah enriched iron foods are your best bet - the veggies and foods that do have iron you would need to consume massive amounts of

if you dont like the iron pills but end up taking them - invest in a stool softener :PP

lynn_glenmont

Thank you for this source! I eat many of the things on the list. Is it possible mfp just doesn't have iron measurements on foods listed?

You should check the entries you use for logging your food; some users don't include all the information from food labels, maybe because they don't track anything other than calories and macros. Look for the entries with no asterisk; they seem to be drawn from the USDA nutrient database.

As others have mentioned, fortified cereals are an easy way to go. Most beans have a fair amount of iron -- about 20% of the Daily Value in a cup. Teff (the grain used in injera, or Ethiopian flat bread) is a really good source.

MoreBean13

I tried my darnedest to get my iron through food and despite my best efforts my bloodwork kept coming up low. (Vegetarian 20 yrs)

I started taking an iron supplement last summer and in December my blood levels were excellent. I take it with magnesium and I I don't get constipated from it. I wish I had just taken the supplement sooner- it was a PITA to try and balance my meals so I didn't have dairy with non-heme iron sources and get it all in. I don't really want to spend that kind of brainspace on iron when I could fix the issue with a supplement, personally.

sistrsprkl

I'm in the same boat! Also a vegetarian and I often don't even hit 20%. It's frustrating because I eat greens and beans most days. I do cook in a cast iron pan which obviously doesn't get on MFP. I feel fine so I'm not too worried about it but even when I try to eat iron-rich foods it doesn't seem to affect my percentage on MFP.

ayamagali

Mucho spinach! I get a fair amount over 100% on spinach heavy days.

Trechechus

Spirulina (1 tsp): 5 mg
Cooked soybeans (1/2 cup): 4.4 mg
Pumpkin seeds (1 ounce): 4.2 mg
Quinoa (4 ounces): 4 mg
Blackstrap molasses (1 tbsp): 4 mg
Tomato paste (4 ounces): 3.9 mg
White beans (1/2 cup) 3.9 mg
Cooked spinach (1/2 cup): 3.2 mg
Dried peaches (6 halves): 3.1 mg
Prune juice (8 ounces): 3 mg
Lentils (4 ounces): 3 mg

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-top-vegan-iron-sources.html#ixzz2rxFJgSq2

Trechechus

Also I'm not sure how you feel about meat imitations, but Gardein and stuff are pretty high in iron.

gigglesinthesun

get a blood test done to check your actual iron levels. I thought I had low iron, because I eat on average 19-20% and I was always tired. The test came back with high iron instead, which also causes tiredness, so me eating that little iron is encouraged and overall it needs to be monitored.

bulbadoof

Fortified breakfast cereals usually give 30 to 50 percent of your RDI per serving.

lisabinco

There's no reason to be an anemic vegetarian. Eat your greens!
Iron pills and shots never worked well for me. I gave 'em up many years ago. I've been vegetarian for over 20 years yet even as a meat eater I was borderline anemic (low iron); been that way all my adult life --until now. For the last two years I have been eating LOTS of green leafy vegetables. Lots of them. Within the first 6 months of eating this way, my blood work showed I was no longer in the anemic range. And it's stayed normal ever since. I feel great!
My diet is LOTS of leafy green vegetables, all sorts of other vegetables, some whole fruits, nuts, seeds, soy, avocados, legumes of all kinds, and a limited variety of starches (brown rice, sweet potatoes, yams, quinoa, etc.). Dairy of any kind is less than 5% of my calories (most days 0%). Works for me, and I've got lots of lab tests to prove it.

lisabinco

Is it possible mfp just doesn't have iron measurements on foods listed?

Yes. You can't trust every entry on MFP.
You really don't know what your iron levels are unless you get a blood test. Don't go by the numbers on MFP.

jayjay12345654321

I often get between 100-300% of daily iron from diet alone. I'm vegan and do not take an iron supplement. The primary source is meatless vegan products high in protein, soy based, and high in iron. Today, I'm at 259% because I had a double helping of meatless griller strips with flaxseed. I couldn't resist.

taiyola

I take a multivitamin every day.

Since watching a programme that said that since early 1900's our foods have something like half the vitamins, and that if you buy pre-cut veggies, then they've already lost some of the vits, it's just reaffirmed my decision. Been taking them for years.

I'm veggie and used to be anaemic.

yogicarl

Thank you for this source! I eat many of the things on the list. Is it possible mfp just doesn't have iron measurements on foods listed?

~More likely this. Some don't even list protein.

phoenixgirl81

Thank you for this source! I eat many of the things on the list. Is it possible mfp just doesn't have iron measurements on foods listed?

Don't go by the iron that MFP lists. If it's something that has been added by a member, they can only add what is on the nutritional label. I have only come across ONE food item in Australia that has Iron listed on the nutritional panel. Foods that I know are high in iron would show as 0g of iron simply because it's not listed on the label.

You are probably getting enough iron if you are eating the things on the link posted.

Unknown

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sarahmoo12

in for a read later

Krustpie

Does anyone know about iron values in almond milk? I would have thought this would have been a good source but Iron appears to show as N/A for this?

Ophidion

If you type *ophidion after looking at food groups specifically veggies and fruit I put in the iron and other micro-nutrients...when possible.

eg baby spinach *ophidion.

You can quite often create your own foods, a Google search with <insert food>nutritional value will usually bring up pretty accurate values.

sbarella

Some people just have absorption issues... When I lived with my parents I had to eat red meat every f

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day and I was still anemic. Now I basically ignore meat and I'm fine, I just take my iron pills and use birth control to reduce losses. You may have to try different supplements to find what works best for you.
And yeah, many foods on mfp don't have iron listed.

fruitikay

Greens! Make salad with dark leafy greens. If you hate that, Green Smoothies are really good for you. That's how I get my iron and I'm vegan.

redraidergirl2009

If you eat some salad and veg here and there you should be fine. Beans are also a great source of many nutrients like protein, iron and fiber. Eat those. I had my blood work done recently at a annual checkup after being vegetarian over a year, and flexitarian for about two years. Iron was fine.

lynn_glenmont

Does anyone know about iron values in almond milk? I would have thought this would have been a good source but Iron appears to show as N/A for this?

According to the carton in my refrigerator (Blue Diamond unsweetened "original" - unflavored - almond milk), almond milk has only 4% of the Daily Value for iron in 8 fluid oz. (240 ml).

jayjay12345654321

Google vegetarian sources of iron. Iron supplements should not be used unless under a doctor's advice. Taking tablets because you are "feeling low on iron" is a dangerous game of roulette.