ok seriously how the do i get to 100% iron intake?

themeaningofthemorning

i eat TONS. averaging about 1800 calories a day (food, not net). i eat OVER my protein EVERY DAY. i eat spinach, i have a full cup of soy milk with my granola in the morning, etc.

i still only get to about 47% of my recommended intake!

is 47% enough? is iron one of those things you don't need to meet every day? how can i up my iron intake?

themeaningofthemorning

ignore the random "the"
there was going to be an expletive and then i decided against it

eatathome

Not even close. Ever. I've been trying harder; there are a few veggie sources on here (I love pumpkin seeds):

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php

Adrian211

It's one of the most difficult things to get to 100%. Most breakfast cereals are fortified with iron, so you can get a good percentage from that. I usually eat sunflower seeds, and occasionally have dishes with shrimp or fish. The only real high sources of iron I can think of for one serving would be lean beef or liver.

themeaningofthemorning

I'll try to look for a gluten-free cereal that tastes good and is fortified with iron. I'll also try to look for a unicorn. Hahaha no but seriously I'm glad I'm not royally messing up with my food. I mean, I'm not happy to hear that iron is hard to come by, but I thought I must've been doing something horribly wrong with my diet... just when I thought I'd almost perfected it.

Alright, I'll keep in mind to up the fish intake and buy some pumpkin seeds. Thanks!

n0ob

Fortified oatmeal, steamed soybeans, beef/ other meat, and green veggies is how I get most of mine.

I usually hit 120-150% every day, but I eat a lot more calories (about 2800 on average).

Plant and supplemental sources are VERY poorly absorbed, and you can still have problems with low iron depending on what you are eating with your iron sources even though the % may look good.

Your body is more efficient at using heme iron which comes from animal products.

PaytraB

Floradix iron supplement. It comes in both liquid or tablets. It's an herbal, non-constipating iron supplement that is well absorbed by the body and it works well. It was recommended to me by several nurses over the years when I donate blood. It's not cheap but it works.

mjrkearney

*cough* pills *cough* My doctor put me on 650 milligrams a day due to possible anemia. Buffed up by a diet high in spinach, lean red meat, and fiber, I'm finally not in the red zone every time I go to donate blood.

HYBRIDXXX

TOTAL CEREAL HAS 100%

superhippiechik

I am so glad you asked that question!

Pandorian

Double-check that the items you're using in your diary that you'd expect iron to be in actually HAVE iron in them, not all users who contribute to the database will put in the iron value (for some it can be hard to... we're not "told" actually what 100% of the DV is... it's based on the same 2000 calorie diet that the US nutritional labels are but if someone has values in mg... are they also going to figure out what 100% represents and put that in as a % of DV? Not everyone.

Sometimes stuff is glaringly obvious like an item I saw a friend log today
Pillsbury - Cinnamon Bun With Cinnabon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 roll = 150 calories, 45 grams of fat (405 calories from this alone) and 100 calories combined of carbs and protein... so is the fat contribution incorrect? Perhaps they meant 4.5 grams of fat? that'd take us to 140.5 calories for the macros which is basically 1 gram of fat short or 2 grams between carbs and protein.
505 calories worth of macros in the item, 150 calories logged...
Just used to "illustrate" how items can have incorrect values logged for what it's worth this item DOES indicate 4% of your daily iron :P

like_milk

I try to pay attention to iron but, at the end of the day, iron is rarely listed on MFP items, even where you expect it! Same with other vitamins and minerals, so I never put too much stock into what they say. If you eat meat you shouldn't have much of a problem with iron, otherwise it's found in things such as dark chocolate and herbs such as thyme.

msbunnie68

I eat an iron fortified bread.

terracotti

when I ate raisins and dates, I was able to get >50% iron intake. 30-40% more than usual.

Aventuria

Not sure if what I wrote has already been mentioned:

My iron levels are always around 90-100%, I'm vegetarian and therefore don't eat red meat which is high in iron. My recent blood test gave away perfect iron results. :happy:

You can boost the iron with small things, eg:

One cup of Milo a day (hot water and 50ml milk) has 6mg (!) of iron, and although there is also sugar in it, it's worth it for me. Make sure to eat a piece of fruit or raw vegie with it, the vitamins boost the amount your body takes in!

I put a teaspoon of dried thyme in either my dinner or lunch, cinnamon in desserts, shakes or porridge is good, too.

If you like nuts and seeds: roasted pumpkin seeds, cashews or sesame seeds and tahini are excellent sources!

Eat bok Choy, silverbeet and other green leafy vegies. I also get iron from soy products which are usually fortified with iron, but if I plan carefully, I get around this and still get enough iron.

Always make sure to have vitamin-rich food with foods that are high in iron (be careful with spinach though) , also don't drink coffee or black tea minimum one hour before/after and be careful with large amounts of dairy.


Last but not least: Be careful with the iron shown in MFP. It is always in % and people are sometimes a bit dumb when entering food. Instead of the percent they enter the amount eg 2 (and then it shows up as 2% although it's 2mg...) so please havbe a closer look when entering food, that you know is high in protein. Change the amount if applicable!

skullik

I second the Floradix liquid iron supplement suggestion, it also has lots of B vitamins. I used to get anemic/low B12 but since I take this in the mornings I no longer have any issues. It even tastes pretty good!

SarahtheJillianfanatic

Unless I take a supplement, I only hit my iron goal on the days when I have steak for tea.

Rachlmale

If you're monitoring your iron intake bear in mind that the database may not have the iron added so you may already be taking in more than you realise.

melmckay99

If you like sushi try surf clam sashimi. It's super high in iron, and it tastes great. It's not slimy or gross like you would think clam would be. I was very hesitant my first time trying it but it's now my favorite sushi menu item

WVmom24

Iron supplements? That's the easiest route, I'd say. :P
I have the same problem with my fiber intake so I take metamucil.

Martucha123

I don't want to be stuck with cereal or bread every day (I don't eat breakfast) so i'm taking iron suplement.
Tried for 2 motnhs to get 100% but it's the only micro i couldn't get enough of...