vegetarian lack iron

-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.

- 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.)

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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?

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.

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.

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.