I need more iron, but I HATE red meat??

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shantal_96
shantal_96 Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
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 <3
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Replies

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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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.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited November 2015
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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. :)

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Do you know that the problem is iron deficiency, or just guessing?
  • bloody88
    bloody88 Posts: 120 Member
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    There's a search tool in this site.:
    nutritiondata.self.com/tools/nutrient-search
    You can combine more features depending on the vitamins/minerals that you are missing and even specify the food category if you want to.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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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.
  • shantal_96
    shantal_96 Posts: 14 Member
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    aggelikik wrote: »
    Do you know that the problem is iron deficiency, or just guessing?

    I'm just guessing. I was going to try getting more iron, and if the problem doesn't go away I'm going to go see somebody about it :)
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Kalikel 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
  • wowser5
    wowser5 Posts: 51 Member
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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! :-)
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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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.
  • ForeverSunshine09
    ForeverSunshine09 Posts: 966 Member
    edited November 2015
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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.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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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.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Kalikel 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.

    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 -
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,561 Member
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    There are lots of options besides red meat to get iron. Many mentioned above.

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  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    edited November 2015
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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/treatment
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,642 Member
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    Certain types of seafood are better than red meat
  • Abby2205
    Abby2205 Posts: 253 Member
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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.
  • noclady1995
    noclady1995 Posts: 452 Member
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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.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Kalikel 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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