How do you get your recommended iron intake ?

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ellefox70
ellefox70 Posts: 58 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I consistently only get to between 5-15% of my recommended iron intake, so looking for suggestions on higher iron foods to eat which are still low calorie? I'm set at 1350 calories per day and tend to stick to fish or chicken for protein.

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  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Leafy greens, lean red meat, cook in an iron skillet, beans.

    I typically am low, so I'm also taking a daily supplement.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    I do take a prenatal vitamin when I remember. If you're female (and I assume you are), that's a level of supplementation that's generally safe. It's super inexpensive - I just grab them at Costco and it's like $8 for a big bottle.

    Otherwise, the nutrient data on here isn't that accurate. I wouldn't base concern on that.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    http://www.luckyironfish.com
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Greens, beans and meat mostly.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
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    Leafy greens and red meat. Also, I live in an old building with rusty pipes. :#
  • imlindaheart
    imlindaheart Posts: 22 Member
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    I eat leafy greens all the time and red meat a few times a week, still I'm also way below my limit, usually around 10-20%. It feels like I should eat the entire cow to hit the mark.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    Unless your doctor recommends otherwise, you really don't need to worry greatly about it. I was iron deficient anemic for awhile and the dr recommended lean meats cooked on cast iron, cereal (without milk as calcium negates the absorption of iron), leafy greens - especially spinach, beans. There are several things besides calcium that interfere with iron absorption and my doctor essentially told me that the amount we absorb through our stomachs is really a minimal amount.

    I do not recommend iron tablets. Oh they messed with my stomach
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
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    ellefox70 wrote: »
    I consistently only get to between 5-15% of my recommended iron intake, so looking for suggestions on higher iron foods to eat which are still low calorie? I'm set at 1350 calories per day and tend to stick to fish or chicken for protein.

    Given that 4 oz of chicken breast contains 7% of my iron and I get a lot more calories than you do, 5-15% sounds awfully low...if you change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings we could see if there are problems with the entries you are using.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    Cocoa powder, cereal, red meat, leafy greens.
  • kzooyogi
    kzooyogi Posts: 121 Member
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    Dark leafy greens, and the tap water in my old house :)

    I'd also recommend maybe just taking a daily multivitamin? That will help bump you up as well. I'm vegan, so dark leafy greens and beans are basically my iron source. I range from getting only 50% of the RDA to well over 100% depending on what I eat, but always take a multivitamin anyway just to make sure I hit all of the other essentials as well.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian and always way over in iron. I take a multivitamin for the B and D vitamins, but it also has iron.

    I also eat this food with iron:
    Fortified oatmeal (calories, maybe 100-200 for a serving of plain oatmeal)
    Lentils and other beans (depends on the serving size, 200+ calories, but they also have protein and fiber)
    Leafy greens like spinach in salads or collards (minimal calories)

    I also drink Silk's protein nutmilk (about 130 calories per 8 oz). Most dairy and plant milk is fortified with vitamins and minerals.
  • ellefox70
    ellefox70 Posts: 58 Member
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    Afura wrote: »
    Unless your doctor recommends otherwise, you really don't need to worry greatly about it. I was iron deficient anemic for awhile and the dr recommended lean meats cooked on cast iron, cereal (without milk as calcium negates the absorption of iron), leafy greens - especially spinach, beans. There are several things besides calcium that interfere with iron absorption and my doctor essentially told me that the amount we absorb through our stomachs is really a minimal amount.

    I do not recommend iron tablets. Oh they messed with my stomach

    Yep, I took supplements when pregnant and I really don't want to take them again!
  • ellefox70
    ellefox70 Posts: 58 Member
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    Ok thanx all. Am going to write a meal plan incorporating all your suggestions and see how that works out. As a former veggie I'm a bit wary of red meat but will do my best (and it will make my carnivorous kids very happy!)

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