Need help with low iron

lisacornell
lisacornell Posts: 29 Member
edited October 3 in Food and Nutrition
I have a hard time getting enough iron from food, any suggestions as to what foods are really high in iron but not exemely high in calories or fat?

Replies

  • aochoa123
    aochoa123 Posts: 299 Member
    I don't know about food but my iron is low too so I take a One a Day women's mulitvitimain.
  • jemko
    jemko Posts: 91 Member
    Lots of good info here:

    http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/nutrition/iron.html

    If you're open to supplements, prenatal vitamins are great. I was told by my doctors that I needed to start taking an iron supplement because my iron was too low; started prenatals and my iron was up in to healthy ranges within 2 weeks.
  • chubby_checkers
    chubby_checkers Posts: 2,352 Member
    i just did a quick google search and found several websites.

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/top-10-iron-rich-foods
    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php

    beware of dried fruit because it has a lot of sugar.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    Spinach salads, brocolli
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
    In addition to taking a daily supplement, leafy greens are good. So are legumes, lean meats, poultry and fish. You can purchase pasta, rice and whole grain bread products that are iron enriched as well. There are a lot of good resources if you use Google and search for "Good Sources of Iron". Good luck with it!
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,849 Member
    Spinach. Other than the fact that I love meat, I couldn't make myself not eat meat because of the iron I get from it. Still I take a one-a-day and an additional supplement. My iron has been consistently in the good range for about a year and a half now since I've done this, even with donating blood regularly.
  • Shannonigans84
    Shannonigans84 Posts: 693 Member
    I was told tuna was a good source. I take a multi vitamin because it's really difficult for me to get iron from diet alone.
  • neurochamp
    neurochamp Posts: 261 Member
    Cooked spinach is an excellent source of iron - I like to add it to pasta sauces and soups, or just sautee it with a touch of olive oil and lots of garlic and onion and a pinch of salt to have as a side dish. 1 cup (without anything added to it) is only about 40 calories, but provides 36% of your daily iron (not to mention a ton of vitamins A and C, plus calcium and lots of potassium). Plus, the blocks of frozen spinach in the grocery store freezer are super small, easy to stock up on, and really easy to thaw and cook.

    In a pinch, Bush's Vegetarian Baked Beans (or most any other kind of beans, though the dry ones require more prep) will also do. The veggie baked beans run 130 calories and 550mg sodium per half cup serving, and provide 10% of your iron. A little high on sodium, but they pack a good amount of protein and fiber in along with the iron.
  • rbryntes
    rbryntes Posts: 710 Member
    kidney beans
    tuna
    spinach
    red meat
  • Emily_34
    Emily_34 Posts: 26 Member
    My son had low iron and I gave him peanut butter on a slice of bread everyday and it went back to normal after a couple of months.
  • brattyworm
    brattyworm Posts: 2,137 Member
    make sure that whichever method you use to get your iron levels up. be it food or vitamins that you are getting enough vitamin c to allow your body to absorb it properly.

    the American Red Cross site is useful for getting info on healthy foods to bring up your iron levels as women typically have that issue when trying to donate blood.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Cream of Wheat is an excellent source of iron. I always add a serving to my daily breakfast for about a week before I donate blood to get my iron up - works great!
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