10 Plant Based Foods Rich In Iron

Iron deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency world wide which leads to more serious problems including Anaemia – the final stages of iron deficiency. Anaemia is caused by low levels of red blood cells because there is insufficient iron from the diet to make hemoglobin therefore less oxygen is supplied to the tissues. Anaemia is especially seen in young children, child bearing women and vegetarians/vegans. The iron found in plants is called Non-heme iron and is not as readily absorbed like the heme iron found in animal products.

For this reason people seem to think that Plant Based Diets don’t meet sufficient iron levels… But with a little research, healthy eating and food prep it is possible to get all your iron gains from plants without taking supplements. The RDA differs between life stages quite a lot, especially in women so it’s important to know how much iron is needed in each life stage:

Infants 6-12months = 11mg per day

Kids aged 1-8 = 1-10mg per day

Adolescents aged 9-13 = 8mg per day

Women aged 14-50 = 15-18mg per day

Pregnant Women = 27mg per day

Women Lactating = 9-10mg per day

Males 14+ = 8-11mg per day

The key to iron absorption is not how much you consume but how well your body absorbs it, so I have listed some ways to help your body absorb iron followed by ten plant foods high in iron:

Drink a glass of O.J with a meal high in non-heme iron as the vitamin C in the juice will help the body absorb iron from the gastrointestinal tract.
Try cooking with a cast-iron skillet as this helps with iron absorption.
Avoid drinking coffee or tea with your meals high in iron as they contain tannins which binds to minerals making them less available to the body
Avoid foods high in oxalates including spinach, chard and other vegetables as it may bind up some of the iron and make it hard to absorb.

Top ten plant foods high in iron: