Foods High In Iron + Daily Iron Requirement

Eating foods high in iron, such as red meat or barley bread, can help cure anemia, which is caused by iron deficiency.

However, foods high in iron are important at all stages of your life and should be consumed daily. Especially for pregnant women, infants and elderly people, as these groups have a greater need for iron.

Here you can find a table with foods high in iron, which are separated by animal and vegetable sources:

Foods high in iron for anemia

Foods rich in iron for anemia include:

• Food rich in iron from Animal sources, like red meats and eggs. Iron from these foods are absorbed easily
• Food rich in iron from vegetable sources, like the peas or the parsley. These foods should always be consumed with a source of vitamin C. Choose fruits like an orange, strawberries or sweet peppers to improve the absorption of iron. For example, eat rice with black beans and citrus fruit for the dessert

In addition to food rich in iron, it is also important to follow other feeding tips such as:

• Avoid eating calcium-rich foods with the main meals such as yogurt, cheese or milk, because calcium is a natural inhibitor of iron absorption
• Don’t eat wholemeal foods at lunch and dinner, because the phytates present in the cereals and fibres of wholemeal foods, reduces the efficiency of iron absorption in food
• Stay away from eating sweets, chocolate, drinking red wine and some herbal teas, because they have polyphenols and phytates, which are inhibitors of iron absorption
• Cooking in an iron pot is a way to increase the amount of iron

Mixing vegetables and fruits to make juice can also be a great way to enrich the diet in iron. Two recipes that are high in iron would be: stewed liver steak and freshly squeezed pineapple juice with fresh parsley.

Daily iron requirement

The daily requirement of iron varies according to age and gender, since women have a greater need for iron than men, especially during pregnancy.