Best Foods if You Have an Iron Deficiency

Have you been feeling more exhausted than usual; noticing your nails are more brittle; having daily headaches or lightheadedness; or reaching for that third cup of coffee just to get through the day despite getting 8 hours of sleep?

These are signs that may or may not be resulting from a deficiency in iron. Iron is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in energy levels, oxygen transport, and overall health. In this article, I’ll break down why iron is so important and share natural food sources to help boost your levels and keep you feeling your best.

Iron is super important to keep your body functioning the way it should. It helps carry oxygen through your blood, giving you the energy to get through the day without feeling totally drained. It also plays a big role in turning the food you eat into energy, as well as boosting your immune system.

Iron aids in helping your brain stay sharp and focused so you can tackle every task or project you are working on. Your muscles need iron too, since it helps them get the oxygen they need to function properly. This will help with muscle endurance and metabolism so you can reach those last few extra repetitions to get through your workout.

Plus, iron is involved in important processes like making hormones and keeping your body balanced. Without enough of it, you might feel weak, tired, or just not like yourself.

Now for my ladies reading this- yes, we are more prone to having a deficiency in iron. Unfortunately, our annual blood work we get at the doctor will not routinely test for iron levels. This is why it is so important to watch out for symptoms and be your biggest advocate when attending your appointments, so you can get an early and proper diagnosis.

Women can be more susceptible to this deficiency due to heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle, or the demands of blood volume during pregnancy (if you are pregnant, be sure to discuss iron content of your prenatal vitamins with your OBGYN).

Not addressing low iron could lead to anemia. It is important to discuss your options and recommendations from your physician before trying to self-treat your anemia. Anemia can be a serious condition that leads to a plethora of health issues and should not be overlooked or taken lightly if diagnosed.

However, there are plenty of foods that you can be including into your daily diet to prevent anemia from happening or to balance out your iron after following your doctor’s protocol. I am going to list some foods you should start to consume to ensure your iron is up to optimal values.

According to an article from the Cleveland Clinic, there are two different types of iron, heme iron and non-heme iron. “Heme iron comes from hemoglobin. Heme is better absorbed by the body and is commonly found in liver, meat, poultry and seafood.”

The article also discusses foods rich in iron that are non-heme such as “legumes (beans), nuts, seeds and certain vegetables like spinach and potatoes. You can also get iron through fortified sources such as tofu, grains, bread and cereal.”^[1]

The heme iron foods listed will be much easier to absorb versus the non-heme iron foods. This means that if you are vegan or vegetarian, you may have a higher risk of an iron deficiency, so you will need to be extra mindful about consuming greater amounts of the non-heme iron foods to achieve optimal iron levels. I think to maintain balance and sustainability in any diet, it helps to include a little of everything to achieve healthy iron levels.

According to Health Direct, “Adults aged 19 to 50 years should have: 8mg/day for males and 18mg/day for females. Adults aged over 50 years should have 8mg of iron a day. Pregnant women should have an iron intake of 27mg/day.”^[2]

Taking some meats and vegetables from both heme and non-heme categories can be a great way to keep your iron levels in check.

Meats Optimal in Iron

As listed above, the Cleveland Clinic discusses liver being rich in iron. Truthfully all organ meats are, and while they may not be the tastiest, they are the most nutrient-dense. Foods such as liver, kidneys, or heart can be easily absorbed and used for iron in the body. A 3.5 oz piece of liver has about 6.5 mg of iron. If consuming these meats, I suggest mixing them in with other meats, such as beef, to neutralize that “gamey” flavor many people tend to dislike. You could also consider taking an organ supplement, so you can bypass any unsavory flavors and will be quick to digest.
Beef is another great source of iron. So if you would like to tackle the challenge of introducing organ meats into your diet, I personally like to chop up small beef liver pieces and mix it into my ground beef with chili or a tomato-based recipe. This helps rid your meal of the gamey flavor but allows you to reap the iron benefits from both the beef and liver. Red meat such as beef has a great nutritional content value and about 3.5 oz contains 2.7 milligrams of iron.
Poultry and fish are other great iron-rich options to introduce into your nutrition plan. It helps to switch up different protein options so you won’t get bored with eating the same entrée every day. Depending on the cut of chicken, a 3.5 oz piece will have roughly 2 mg of iron. While there are many seafood options, an article from Ancestral Nutrition states, “A serving of 3 ounces or 85 grams of tuna has 1.4 milligrams of the mineral (iron).”^[3]

Vegetables Optimal in Iron

Spinach is an excellent source of iron. 100 grams of spinach has 2.7 mg of iron. Although spinach is a non-heme source of iron and may be harder to absorb, it has numerous other benefits added to it. Spinach is rich in antioxidants, and can help decrease inflammation.
Broccoli is another dark green vegetable that can be included in your diet to aid in higher iron consumption, along with the vitamin C properties that broccoli holds. Vitamin C is important as it can help with the absorption of minerals such as iron. Sweet potatoes can also help with absorbing iron with its high vitamin C content. You may be eating enough iron but are lacking in other vitamins your body needs to properly digest and absorb it.
Another dark leafy green, kale, has about 1.5 mg of iron per 3.5 oz when cooked and is also high in vitamin C. This makes it a great choice to boost your iron naturally.

Legumes Optimal in Iron:

Beans are a great choice for incorporating more iron into your diet. There are so many types of beans and these can be included in many recipes. I mentioned earlier including liver with beef in chili, and beans added on top of that can make a nutrient-dense meal with a lot of iron. For example, about 3.5 oz of black beans has 2.5 mg of iron. These mixed into your high iron chili will give you a huge boost.
Lentils are another great vegetarian option to increase your iron. One cup of cooked lentils will get you about 6.5 mg of iron. Just be sure to pair them with foods rich in vitamin C for better absorption. This paired with a sweet potato could make for a great vegetarian entrée!

The Final Bite

There are so many other foods out there that can help with the increase of your daily iron intake. That is the beauty of natural, whole foods! Eggs, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, even dark chocolate went unlisted but are more options to choose from.

Make your plate colorful and creative- and with so many options, it is bound to come out yummy! Be sure to check in with your doctor if you suspect any low levels of iron and ask about ways you can be on top of your diet to combat any deficiency.