Try these easy, no-fuss food tips to meet your increasing iron needs in pregnancy. Adding in small amounts of iron rich foods to the snacks and meals you're already eating throughout the day can have a dramatic impact on your over all iron intake- without requiring a dramatic increase in effort!
1. Sprinkle on some seeds- seeds are mother nature's nutritional powerhouses. All seeds- including sesame, hemp, chia, sunflower, pumpkin and ground flaxseeds- are great sources of iron. They are also affordable and easy to incorporate into your daily diet.
How to use them-
Sesame seeds are one of the most iron rich foods out there, with a whopping 1.3mg of iron per tablespoon! Try tossing a few 1-2 tablespoons on Asian dishes like teriyaki, stir fry, sushi, salads or ramen.
Sunflower seeds- are super delicious on their own (and fun to eat out of the shell!), or in salads, on top of soups or even sprinkled over your cooked veggies. One tablespoon contains about 0.5mg of iron
Chai seeds- are a superfood that packs in about 1 mg of iron per tablespoon. They make a great addition to smoothies, pancakes or oatmeal.
Ground Flaxseeds- not only do these tiny seeds contain about 0.5mg of highly digestible iron, but they are also rich in protein, omega 3’s and fiber. Try mixing a tablespoon into carb-heavy meals like pasta, rice or casseroles (you can hardly taste it)
Bonus Tip: toasting seeds not only enhances their flavor, but also increases their bio-availability (your bodys ability to absorb more of their iron & nutrient content). Of course this is completely optional, but you can consider toasting your seeds and storing them in a jar for a week or two; here is a post on toasting methods from University of Nebraska Lincoln:
2. Go nuts- Adding about 1/4th of a cup of nuts to daily diet can boost your iron intake significantly. Nuts also offer a great source of protein and healthy fats- both of which are essential in pregnancy.
How to use them-
Add them to your breakfast- walnuts, pecans, almonds and cashews go great on cereal or yogurt
Top your salad or soup with them- pine nuts, slivered almonds, walnuts or pistachios pair well with greens
Add nut butter to your smoothies - almond butter, sun butter, peanut butter- its all good!
Toss a handful of peanuts over rice, egg or veggies dishes
Have a handful with fruit at snack time
Bonus Tip: soaking nuts helps to unlock their full nutritional potential. This is a totally optional step, but if you're interested, check out this quick video from Bridgets Healthy Kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpKdRdx-N5w
3. Spice it up with herbs- it may be surprising, both dried and fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, basil, black pepper, cumin and dill all contain iron as well as other minerals and vitamins. Although we only use them is small amount, over time this can add up to a tangible increase in iron intake. Not to mention cooking with herbs adds to the richness and flavor of your meals.
How to use them-
Parsley is a great addition to Italian-inspired dishes, soups, salads or eggs
Cilantro goes well with Asian or Latin inspired meals, like curries or rice & beans
Dill goes great with cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes and yogurt-based dips
Thyme pairs well with most meats, and tomato- based soups, stews or beans
Bonus Tip: if your worried using up all the herbs you buy before they go bad, try freezing them! Chopping and freezing your herbs in an ice-cube tray is a great hack to save money and give yourself the gift of having herbs on hand! Here is a nice post from Life Made Simple: https://lifemadesimplebakes.com/how-to-freeze-fresh-herbs/
4. Beans, beans, they're good for your heart- Legumes of all kinds are a great source of iron. They also make a great main dish, or work well as a quick addition to other meals and snacks!
How to use them-
Throw some garbanzos, kidney beans or white beans on your salad
Add black beans or pinto beans to your egg dishes
Have a side of baked beans with your meal
Add a cup of green peas to your dinner plate
Try bean dips like humus, or black bean dip with your snacks
Bonus Tip- dont hesitate to buy beans in a variety of forms. You can buy dry beans and cook them yourself in a crock pot or pressure cooker, or keep it simple by buying canned beans, frozen peas or ready to eat beans in microwaveable pouches, like these lentils: https://www.target.com/p/black-lentils-microwavable-pouch-8oz-good-38-gather-8482/-/A-54600337
5. Lemon & Lime time- although citrus foods dont actually contain any iron, its thought that they play a valuable role in helping your body absorb the iron you eat from other sources more efficiently due to their high vitamin C content. This might be especially true for plant-based forms of iron (like leafy greens and beans) as the bio-availability of the iron they contain can be hard to unlock.
How to use them:
Squeeze lemon over your salads or leafy greens
Add a squeeze of lime over your casseroles, stews, meats or beans
Have a slice in your water glass with dinner or lunch
Zest the rind in your pastas, sauces or dressing
Squeeze over your fruit salad or steamed veggies
Bonus Tip: the zest (or rind) of lemons & limes is also packed with nutrients and flavor! Grating a bit over your food is great way to use the entire fruit and get more bang for your buck! Infact, here is a great post from Natasha's Kitchen on freezing, zesting and juicing lemons to check out (works for limes too): https://natashaskitchen.com/what-to-do-with-lemons/
6. Dried fruit- dried apricots, raisins, prunes, dates and figs all contain significant amounts of iron. However, be careful not to over due it, as they also tend to be high in calories and natural sugars as well. Try to stick with 1/4 cup (a small handful) portion sizes.
How to use them:
Add raisins to your cereal
Try dried cranberries in your salads
Put a few dates in your smoothies
Dice up some figs in your rice dishes
Top your chicken or turkey with diced apricots
Bonus Tip: When buying dried fruits, look for products without added sugars or preservatives.
7. Dark chocolate- did you know that chocolate is actually a fruit? Dark chocolate is made from processing cocoa beans, which are a naturally nutritious and iron rich food. Look for dark chocolate with 70%-85% cocoa; this means it contains less sugar and milk and is more minimally processed. Adding in a one ounce serving can provide you with about 3.5mg of iron!
How to use it:
Try buying dark chocolate bars instead of milk chocolate when you can
Add dark chocolate chips to nuts, dry cereal or pretzels for a snack
Use it to bake with instead of milk chocolate
Try a handful of dark chocolate covered nuts instead of a candy bar
Bonus Tip: Dark chocolate pair especially nice with berries and citrus fruits, which are naturally high in vitamin C and may help with iron absorption. For a nutritious and delicious match made in heaven, try any of these recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth and boost your iron:
Dark chocolate dipped strawberries from Healthy Recipe Blog: https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/chocolate-covered-strawberries/#recipe
Chocolate dipped oranges from The Vietvegan: https://thevietvegan.com/chocolate-dipped-oranges/#mv-creation-256-jtr
Chocolate covered blueberry clusters from A Saucy Kitchen: https://www.asaucykitchen.com/chocolate-covered-blueberries/
8. Sun-dried tomatoes- not only are sundried tomatoes a flavor bomb, but they are also nutritionally dense, and a great source of iron. However, just like with other dried- fruits, be careful to use portion control as these are also calorie- dense.
How to use it:
Make a flavorful sauce for your pasta, grain, veggies or meat
Whip up a dip, pesto or spread (great for sandwiches & eggs)
Bake into your casseroles
Topping for your pizzas
Bonus Tip: Sun dried tomatoes are incredibly versatile! Check out these 26 ideas of how to use them in recipes from Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/vegetables/tomato/sun-dried-tomatoes?
9. Snack on Sea Veggies- sea vegetables are extremely nutritious and have a particularly high iron content. Incorporating small amounts of them into your diet can be a great way to boost your nutrition and combat anemia. There are many types of sea veggies, but here are 3 to consider:
Nori- used to make sushi, these sheets of seaweed are crunchy and flavorful. They make a great snack just own their own, or you can incooperate small amounts of it into other dishes. Here are a few ideas of how to eat nori from The Vegan Atlas: https://theveganatlas.com/a-guide-to-nori-with-10-recipes-that-arent-sushi/
Spirulina- although technically an allege and not a seaweed, spriulina contains a ton of iron and is widely available online and at many health food grocers. You'll generally find it in a powdered form that works great for adding to smoothies. Here are 10 ways to incoperate Spirulina into your diet from Insanely Good Recipes: https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/spirulina-recipes/
Dulce- with a rich savory flavor, dulce is often considered the tastiest seaweed by many. It works great as a seaweed popcorn sprinkle, or as ¨chips¨. Here are a few recipes and ideas of how to use dulce from the Pacific Harvest Company: :https://pacificharvest.co.nz/seaweed-blog/use-atlantic-dulse/#:~:text=Try%20it%20with%20capers%2C%20onions,or%20crumble%20over%20savoury%20dishes.
Bonus Tip: Kombu, another form of seaweed that widely available in the Pacific North West, can be added to soups, stews and beans while cooking to enhance flavor and boost your nutrition! Add a 2-3 inch strip to your crock pot, and remove before enjoying your food. Heres a great video from nutritionist Karen Kennedy about how to cook beans with Kombu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4CYd68gOVI
10. Nutritional Yeast for the win!- Nutritional yeast is a flaky powder derived from inactivated brewer's yeast that is absolutely packed with vitamins and minerals. Two tablespoons contain a significant amount of iron and B Vitamins which promote healthy red blood cells. It has a savory cheesy flavor that makes it a great seasoning for grains and popcorn.
How to use it:
Sprinkle it liberally on popcorn for a healthy snack
Add a few shakes onto your pasta, soup or rice dishes
Try it with your tofu or garbonzo bean dishes
It also pairs great with kale or kale chips
Bonus Tip: Nutritional yeast can make a great dairy substitute if your vegan, lactose intolerant, don't have any cheese in the fridge, or if you're just looking for something new! Check out a few of these recipes ideas that use nutritional yeast from Insanely Good Recipes: https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/nutritional-yeast-recipes/
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