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Top iron-rich foods

We all need iron to stay healthy, how much we need depends on age and sex as well as lifestyle.  To see how much iron you need to stay healthy, click here.

Our iron comes from our diet and  iron is found in food in two types; haem and non-haem. Haem iron, comes from animal proteins in meat, poultry and fish. Non haem iron comes from plants. Haem iron is more easily absorbed in fact it is 2-6 times more available for absorption than non haem iron.

Some foods increase iron absorption such as foods rich in vitamin C. Polyphenols (tannins) and caffeine found in tea and coffee, caseins and calcium in dairy products, phytates in cereals, phosphates in carbonated drinks and supplements such as calcium and zinc all reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron.

Here we’ll show you some iron rich foods so you can incorporate them into your daily regimen and reap their many benefits1.

Type of Food Iron per 100g

Animal-based sources
Beef (Rump steak) 3.6mg
Beef mince (stewed) 2.7mg
Pork chop (grilled) 0.7mg
Lamb leg (roasted) 1.8mg
Chicken (roasted, light meat) 0.7mg
Liver pate 5.9mg
Sausages (pork) 1.1mg
Back Bacon (grilled) 0.6mg
Eggs (fried) 2.2mg 

 

Fish-based Sources

Cod/Haddock (baked) 0.1mg
Salmon (steamed) 0.4mg
Mackerel (grilled) 0.8mg
Prawns (boiled) 1.1mg
Tuna (canned in brine) 1.0mg
Plant-based sources
Baked beans (in tomato sauce) 1.4mg
Butter beans (canned) 1.5mg
Chickpeas (boiled) 2mg
Kidney beans (canned) 2mg
Tofu (steamed) 1.2mg

 

The following are fruits, nuts, and seeds  that can be added to delicious smoothies with Spatone® Iron-rich Water.

Fruit, nuts and seeds
Figs (partially dried) 3.9mg
Apricots (partially dried) 3.4mg
Dates (dried) 1.3mg
Almonds 3mg Brazil nuts 2.5mg
Peanut butter (smooth) 2.1mg
Hazelnuts 3.2mg
Sesame seeds 10.4mg
Sunflower seeds 6.4mg

 

Vegetables

Broccoli (boiled) 1mg
Spinach (boiled) 1.6mg

 

A balanced diet is one of the main keys to staying healthy and getting your daily allowance of iron. See our other blogs for some delicious and nutritious recipes that can be created using iron-rich foods.

If you do need some extra help getting your daily intake of iron, then try our Spatone® Liquid Iron supplement. It’s an easy and convenient way to help achieve your daily iron requirement.