Our Top 5 Plant-Based Recipes with Iron
Our Top 5 Plant-Based Recipes with Iron
Iron is a mineral that primarily functions to help make hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Iron deficiency anemia is a prevalent condition, which makes awareness of food sources of iron an important consideration for a well-balanced way of eating.
Iron is found in both animal and plant foods including meat, poultry, fish, beans, lentils, dark leafy greens, nuts and some fortified food products. Pair plant foods with iron with sources of vitamin C to improve iron absorption.
Examples of plant-based iron-rich recipes include:
Cheezy Beans - beans are a good source of iron, especially paired with tomatoes, which have vitamin C. Add Simple Roasted Broccoli, another source of vitamin C, as a side dish.
Crispy Baked Tofu with Turmeric Cauliflower - according to the USDA FoodData Central, ½ lb. of tofu provides about 10 mg iron, or over 50% of the daily need for iron. Adding a side dish of cauliflower with lime juice, both ingredients that offer vitamin C, helps boost iron absorption.
Kale and Lentil Salad - similar to beans, lentils are a good source of iron. Kale also provides iron. Before adding lentils to the kale, massage the leaves well with a lemon vinaigrette.
Italian White Bean Dip - serve bean dip with vitamin C-rich veggies such as bell pepper strips and chopped broccoli and cauliflower. For a main dish, make a wrap or sandwich with bean dip on whole wheat bread products, which contain some iron.
Hummus and Vegetable Collard Green Wraps - spread any bean dip onto collard green wraps with vegetables. Add baked tofu or tempeh for more plant-based iron. Serve with turmeric tahini dipping sauce.
