How to Get More Iron into Your Diet

When my first child was born, my doctor discovered that both my son and I suffered from Iron Deficiency Anemia. The following tips helped to improve our iron levels and prevented us from having to take iron pills which can cause constipation which can make your life uncomfortable. If you are in the same boat, you can use these tips to add more iron to your diet.

Eat more fruit and vegetables. You may be surprised to find out that some fruit and vegetables are very rich in iron. Spinach, Swiss chard, sun dried tomatoes, dried apricots, fresh parsley, olives, and raisins are just a few of the fruits and vegetables that can be used to add iron to your diet. Start your meals with salads made from with dark leafy greens and replace cookies, and similar snacks with these iron rich dried fruits.

Add nuts and seeds to your diet. Most nuts and seeds are rich in iron. The ones with the highest iron content are sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and even coconut. Experiment with recipes that include these items to increase the iron in your diet.

Increase your red meat intake. Red meat is the most popular source of iron. The redder the meat, the more iron it contains. Red meat should be consumed 3 to 4 days a week.

Eat breakfast cereals and other foods that are fortified with iron. By reading the packaging, you will find that cereals, pasta, and rice are iron fortified. Be careful, however, to not eat unhealthy foods just because they contain iron.

Cook your meals in cast iron. This was the best tip my doctor gave me. Every time you cook food in iron pans, iron is transferred into your foods, so even if the food does not already contain iron, it will after cooking it in cast iron pans.

Increase your vitamin C intake. People who eat high levels of vitamin C absorb more iron. Therefore the combination of Iron and Vitamin C will boost your the levels of iron in your blood.

Finally, limit your tea intake as teach can block iron absorption. You may want to eliminate tea from your diet completely until your anemia is in check.