TIRED ALL THE TIME?
15 Delicious Ways to Get More Iron
D
o you sometimes feel like you wake up tired? Or does your energy completely fizzle out by mid-afternoon? The culprit may be an iron deficiency. It’s fairly common among women, and it can definitely have you dragging. The Recommended Daily Allowance of iron for women between the ages of 19 and 50 is 18 milligrams each day. Men and women in other age groups need about 8 milligrams. If you have a condition that interferes with nutrient absorption, such as Celiac disease, you may need extra iron. That’s also true if you’re pregnant. If you think you might have an iron deficiency, the first step is to talk to your doctor. Then try these 15 foods to help give your iron a boost.
Black Beans or Kidney Beans Beans contain a whopping 4 milligrams of iron per cup. Eat them as a side dish to Mexican food, stir them into pasta or add them to just about any casserole.
Baked Potato One medium sized baked potato will give you about 2 milligrams of iron.
Quinoa This tasty non-wheat grain is excellent served as a substitute for rice. One cup of quinoa gives you 3 milligrams of iron. 16 | 50+ Living | March 2020
Clams If you love clams, you can say goodbye to your iron deficiency. A 3-ounce serving of clams can pack about 20 milligrams of iron. That’s enough for a whole day.
Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas Tasty garbanzo beans are delicious in a salad and give you 5 milligrams of iron per cup. Also, try putting them in a food processor with some olive oil to create your own iron-rich hummus.
Beef A 3-ounce serving of red meat contains 3 milligrams of iron. An average burger has about 6 ounces of beef.
Dried Apricots For an iron-filled snack on the go, grab a package of dried apricots. You’re getting 2 milligrams of iron per half cup of the fruit.
Cooked Spinach Spinach is packed with iron. There are 6 milligrams of iron in each cup of cooked spinach. Serve it in pasta, in a meat dish or all by itself with a little salt and garlic.
Dark Turkey Meat That holiday turkey can pump up your iron. Each 3-ounce serving of dark turkey meat contains about 2 milligrams of iron.
