There are so many vitamins and minerals that we get from food that our bodies need to function optimally. Iron is one of those minerals. Our bodies can’t make iron so we must eat it, and as women, we need more iron than men. I’ve compiled 31 of the best foods highest in iron to help fuel our bodies as women.
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Our bodies need a lot of different vitamins and minerals to function optimally. Among those many different minerals is iron.
As women, we must be getting enough iron.
Yes, both men and women need iron but because women menstruate each month, we need more iron in our diets to help keep our iron levels up.
Maybe you’ve been told you’re low in iron, or maybe feel a bit sluggish on a regular basis. This may be because you’re lacking enough iron-rich foods in your diet.
I’ve compiled a list of the top foods highest in iron so you can start eating more iron today and stop feeling tired.
This post is all about the top 31 best foods highest in iron to fuel your body as a woman.
What is Iron
Iron is an important mineral that our bodies need for growth and development.
One of iron’s main roles is to help maintain healthy blood in our body.
Blood pumps throughout our whole body all day, transferring oxygen so that our organs can function and do their jobs.
Without iron, our blood doesn’t move around our body as easily and issues can arise.
Iron is a component of hemoglobin which is a type of protein in red blood cells that moves oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body.
It is also a component of myoglobin, another protein that our body uses to carry oxygen, specifically to our muscles.
Without iron, our body would not have enough red blood cells to move oxygen around our body. As a result, you could become very tired or have other related symptoms.
I’ll go over other symptoms later in this post.
There are two types of iron:
Heme Iron: Iron that is easier for our body to absorb
Non-Heme Iron: Iron that is harder for our body to absorb
Heme iron is found in animal sources like red meat, fish, and poultry. This type of iron is easier for our bodies to absorb compared to non-heme iron. Our bodies absorb about 30% of heme iron at a time.
Non-heme iron comes from plant-based sources like vegetables, nuts, and fruits, and our bodies only absorb about 2-10% of this type of iron at a time.
Why Women Need Iron
Everyone needs iron but women are special because we generally need more iron compared to men.
Women need more iron because we lose blood during our menstruation every month.
If we aren’t replacing that iron from iron-rich foods then it can potentially lead to anemia.
Anemia is when your blood has a lower-than-normal amount of red blood cells.
In a study from 2019, 29.9% of women aged 15-49 suffered from anemia.
When you have low iron, you may notice symptoms such as fatigue, physical weakness, dizziness, headaches, tiredness, light-headedness, cold hands and feet, and brittle nails.
Those are a few of the things you may feel if you have low iron or anemia.
That is why it’s important to make sure we are eating lots of foods highest in iron.
Iron is also important because it supports our immune system by helping the development of white blood cells. We need white blood cells because they are like little warriors in our blood waiting to attack bad bacteria and viruses.
Women need more iron specifically during pregnancy because iron is a vital part of brain development in babies and young children.
This means pregnant women need to focus more on eating iron-rich food to ensure their baby receives all the nutrients it needs for growth.
Foods Highest in Iron
Heme Iron:
- Liver and other organ meats
- Oysters
- Mussels
- Lamb
- Beef
- Clams
- Sardines
- Tuna
- Mackerel
- Chicken
- Pork
- Salmon
- Turkey
Non-Heme Iron:
- Soybeans
- Lentils
- Legumes
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Spinach
- Tofu
- Tahini
- Chickpeas
- Swiss Chard
- Quinoa
- Eggs
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Saurkraut
- Asparagus
- Beets
Many other foods also have iron in them, these are simply the foods that have the highest amount of iron.
So don’t dismiss eating other foods because you don’t think there is enough iron in them. All whole foods have different vitamins and minerals that are good for you in one way or another.
Get the Most out of Your Iron Rich Foods
Heme iron is absorbed easier into the body compared non-heme iron.
To help your body absorb non-heme iron easier you can eat those foods with heme iron-rich foods.
Or you can eat non-heme iron foods with foods rich in vitamins C and A, as they also improve the absorption of non-heme iron.
Some foods that are rich in vitamin C are citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, strawberries, broccoli, peppers, and brussels sprouts.
Good vitamin A-rich foods to combine with are mango, cantaloupe, tomatoes, kale, carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, and squash.
High Iron Meal Ideas
Above I listed a lot of food you can eat to get a good source of iron. However, you may be wondering how to take those foods and turn them into a yummy meal instead of just eating a handful of spinach.
Which may be someone’s perfect snack!
For others who need a little more funk in what they eat here are a few meal ideas:
- Chicken spinach salad, topped with sliced strawberries, beets, almonds, and walnuts. With a sweet honey tahini dressing.
- Chickpea quinoa salad with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, cut-up cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers. With an olive oil lemon dressing.
- Honey soy sauce salmon, with a side of asparagus and sauteed swiss chard.
- Steak with a side of lentil rice, and a spinach salad with an olive oil balsamic dressing.
- You could also cut up tofu into 1-inch slices, marinate them in soy sauce and paprika, then bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Flipping them halfway. These are great for snacking or adding to salads.
- Hummus is made from chickpeas and has tahini in it making it an iron-rich food. You can have it with pita bread or dip cut-up veggies in it for a snack.
- Eggs are a great nutrient-dense food to have for breakfast. You can have them alongside some citrus fruits like oranges. Or have them with some mangos, or strawberries to help the iron absorption.
- Another great way to get iron in is through smoothies. You can make a smoothie with banana, mango, strawberries, spinach, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds. You can also add protein powder if you want that extra bit of protein.
Tips for Eating More Iron
Here are a few tips for getting more iron in your diet.
First off, with any of the seeds, pumpkin, sunflower, almonds, walnuts, or pecans, you can always sprinkle those on top of any salad you eat. They add a great crunch and will give you the iron you need.
Next, any of the beans or legumes are also great to add to any leafy green salad. Or you can make a bean/legume salad by adding chopped-up vegetables and a dressing of your choice.
For getting iron through meat, fish, and poultry, try and switch up the type of protein you eat every week. This way you aren’t eating the same thing all the time.
This will allow you to eat a variety of iron-rich foods.
This is good general advice for any food you eat. Always try to eat a wide range of different foods regularly.
The more variety in the foods we eat, the more range of vitamins and minerals we’ll be giving to our bodies.
And our bodies use all those vitamins and minerals to help our organs function and keep us healthy.
Iron is a very important mineral that we women need for a healthy immune system, and to maintain good blood flow throughout our body.
We need more iron than men because we lose blood each month during menstruation, and need iron during pregnancy for baby development.
We need to be eating foods highest in iron because our body doesn’t produce iron naturally, like some other minerals.
So now you have a whole list of foods highest in iron to enjoy and make meals from.
Test some recipes out today and see if you notice an increase in energy.
