How To Get More Iron In Your Diet During Pregnancy ?
When a woman is pregnant, she requires more iron than a non-pregnant woman. The iron absorbed by the body is used to carry oxygen to all the parts of the body. A pregnant woman needs around 27 mg of iron every day, as per the National Institutes of Health. If a woman does not get adequate iron on a daily basis during her pregnancy, she will suffer from anemia, feed weak and irritable, and may also have a pre-term labor. Hence, a pregnant woman should know how to get more iron in her diet during pregnancy. |
Some of the foods that a pregnant woman should be looking to consume on a daily basis to get more iron in her diet include the following:
Majority of fruits are rich in iron. Some examples include apricot, watermelon, plums, oranges and grapes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Even dried fruits, such as raisins, are rich in iron. In fact, half a cup of raisin contains 1.5mg iron.
Some vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, spinach, sweet potato and broccoli, are rich in iron. Half cup of fresh or cooked spinach can provide a pregnant woman with around 3mg iron.
Today, many cereals are coming fortified with iron. Oatmeal, breakfast cereals and grits contain iron, according to the National Institutes of Health. In addition, these fortified cereals also provide the pregnant woman with much needed folic acid and group B vitamins. The amount of iron in fortified cereals can range from 1 mg to around 21 mg.
Legumes, such black beans, navy beans and kidney beans, are excellent sources of iron for pregnant women. Half cup of lentils can provide a person with around 3 mg iron, while half cup of soybeans, cooked, can provide more than 4 mg iron.
Meat and fish also provide quite a bit of iron. Meats, such as beef, duck and lamb should be preferred over organ meats. Organ meats though one of the best sources of iron also contain Vitamin A, which is not good for the growing fetus. Other sources of iron that a pregnant woman should look to include in her diet include eggs, turkey and chicken. However, it is the red meats that contain maximum amount of iron.
Sardines, oysters and clams are iron-rich too. However, when consuming shellfish, it is important to know the source of the food, so that you can avoid those which have the potential of being contaminated with toxic chemicals.
Peanuts and pine nuts are also considered as good foods for getting iron. These actually can come handy in between meals when the woman wants to snack or feels an urge to eat something. Other foods that contain iron include pumpkin seeds and molasses. One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses contains around 3 mg iron, while one ounce of pumpkin seeds contains 4 mg of iron.
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• Dangers Of Too Much Iron In Blood
• Health Effects Of Iron In Drinking Water
• How Much Iron Should I Have A Day ?
• How To Get More Iron In Your Diet During Pregnancy ?
• Iron Healthy Foods
• Normal Blood Iron Levels
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Iron is a vital mineral required by our body in order to ensure growth, healing, production of energy, functioning of immune system and transportation of oxygen to different parts of the body. Iron comes in ‘heme’ and ‘non-heme’ varieties. The former is a substance in the hemoglobin which contains iron and is found in food from animal sources which is more easily absorbed. The latter is found in food from plant sources.