If you eat a diet based solely on plant ingredients, you should know that iron is a critical nutrient, that is, a nutrient at risk of deficiency and whose intake we must pay special attention to. That’s why we show you the best foods and recipes to add and iron to a vegan diet.
Although the plant-based iron It is absorbed in smaller proportions than iron of animal origin, an adequate intake as well as the presence of factors that favor its absorption in the body can greatly help prevent nutritional anemia and the deficit of this important mineral in our body.
Therefore, we show you some foods that can help you add iron to your vegan diet:
Quinoa, oatmeal and other whole grains or pseudocereals
The whole grains or whole grains, as well as pseudocereals(especially if they are enriched with the mineral) are an excellent source of iron for the body.
can offer between 7 and 12 mg of iron per 100 grams and we can use them in the presence of food sources of vitamin C to promote absorption in the body or after soaking and cooking to reduce the presence of antinutrients that can limit the availability of iron in our body.
Thus, we propose to make a brown rice sauté, some oatmeal and apple cookies, a quinoa porridge or a whole wheat bread to add iron through healthy and vegan dishes.
Peach dried apricots, perfect to consume without further ado
They are perfect to consume as such between meals or to create energy bars, sweet balls (without honey) or to add to a salad, providing not only a natural sweet taste and a lot of fiber, but also around 8 mg of iron per 100 grams.
Textured soy, perfect to replace meat
Textured soy is an excellent source of protein in vegan diets and, at the same time, can offer about 14 mg of iron per 100 grams, thus resulting in a very valuable food to use in place of meat.
we can add textured soybeans to some tacos, some stuffed peppers, a fake bolognese sauce, a vegetarian chili, a stir-fry or other dishes to incorporate vegetable iron in appreciable quantities to our daily table.
Lentils: one of the legumes with the most iron
The lentils not only is it one of the most popular and accessible legumes, but it is also one of the specimens that concentrates the most iron per 100 grams, being able to reach 8mg of the mineral.
It’s advisable always use them after a previous soaking and subsequent cooking, for dishes such as a false Bolognese sauce, salads, vegan burgers, tacos, stews or others.
Chia seeds, ideal to replace the egg
Because chia seeds have gelling, thickening or binding properties, they can be used as an egg replacement in vegan diets, offering around 7.5 mg of iron per 100 grams.
So, we can add chia seeds to some crackers, a pudding (with vegetable drink and without honey) or incorporate them into breads, sugar-free jams and other dishes.
Dried or powdered seaweed
The pulverized or dried and crushed seaweed not only can they concentrate vegetable proteins in appreciable quantities, but they can also provide iron exceeding the 20 mg per 100 grams.
Among the different specimens that concentrate iron, the alga spirulina as well as the seaweed agar agar and the nori seaweed dehydrated are the main sources of the mineral, being able to add them to a smoothie, a soup or some breads to enrich these dishes with beneficial nutrients.
Tahini, made from sesame seeds
Tahini or tahina is a sesame seed-based sauce that can provide minerals such as iron in appreciable quantities, reaching 9 mg per 100 grams.
We can use tahini to season different vegan dishes, its incorporation being traditional in the preparation of hummus, although it can also be added to cookies or dressings.
These are the best foods (and recipes) to add iron to a vegan diet, while incorporating other quality nutrients, beneficial to the body.
In DAP | How to get quality protein on a vegan diet by combining foods and 15 recipes that offer them
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