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15 Vegetarian Foods That Have More Iron Than Meat!

by in Food June 28, 2017

Iron is an extremely supplement necessary for the body. Without it, you can form iron deficiency anemia and have very little energy!

Our bodies need iron because it is responsible for carrying oxygen in your red blood cells and transmitting nerve impulses. It is a mineral that is essential for good health and many people believe that you can only receive this nutrient by eating red meat. However, this is wrong because there are many plants that contain way more iron than meat! If you consume too much iron, it is stored for later use in fat cells.

Iron deficiency anemia is caused when there is not enough iron in your red blood cells. It is the most common form of anemia in the United States, ranking in at about five million diagnosed cases. While most people get their iron supplements completely from food, you might need to add in some iron supplements too. Symptoms include dizziness, weakness, difficulty concentrating. These days many people are deciding to cut meat from their diet because of the linked health issues to it. It just seems to be better to consume only nutritious and natural food rather than all of the processed ‘meat’ on the market today.

Many people believe that you cannot get an adequate amount of iron from just eating vegetables, but this isn’t true. In fact, there are some veggies that contain even more iron than meat does!

Spinach

Dark leafy greens like spinach are notorious for containing iron. Three cups of spinach equal out to be about 18MG of iron! That’s more than an eight-ounce steak!

Broccoli

Another dark green, broccoli also contains lots of iron. It also contains essential nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and Vitamin K.

Lentils

Only one cup of lentils can provide more iron than an eight-ounce steak too! It also has loads of potassium, protein, and dietary fiber.

Kale

Kale has so much iron in it, that it can effectively fight Anemia.

Bok Choy

This Chinese cabbage contains 1.8 MG of iron.

Baked Potato

A delicious baked potato is also an efficient source of iron. In fact, a baked potato has 3 times more iron than a 3 ounce serving of chicken.

Sesame Seeds

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds 1.3MG of iron.

Cashews

Cashews are a tasty nut that is rich in protein. They are highly recommended for vegetarians because of their high iron content. ¼ cup of cashews equals 2 grams of iron.

Soybeans

Soybeans are a great source of protein, soybeans are efficient for vegetarians. They contain 8.9 MG of iron!

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are tasty and an excellent snack for vegetarians. They also contain 4.7 MG of iron.

Dark chocolate

Chocolate actually has more benefits than you think it would. Dark chocolate especially has a significant amount of protein. An ounce of dark chocolate contains over 2-3 MG of protein. That’s more than beef.

Swiss Chard

Chard is a great source of iron, folates, folic acid, vitamins A, C, and K.

Tofu

Tofu is a vegetarian’s best friend. It contains 3 mg of Iron.

Kidney beans

Kidney beans contain up to 3-4 MG of iron per cup!

Cabbage

Cabbage is also known for containing high amounts of iron.