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What is "a good food source" for iron?
A good food source of iron contains a substantial
amount of iron in relation to its calorie content & contributes
at least 10% of the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (U.S. RDA) for iron in a selected serving size.
The U.S. RDA for iron is 18 milligrams per day. The U.S. RDA given is for adults (except pregnant or lactating
women) & children over 4 years of age.
The U.S. RDA for iron is the amount of the mineral
used as a standard in nutrition labeling of foods. This allowance is based on the 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
for 24 sex-age categories set by the Food & Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences.
 Women & Iron
Nutritional All-Star: Iron
This
mineral helps stave off sluggishness by building up red blood cells, which transport the oxygen your body needs to keep all cylinders
running.
Without
enough iron, your supply of red blood cells dwindles & you begin to look pale & feel weak.
"Women
require more iron than men do because they shed red blood
cells when they're menstruating," points out Jackie Newgent, a registered
dietitian & nutrition consultant in New York City.
What women
need:
What women
get:
Add to
your diet: You absorb more iron from meat & fish than from other foods.
-
Try
3 ozs. lean steak (3 mg)
-
3
ozs. chicken or pork (1 mg)
-
3
ozs. fish fillet or 5 large shrimp (¾ mg)
-
5
small clams or 1 lobster tail (½ mg)
Nonmeat
stars include:
-
1
cup fortified breakfast cereal (4½ to 18 mg of iron)
-
1
oz. pumpkin seeds (4 mg)
-
1
cup prune juice or ½ cup cooked spinach (3 mg)
-
½
cup kidney beans (2½ mg)
-
1
slice whole wheat bread (1 mg)
Try
to eat these foods with something rich in vitamin C
to increase absorption, suggests
Newgent.
 
Do we get enough iron?
According to recent USDA surveys, the average iron intake of American women 20 to 50 years of age was 83%
of their RDA.
Men of the same age met & exceeded their RDA.
The ability of the body to absorb & utilize
iron from different foods varies. The iron in meat, poultry
& fish is absorbed & utilized more readily than iron in other foods.
The presence of these animal products in a meal
increases the availability of iron from other foods. The presence of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in a meal also increases iron absorption.
The body increases or decreases iron absorption
according to need. The body absorbs iron more efficiently when iron stores are low & during growth spurts or pregnancy.
The most common indication of poor iron status
is iron deficiency anemia, a condition
in which the size & number of red blood cells are reduced. This condition may result from inadequate intake of iron or
from blood loss.
Good Sources of Iron |
Food |
Selected
Serving Size |
% Of U.S. RDA1 |
|
Breads, cereals, & other grain products2 |
|
|
|
Bagel, plain, pumpernickel, or whole-wheat |
1 medium |
+ |
|
Farina, reg. or quick, cooked |
2/3 cup |
++ |
|
Bran Muffin |
1 medium |
+
|
|
Noodles, cooked |
1 cup |
+
|
|
Oatmeal, instant, fortified, prepared |
2/3 cup |
++
|
|
Pita bread, plain or whole-wheat |
1 small |
+
|
|
Soft Pretzel |
1 |
+
|
|
Ready-to-eat cereals, fortified |
1 ounce |
++
|
|
Rice, white, reg. or converted, cooked |
2/3 cup |
+
|
Fruits |
|
|
|
Apricots, dried, cooked, unsweetened |
1/2 cup |
+
|
Vegetables |
|
|
|
Beans, lima, cooked |
1/2 cup |
+
|
|
Spinach, cooked |
1/2 cup |
+
|
|
Meat, poultry, fish & alternates |
|
|
Meat & Poultry |
|
|
|
Beef |
|
|
|
Brisket, braised, lean only |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Ground; extra lean, lean or regular; baked or broiled |
1 patty |
+
|
|
Pot roast, braised, lean only |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Roast; rib, roasted, lean only |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Short ribs, braised, lean only |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Steak; baked, broiled or braised; lean only: |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Stew meat, simmered, lean only |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Liver, braised |
|
|
|
Beef |
3 ounces |
++
|
|
Calf |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Pork |
3 ounces |
+++
|
|
Chicken or turkey |
1/2 cup diced |
++
|
|
Liverwurst |
1 ounce |
+
|
|
Tongue, braised |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Turkey, dark meat, roasted, without skin |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Fish & Seafood |
|
|
|
Clams; steamed, boiled, or canned; drained |
3 ounces |
+++
|
|
Mackerel, canned, drained |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Mussels, steamed, boiled, or poached |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Oysters: |
|
|
|
Baked, broiled, or steamed |
3 ounces |
++
|
|
Canned, undrained |
3 ounces |
++
|
|
Shrimp; broiled, steamed, boiled, or canned; drained |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Trout, baked or broiled |
3 ounces |
+
|
|
Dry Beans, Peas & Lentils |
|
|
|
Beans; black-eyed peas |
|
|
|
(cow peas), chickpeas (garbanzo beans), |
|
|
|
red kidney, or white, cooked |
1/2 cup |
+
|
|
Lentils, cooked |
1/2 cup |
+
|
|
Soybeans, cooked |
1/2 cup |
++
|
Nuts & Seeds |
|
|
|
Pine Nuts (pignolias) |
2 tablespoons |
+
|
|
Pumpkin or squash seeds, hulled, roasted |
2 tablespoons |
+
|
|
1 A selected serving size contains -
+ 10 24% of the U.S. RDA for adults & children over 4 years of age
++ 25
39% of the U.S. RDA for adults & children over 4 years of age
+++ 40% or more of the U.S. RDA for adults & children over 4 years of age |
|
2 Breads, pasta & cereals listed are enriched unless otherwise noted. |
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nutritional navigation
vitamins
minerals
iron - you are here!
Where do we get iron?
In 1990, grain products supplied almost half (49%) the iron in the American diet & meats supplied nearly 1/5 or (19%).
About 1/10 of the iron in the American diet
also came from vegetables.
Foods that contain small amounts of iron, but
are not considered good sources, can contribute significant amounts of iron to an individual's diet if these foods are eaten
often or in large amounts.
How can we get enough iron?
Eating a variety of foods that contain iron
is the best way to get an adequate amount. Healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements.
Intakes of iron tend to be low in relation to
recommendations, & there aren't that many foods that are really good sources; thus, it may take special care to ensure
an adequate intake.
Many doctors recommend feeding a fortified milk
formula or breakfast cereal, or giving an iron supplement to infants & toddlers, because it is especially difficult to
meet their iron needs.
Doctors usually prescribe iron supplements for pregnant or lactating women.
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How to prepare foods to retain iron
Iron is lost in cooking some foods even under
the best conditions. To retain iron:
- Cook foods in a minimal
amount of water.
- Cook for the shortest
possible time.
What is a serving?
The amount of nutrient in a serving depends
on the weight of the serving. For example, a cup of cooked spinach contains more iron than a cup serving of spinach served
raw, because the cooked spinach weighs more.
Raw spinach provides the nutrient, but
just not enough in a cup serving to be considered a good source.
What about enriched or fortified foods?
Pasta, white rice & most breads made from
refined flours are enriched w/iron, because iron is one of the nutrients lost in processing.
Other nutrients added to refined flours &
pasta are:
- thiamin
- niacin
- riboflavin
Enriched products or products made from enriched
flour are labeled as such. Minimum & maximum enrichment levels are specified for thiamin, riboflavin & niacin, but
only a minimum level of iron is required in farina.
Thus, iron enrichment levels for farina vary from brand to brand.
Most ready-to-eat & instant-prepared
cereals are fortified w/iron. Fortified, ready-to-eat cereals usually contain at least 25% of the U.S. RDA for iron.
Since cereals vary,
check the label on the package for the percentage
of the U.S. RDA for a specific cereal.
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