If you’re constantly feeling low on energy, there’s a chance you might not have enough iron in your diet. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the US, and is usually linked with anemia, which is defined as “a condition in which your blood has a lower-than-normal amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin.” The good news is that there are a bunch of plant-based foods you can eat to get more of this essential element into your body. Here’s a list of 7 of them.
The first food on our list is lentils, which are one of the oldest pulse crops. Earthy and nutty in flavor, lentils are a versatile food to explore and include as reliable sources of iron in any plant-based diet.
Cashews are another delicious source of iron. Native to Brazil, these tasty and creamy nuts are popular ones that you will find in many grocery stores and restaurants.
Next up on our list is quinoa, the ancient protein-packed grain that is native to the Andean mountains of Peru. Eating just one cup of cooked quinoa can provide you with 2.8 mg of iron.
Swiss chard is yet another impressive provider of iron that you have to add to your diet. It’s easy to grow and simple to cook. Plus, just one cup of cooked Swiss chard will provide you with nearly 4 mg of iron.
The following fantastic source of iron is sunflower seeds. Known for their hypoallergenic quality, sunflower seeds are a great option for people with nut allergies.
The sixth food on our list is molasses, the viscous liquid that comes from processing sugar beets into sugar. Molasses is an extremely potent source of iron and can treat anemia effectively.
Rounding off our list is tahini. Best known in Mediterranean-type dips such as hummus and baba ghanoush, tahini (ground sesame seed butter) is rich in the essential trace mineral iron.
