Beef and veal contain two-thirds more iron than do pork and lamb, and ten times as much iron as does milk.
Top animal-based sources of iron include: red meats (beef, lamb, veal, pork, kangaroo). The redder the meat, the higher it is in iron. offal (liver, kidney, pate)
Red Meat
The amount of iron depends on the type of red meat. For every 100 grams of meat, beef has about 2.47 mg of iron, lamb has 1.78 mg, and venison has 4.98mg.
Lamb and beef have similar calories, total fat, protein, vitamin, and mineral content—but lamb (especially grass-fed lamb) is the winner when it comes to omega-3 fat content. Grass-fed lamb also has higher quantities of the healthy fat CLA, which is beneficial for cognitive, cardiovascular, and metabolic health.
The best sources of iron are beef and lamb as they are high in well absorbed iron. Eating an iron-rich diet which includes 130g of cooked* beef or lamb every second day is recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Foods high in iron are also high in zinc, important for growth, development and immunity.
Low iron levels are a common concern for blood donors, so you might be wondering if eggs are a good source of iron to help you out. Fortunately, eggs are a great source of iron, protein and other essential vitamins.
Broccoli is a nutritious vegetable that is rich in fiber, vitamins C, vitamin K and iron. A one-cup serving of cooked broccoli has about one mg of iron, which is six percent of the required daily intake. Though it may not be that high in iron content, broccoli is still a fairly good source of the mineral.
You can quickly raise your iron levels by drinking iron-rich drinks like Aviva Romm's iron tonic, spinach-cashew-raspberry smoothie, pumpkin juice, mulberry smoothie, and Prune juice. Eating dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, broccoli, fish, meat, and fresh citrus fruits will also help raise your iron levels.
The potato is known to be a good source of energy, potassium and vitamins C and B6, but according to research recently published in the Journal of Nutrition, its tubers can also be an excellent source of iron.
There is 0.3 mg of iron in one-third of a medium avocado. That's 2% of the daily value (DV) of iron. Nutrient-rich avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Learn more about the benefits of avocado here.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in addition to some non-heme iron, lots of animal proteins have heme iron, including ground beef (4 ounces of 93 percent lean ground meat provides 2.63 mg, meaning it's a good source), eggs (1.68 mg in two large eggs), turkey (1.23 mg per 3 ounces of dark-meat ...
Cooked bananas had significantly higher iron content than raw bananas and phytate content was similar in all the banana samples. Total iron intake from bananas of each group was 1.6 mg of iron/480 g of raw banana and 2.6 mg or iron/500 g of cooked banana.
Spinach, Swiss chard, and lamb's lettuce are some vegetables that contain high amounts of iron.
Although you'll get plenty of nutrients from avocados, they're not the best sources of iron. If you're looking to boost your iron intake, fresh avocado slices pair perfectly with lots of iron-rich foods.
Inhibitors of iron absorption include phytate, which is a compound found in plant-based diets that demonstrate a dose-dependent effect on iron absorption. Polyphenols are found in black and herbal tea, coffee, wine, legumes, cereals, fruit, and vegetables and have been demonstrated to inhibit iron absorption.
You may notice pale skin and cold hands and feet. Iron-deficiency anemia can also cause you to feel dizzy or lightheaded. Occasionally, it can cause chest pain, a fast heartbeat and shortness of breath. Iron deficiency can cause you to have unusual cravings for non-food items such as ice, dirt or paper.
Peanut butter
Peanut butter is a rich source of healthy fats, protein and iron. It can work well in treating anemia. To get the most of its health benefits, include peanut butter in your daily diet.
Finally, health experts say to stay away from processed meats, which are generally considered to be unhealthy. These include any meat that has been smoked, salted, cured, dried, or canned. Compared to fresh meat, processed meats are high in sodium and can have double the amount of nitrates.
Healthiest options: turkey and chicken
When it comes to the healthiest meats that pack the biggest nutritional punch, turkey and chicken should be at the top of your (grocery) list, says Schiff. Both are about equal in terms of nutrition, with turkey tending to be leaner than chicken.