Iron in Pregnancy - with Recipe Links!

Yesterday we spoke about Iron within a child's diet.  Today I'm going to discuss iron in terms of a pregnant woman.  Iron is an incredibly important mineral within your diet.  Unfortunately, for many women within the United States, this important mineral is often lacking.  And while important vitamins and minerals like iron are missing, too much sodium and saturated fat is being consumed in their place.

Iron is vital in one's diet.  When a person is deficient in iron, issues such as anemia can result.  During pregnancy, on top of issues with anemia, the side effects of low iron can be poor fetal growth and even premature birth.  But there are ways that one can add iron into her diet to help increase the level of this mineral during pregnancy, and eating these foods alongside a vitamin-C rich food can help one's body absorb it even more.

Pregnant women need 27mg of iron per day.  And although a prenatal vitamin can help with this, it is important to make conscious food choices that will help add additional iron into one's diet as well.  Finding iron rich foods and incorporating them into one's daily meal plan is not difficult, and finding tasty recipes in which to incorporate them is now easier then ever thanks to the internet.  Below one can find three iron rich food choices chosen from a long list of options, along with recipe titles connected with hyperlinks to easily access these ideas.

One food that will help with the increase of iron is beef.  In 3 ounces of beef one consumes 3mg of iron.   Grilled Sirloin Skewers with Peaches and Peppers are a delicious way to incorporate beef into your diet as well as incorporate iron into your diet along side a food with moderate vitamin C - the peaches.  Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry also incorporates a solid amount of iron alongside vitamin-c for better absorption.

Garbanzo beans are rich in iron, having 4.7mg in 1 cup.  And for those preferring to use less meat in their diet, using beans as a focus to a dish can still be an option.  Garbanzo Black Bean Medley and Sausage with Beans and Escarole  are two meals that have a significant amount of garbanzo beans in their recipe, one meatless, and one not.

Also, tofu has 6.6mg of iron in 1/2 cup.  Orange-Glazed Tofu Triangles with Sesame Rice again allows for some vitamin C alongside the iron rich food, tofu, to help with absorption and is a great meatless meal.  Lastly, Tofu Steaks with a Red-Pepper Walnut Sauce is a delicious variation on tofu, and again has a high dose of iron due to the tofu in it.

 

Until Next Time...