photo from livelovefruit.com

By Chloe Khachadourian and Neha Vivek, VRG interns

If you’re vegan and would like to learn more about unexpected sources of iron, then this article is for you. Read on to find out about our experiences with finding iron in vegan foods, vegan iron sources, the stereotypes about vegans and their iron consumption, and the importance of iron in the human body.

Before writing this article, we went on a scavenger hunt in grocery stores near us to locate vegan food that contained 10% or more of the Daily Value of iron per serving. To do this we looked at the nutrition label of each product and we looked at the serving size of the product and the bottom section of the nutrition label. On almost all of our products this section stated the iron with a number in milligrams, indicating how many milligrams of iron, and a percentage to see how much of the Daily Value for the day the product has (to learn more what Daily Value means, look at this article by the VRG). We were surprised by the variety and type of foods that we were able to find. For example, going into the grocery store, we didn’t think foods like whole wheat spaghetti, pumpkin purée, or cocoa powder had a lot of iron in them, but they do. It was a nice surprise because we love incorporating these foods in some of our weekly meals and desserts that we make and you can find them in most grocery stores. All you have to do is go into a grocery store near you, like Safeway or Whole Foods, and just explore. You will be surprised by the amount of iron that is in some vegan foods.

When people hear that you are vegan they sometimes ask: How do you get enough iron? Many people think of iron exclusively as something found in animal flesh, making it difficult for people to imagine how to get iron in a vegetarian or vegan diet. However, iron is found in plant foods such as leafy greens. Compared to iron found in animal products, of which 5 to 35 percent is absorbed, plant-based iron is less absorbed; roughly 2 to 10 percent is absorbed (1). Absorption of the form of iron found in plant foods can be increased by eating a food rich in vitamin C such as oranges or tomatoes along with the food supplying iron. It is important for those that eat animal products and for vegans to consume iron-rich foods to prevent iron deficiency.

Vegan Food and Meals with 10% of or more of the Daily Value for Iron (Most to Least):

 Variety of Vegan Foods with Iron

If you’re looking for new inspiration for vegan food and meals with a good amount of iron in them, then this section is perfect for you.

• Legumes: Legumes are an amazing food. They contain lots of protein, fiber and you guessed it, iron. Some examples are lentils, chickpeas, dried beans, and soybeans. You can make a variety of meals using these foods and they are so healthy for you.
• Grains and Cereals: Do you like to eat oatmeal in the morning? If you do, then you’re starting your day well. Oats, quinoa, and most fortified cereals have a good amount of iron in them, so eat away.
• Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds are good sources of iron and there are so many options to choose from such as pistachios, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds.
• Vegetables: Many vegetables including spinach, kale, and broccoli are good sources of iron.
• Dried Fruits: Dried fruits are another great food to eat and they almost taste like candy. Some dried fruits that supply iron are dried apricots, prunes, and raisins.

Importance of Iron

Iron is found in a protein in red blood cells called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. However, oxygen transport isn’t the only function iron has in the human body. Other important functions of iron include:

1. Energy production
2. Immune function
3. Brain function
4. Cellular function

If humans don’t have enough iron, negative health effects can occur such as decreased oxygen delivery to the entire body. This lack of oxygen transportation can lead to other negative health effects such as:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Problems with concentration

The takeaway from all of this is that iron is an important mineral that we need to make sure we have enough of.

Reference

1. Monsen ER. Iron nutrition and absorption: dietary factors which impact iron bioavailability. J Am Diet Assoc. 1988;88(7):786-790.

For more information about iron see these other articles by the VRG:
https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue1/2023_issue1_foods_high_in_iron.php

The contents of this website and our other publications, including The Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.