Iron-rich vegetables

The vegetarian should eat foods rich in iron such as beans, lentils, prunes, flaxseeds and kale to avoid anemia. In addition, you should use strategies such as eating citrus fruits, such as orange and acerola, along with these foods to increase iron absorption or you can bet on the consumption of Nutritional Yeast to add nutritional value to the diet, Anemia is a common disease in the entire population, but ovolactovegetarians should pay extra attention, as they often consume many products with milk and dairy products, and the calcium in these foods decreases the absorption of iron in the body. Find out what are the advantages and disadvantages of being a Vegetarian.

Iron-rich foods for vegetarians

The main foods of plant origin, sources of iron are:

Legumes: beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils; Dried fruits: apricot, plum, raisin; Seeds: pumpkin, sesame, flaxseed; Oilseeds: chestnuts, almonds, walnuts; Dark green vegetables: kale, watercress, coriander, parsley; Whole grains: wheat, oats, rice; Others: cassava, tomato sauce, tofu, cane molasses.

Vegetarians must eat these foods several times a day to have adequate amounts of iron.

Tips to increase iron absorption

Some tips for vegetarians to increase iron absorption in the intestine are:

Eat fruits rich in vitamin C, such as orange, pineapple, acerola and kiwi, along with foods rich in iron; Avoid drinking milk and derivatives together with foods rich in iron, as calcium decreases iron absorption; Avoid drinking coffee and teas along with foods rich in iron, as the polyphenols present in these drinks reduce the absorption of iron; Consume foods rich in fructooligosaccharides, such as artichoke, soy, asparagus, garlic, leeks and bananas; Avoid using heartburn medicines, as iron of vegetable origin needs the acidic pH of the stomach to be absorbed.

Vegetarians who eat milk and eggs tend to be more iron deficient than restricted vegetarians because they normally have a high intake of milk and dairy products, which reduces iron absorption. Thus, these vegetarians should pay special attention to iron and undergo routine tests to identify the presence of anemia. See more on How to avoid the lack of nutrients in the Vegetarian Diet.

Iron rich diet menu for vegetarians

The following is an example of a 3-day iron-rich menu for vegetarians.

Day 1

Breakfast: 1 glass of milk + 1 wholemeal bread with butter; Morning Snack: 3 cashew nuts + 2 kiwis; Lunch / Dinner: 4 tablespoons of brown rice + 3 tablespoons of beans + salad with chickpeas, parsley, tomatoes and watercress + 2 slices of pineapple; Afternoon Snack: 1 yogurt with flaxseed + 5 Maria biscuits + 3 prunes.

Day 2

Breakfast: 1 glass of yogurt + whole grain cereals; Morning Snack: 4 wholemeal toasts with butter + 3 nuts; Lunch / Dinner: 4 tablespoons of brown rice + 3 tablespoons of lentil + salad with soy beans, cabbage, tomatoes and sesame + 1 orange; Afternoon Snack: 1 glass of natural orange juice + 1 whole grain bread with cheese.

Day 3

Breakfast: Avocado smoothie + 5 whole grain toast with ricotta; Morning Snack: 5 cornstarch cookies + 3 apricots; Lunch / Dinner: Pasta with wholegrain pasta, tofu, tomato sauce, olives and broccoli + purple lettuce, tomato and raisin salad + 8 acerolas; Afternoon Snack: 1 yogurt + 5 seed cookies + 6 strawberries.

The vegetarian can also buy products enriched with iron and other minerals, such as rice flour, chocolate and crackers with seeds. Vegetarian diets are also low in vitamin B12, which is also important for preventing anemia. See what are the symptoms of lack of vitamin B12.

Check out some foods that you can't imagine that a vegetarian should not eat in this light and fun video by nutritionist Tatiana Zanin:

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