FitSugar

15 High-Iron Foods Under 100 Calories

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:07:05 PST

Too tired to hit the gym? You may not be getting enough iron in your diet. Healthy adult women need 18 milligrams a day (if you're prego, up that amount to 27 mg). If your diet doesn't offer the appropriate amount, fatigue will impair your ability to do physical work (like exercise). Iron also helps carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body, helps muscles store and use oxygen, and is even found in the enzymes needed to digest food. An iron deficiency may also make you feel cold, as well as exhausted, and weaken your immune system, making you more likely to get sick.

Avoid iron issues by making sure you get enough from your diet. Here are 15 high sources of iron that won't break the calorie bank.

15. Half a hamburger patty: 1.1 mg iron, 89 calories
14. 3 ounces turkey: 1.2 mg, 87 calories
13. 1/3 cup kidney beans: 1.3 mg, 75 calories
12. 1/3 cup edamame: 1.5 mg, 85 calories
11. 1/3 cup white beans: 1.7 mg, 85 calories

Continue reading to see 10 more low-calorie foods with even higher levels of iron.

Don't Tell Popeye! US Kids Lack Iron in Their Diets

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 07:00:00 PST

US kids are iron deficient. So says the American Academy of Pediatrics who recently released new iron guidelines for infants and toddlers. According to the doctors, tots with low iron levels can have lifelong neurodevelopment issues that can be easily prevented in early childhood. Take this quiz to see how much you know about the recommendations.

Take the Quiz

What Does Your RDI Look Like: Iron

FitSugar — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:37:27 PDT

Back in my vegetarian phase during college, my mom always said, "If you don't eat beef, you won't get enough iron." While it is a great source of this valuable mineral, red meat is not the only meat that contains iron. Chicken, turkey, and seafood such as oysters, tuna, and salmon are also high in iron. When it comes to vegetarian sources, beans, leafy greens, nuts, egg yolks, potatoes with the skin, and dried fruits can help you reach your recommended daily intake (RDI). The human body needs iron to make hemoglobin, which helps carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, and an adult woman should get 18 milligrams of iron daily. Check out the chart below to make sure you're meeting the RDI of iron.

Food	Amount	Amount of Iron (mg)
Fortified cereal	1 oz	4.5-7
Dried apricot	1/4 cup	1.5
Raisins	1/4 cup	1.1
Molasses	1 tbsp	3.3
Garbanzo beans	1/2 cup, cooked	3.4
Pinto beans	1/2 cup	2.2

To see what other foods contain iron and signs of iron deficiency,

Casa Quickie: Cut Your Ironing Time in Half

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:00:26 PST

If we had our way, we'd eliminate ironing from our schedules entirely by pawning the task off on the men in our lives. But let's face it, that'll never happen. So, here's a trick for cutting your ironing time in half. Cover your ironing board with aluminum foil. The metal conducts heat, and will reflect the heat of your iron so that your garment's fibers are heated on both sides as you iron. You may have actually come across some ironing board covers with a metallic lining; these are based on the same concept. Simple science!

Are You at Risk For Iron Deficiency?

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:00:12 PST

When I was a vegetarian in college, aside from not getting enough protein, my mother was always worried that I wasn't getting enough iron. While being vegetarian doesn't automatically mean you have an iron deficiency (also referred to as anemia), it definitely puts a person at risk. Women in general are also more at risk for iron deficiency because they tend to diet more than men, and may not get enough iron from the foods they eat. Women also lose blood every month (if they're not on birth control that stops their period), and heavy periods are especially a risk factor. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can also lead to iron deficiency.

For women over 18, the RDI of iron is 18 milligrams, and eating a diet rich in iron is one way to prevent anemia. The best food sources are red meat, seafood such as salmon, oysters, and tuna, chicken, egg yolks, oats, beans, soy products, leafy greens, dried fruit, and cereals fortified with iron.

How will you know if you're not getting enough iron? Oh you'll know. Symptoms include extreme fatigue, pale complexion, weakness, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, cold hands and feet, irritability, sore tongue, brittle nails, and a weird craving for non-foods such as dirt or ice. If you're experiencing these symptoms, talk to your doctor. They'll help figure out what's causing your deficiency, and be able to recommend ways to get your iron levels back up to par.

Have any of you every suffered from an iron deficiency?

8 Vegetarian Sources of Iron

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:50:00 PDT

Feeling sleepy and rundown lately? You may not be getting enough iron. A woman needs 18 milligrams a day. Beef, chicken, and fish are great sources, but if you aren't big into those foods or a vegetarian, check out these eight sources that will help you meet your RDI.

Eye on Iron: Cast Iron Skillet

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:45 PDT

Due to our complex biology and Aunt Ruby's monthly visit, women need more iron than men. Adult women should aim for 18 milligrams of iron a day, and an easy way to boost your iron intake is to cook with a cast iron skillet.

Acidic and watery foods cooked in a cast iron skillet will absorb iron molecules from the pan, and this a safe way to meet your recommended daily allowance of the important mineral. There are a couple of caveats, though. The more you use your skillet the less iron your food will absorb, because a well-seasoned pan will have a thin layer of fat coating the pan. This seasoning will interfere with some of the iron absorption. The other is taste. The longer food cooks in a iron skillet, the more likely it is to take on a metallic taste from the pan. That being said, see how much you can increase your iron when you

read more. Researchers found that the iron in one serving of tomato sauce increased from under one milligram to almost 6 mg when cooked in an iron pan. The iron in scrambled eggs increased from 1.5 mg to 5 mg. Most surprising is applesauce. A 100-gram serving (about a quarter of a pound) went from .35 mg of iron to over 7 mg when cooked in cast iron. Do you use a cast iron skillet?

Where Do You Iron?

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:00:21 PDT

I iron in the kitchen because there happens to be a fold-out ironing board closet there. But, if I had my way, I'd iron in my bedroom . . . or my walk-in closet. I have a friend who irons on the floor of her living room. And of course, there are those with a dedicated "laundry room." How about you?
Photo by James Merrell

Calcium, Iron, and Fiber - Oh My!

FitSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 03:30:00 PDT

We eat for our health and to feed our our bones, blood, and bowels, but some nutrients just don't play well with others. Take calcium and iron for instance. Calcium can reduce your ability to absorb iron by as much as 50 percent. However, calcium only interferes with non-heme iron, which comes from plant-based foods, not with heme iron, found in meat. This interplay between calcium and iron is really only important if you suffer from anemia, because although short-term iron absorption is reduced by calcium, studies have found that iron stored in the blood is not.

When it comes to calcium, fiber binds to the mineral, reducing its absorption. Studies have found that wheat fiber reduces calcium absorption by about half. If you're like most folks and you aim to get a jump-start on fulfilling your recommended daily intake of fiber and calcium with your bowl of breakfast cereal, choose cereals that feature oats or other grains since they don't seem to block the calcium.

Ultimately, if you eat a well balanced diet and aim to eat your nutrients rather than find them in supplements, you're probably getting all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need. Just think of this post as a little food for thought.

Have You Ever Burned Clothes While Ironing?

FabSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:00:22 PDT

I have . . . one time.
Source

Food	Amount	Amount of Iron (mg)
Lima beans	1/2 cup	2.2
Lentils	1/2 cup	3.2
Soybeans	1/2 cup	7
Tofu	1/2 cup	6.2
Sun-dried tomatoes	1/2 cup	9
Spinach	1/2 cup, raw	2.7
Kale	1/2 cup, steamed	2
Broccoli	1/2 cup, raw	1
Asparagus	1/2 cup, steamed	1
Potatoes, with the skin	1/2 cup	3.2
Pine nuts	1/2 cup	9
Peanuts	1/2 cup	3.9
Pumpkin seeds	1/2 cup	14
Sunflower seeds	1/2 cup	6.7
Flaxseed	1/2 cup	6.2
Ground beef	1 patty	4
Steak	3 oz	4
Turkey (dark meat)	3 oz	4
Oysters	3 oz, steamed	7.4
Trout	3 oz	4
Shrimp	3 oz	4