The Backyard

The Backyard

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Dilemma - Eating Vegetarian, Local and Getting Enough Iron

A test for you -- if eating vegetarian AND taking the eat local challenge in Central Pennsylvania (we had our first frost two nights ago), what is the best source of iron? The average person, depending on their age and gender, needs between 8 and 15 mg of iron per day. Here's the choices of high iron-content foods. Remember...it has to be local.

Iron mg per serving
Iron in Breads, cereals, and grains
Bran flakes, 1 c 11.0
Oatmeal, 1 packet 6.3
Samolina, Cream of wheat, 1/2 cup cooked 5.5
Wheat germ, 2 tablespoon 1.2
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice 0.9
White bread, 1 slice 0.7

Iron in Vegetables (1/2 cup cooked)
Sea vegetables 18.1-42.0
Swiss chard 2
Turnip greens 1.6
Prune juice, 4 oz 1.5
Spinach cooked 1.5
Beet greens cooked 1.4
Potato, 1 large 1.4
Bok choy cooked 0.7
Peas, cooked 0.65
Green beans, cooked 0.60
Tomato juice 0.6
Broccoli, cooked 0.55
Watermelon, 1/8 medium 0.5

Iron in Legumes (1/2 cup cooked)
Lentils 3.2
Black eye beans 2.6
Navy beans 2.5
Pinto beans 2.2
Lima beans 2.2
Kidney beans 1.5
Chick peas (200 g) 6.2

Iron in Soy foods (1/2 cup cooked)
Tofu 6.6
Soybeans 4.4
Tempeh 1.8
Soy milk 0.9

Iron in Nuts/Seeds (2 Tablespoon)
Pumpkin seeds 2.5
Figs, dried, 5 2.0
Dried apricot, 5 1.6
Almond, 1/4 cup 1.3
Tahini 1.2
Sesame 1.2
Sunflower seeds 1.2
Cashew nuts 1.0

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