Breakfast Foods that Are High in Iron
Males 19 years of age and older need 8 mg of iron each day, while women aged 19 to 50 need 18 mg and only 8 mg after age 50. Lack of dietary iron in your diet can leave you feeling tired, susceptible to illness and with an inability to concentrate. Begin your day with iron-rich foods for breakfast.
Hot Cereals
Hot cereals provide an iron boost. A cup of cream of wheat has 57 percent of your daily iron. Even fortified instant oatmeal has 60 percent of your daily iron. You can add dried fruits, such as raisins and apricots, to increase the iron count a bit more.
Cold Cereal
Healthier brands of cold cereal will help increase your iron intake. A 1-cup serving of bran flakes with raisins contains 42 percent of your daily iron. A half cup of pure bran cereal contains 30 percent of your daily iron.
Spinach Omelet
Make a spinach omelet to start your day. One large egg has 4 percent of your daily iron, while 1 cup of cooked spinach has 40 percent of your daily iron. You can use frozen spinach to help cut the cooking time, but you will lose some iron. A 10-ounce package of frozen spinach contains only 24 percent of your daily iron, but it may be a better option if fresh spinach has traveled far and lost nutritional value over time.
Mexican Style Eggs and Beans
For something new, try Mexican food at breakfast. It's healthy and full of iron. One cup of black beans contains 20 percent of your daily iron. Add two eggs for another 8 percent, and top with salsa and a small amount of cheese.
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