Where do you get your protein? Whether it is at family dinners, from co workers, or memes on the internet, if you are a vegan this is a phrase you have probably come into contact with. The truth is meeting the bodies need for protein is very easy as long as you are eating enough. A vitamin that is less commonly talked about, and can be a be slightly more difficult to get enough of as a vegan is iron. That is not to say that you will have trouble getting enough iron on a plant based diet, there are plenty of options. But it is something that you should pay attention to and make sure that you are eating food that will provide you with this important mineral.
Why Iron is Important
Iron is vital for the human body, most of us know this already, but do you know why our bodies need it? Hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cell that is used to transport oxygen throughout the body, is an iron-containing protein. Without enough iron our blood cannot transport oxygen to the body properly. Interestingly enough, our body’s weight is made up of 0.005% of iron, approximately 4 grams. Three quarters of this iron is used by the hemoglobin in our bodies. The hemoglobin is recycled by the human body specifically for the iron.
Recommended daily intakes vary from country to country. The Canadian Food Guide recommends 14 mg of iron per day. However, the amount of iron a person needs depends on a several things, for example; age, gender and diet. Women between the ages of 19-50 generally require a greater amount of iron than any other demographic, with the exception of pregnant women. An important bit of information to remember is that for us vegan/vegetarians, the body absorbs plant-based iron differently than it does iron sourced from animal products, meaning people on a plant-based diet will require a higher intake of iron. All that being said, it is stated by both the U.S. and Canadian food guides to ensure that the daily intake of iron stay below 45mg/day. Too much iron in the body can be very harmful.
How to Add Iron to a Plant Based Diet
Cereals, oatmeal, cream of wheat and similar foods are often fortified with iron. Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron, especially the iron that is added to cereals. This means having a glass of orange juice or eating some strawberries or citrus fruit with your oatmeal will make your breakfast much more beneficial. Soybean products like tofu, tempeh and meatless meat alternatives are all great sources of iron. Soybeans have an excellent source of iron on their own and most products made with soy will also be fortified to increase the amount of iron us vegetarian/vegans get. Spinach, asparagus, lentils, beans (most types), peas, pumpkin/squash seeds, and nuts are also sources of iron.
Looking to add a little iron to your baked goods? Try baking with molasses as a sweetener. This is easy for you east coast and Acadian Canadians, as molasses is often, or once was, a common staple in the home.
A Few More Tips on Iron and Your Diet
Another way to increase iron in your diet is the cook using a cast-iron frying pan. Something to keep in mind while cooking with a cast-iron pan is that foods with a higher acidity level will absorb more iron from the pan. This means cooking with tomato-based sauces or adding some lemon or lime juice to whatever is frying up will help not only the food, but it will also help our bodies to absorb more of the iron.
Iron is not something to be taken lightly, especially for women. It is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. We highly recommend that all vegan and vegetarians check with a doctor on a yearly basis to ensure there are no deficiencies in the body. Another common deficiency for people with a plant-based diet is B12.
To sum it all up, try to get about 14-20 mg daily (stay less than 45 mg/day), invest in a cast-iron frying pan, have oatmeal for breakfast once or twice a week, and try to change things up a bit by using molasses as a sweetener. Stay healthy and keep that oxygen flowing through the body!
