Best Iron recipes for Anemia, 10 Vegetarian Sources of Iron

If you don’t eat enough leafy vegetables and greens, you will become weak and tired. There won’t be enough blood, and you will look pale and anaemic,” is something we have grown up hearing right from our childhood. Be it mom, be it grandma, they have always painted a very green and leafy picture of iron! There is no doubt that green leafy veggies, are a great source of iron, but there is much more to it. Some cereals, dals and pulses and nuts and oil seeds are fantastic sources of iron too. Learn a few more sources of iron here…..

1.     Leafy vegetables like Spinach, fenugreek leaves, cauliflower greens, dill leaves etc.  A cup of spinach lends approx.. 1.8 mg of iron. Use common greens to make Palak Methi na Muthia or unusual greens like cauliflower greens to cook Cauliflower Greens and Mixed Sprouts Tikki. 

Cauliflower Greens Mixed Sprouts Tikki

2.    Seeds like garden cress seeds, sunflower seeds and poppy seeds. Garden cress seeds, also known as halim, are one of the best sources of iron. To overcome Anemia try Halim drink at least once in 2 days.

Halim Drink Recipe, Best Source Of Iron

3.    Cereals like ragi flour, Bajra Flour and Jowar Flour. Bajra Roti is one of the healthies Iron rich Indian bread to feast on. 1 Bajra gives 2.1 mg of iron, which is approx. 10% of your day’s requirement.

Also try nachni flour to make Nachni Sesame Khakhra. Make them when you have time on hand and grab them when you are in a hurry.

Nachni Sesame Khakhra ( Iron and Calcium Rich Recipe )

4. Pulses like kabuli chana, moong, matki, rajma etc. These are found on all kitchen shelves. Sprout them for enhanced iron intake. Use them creatively to make Matki Jowar Paratha and Chana Palak.

Matki and Jowar Paratha

5. Beaten rice (poha): Poha is known to be beaten in huge iron containers and thus their high iron content. Combine them with other iron rich ingredients and treat yourself with Poha Cutlet.

Poha Cutlet ( Iron Rich )

6. Nuts like Walnuts, peanuts and Almonds: These nuts are known to be rich sources of iron, protein, antioxidants, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Gain all the health benefits with Almond Bhakri.

Almond Bhakri, Gluten Free Almond Bhakri

7. Dates : Dates are known to be another iron rich ingredient, which can easily be added to Indian cuisines. They are fairly rich in fiber and iron both. Learn the art of satisfying your sweet tooth without sugar laden sweets, and instead by use of dates like in the recipe of Date and Nut Balls.

Date and Walnut Balls

8. Jaggery : Jaggery is another natural sweetener which abounds in iron.

You can use this in restricted quantities occasionally to make Indian sweets like Whole Wheat Flour and Jaggery Ladoo.

Whole Wheat Flour and Jaggery Ladoo

9. Fruits like watermelon and Pineapple. Though surprising it may sound, but these fruits carry some amount of iron in them.

Have them whole to reap their utmost benefit or juice them and have without straining. Alternatively use them to make salads like Mint Watermelon Salad.

Mint Watermelon Salad, Indian Style

10. Dried Coconut: Have you heard of Almond Coconut Bars? Try them out… These are protein and iron rich bars to nourish your cells and avoid fatigue.

Almond Coconut Bars, No Bake

Cooked in interesting ways, these provide variety and many a tasty means to building our iron stores and raise our haemoglobin levels, which in turn will ensure a good blood supply to all the cells in our body, and make us energetic enough to face our daily hassles. Below each source of Iron, we have given an Iron rich recipe.