Snack Foods High In Iron

Dried fruit is a good source of iron.

Image Credit: gojak/iStock/Getty Images Unless you’re careful to include plenty of iron-rich foods in your diet, you might not be getting enough iron. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that nearly 10 percent of 12- to 49-year old women and girls in the United States are deficient in the mineral. Men should have 8 milligrams each day, while women between 19 and 50 need 18 milligrams daily. If you lack iron, you have a higher risk of anemia and may be more susceptible to infections. Choose healthy, nutrient-dense snacks high in iron to help you reach your requirement.

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Stock Up on Seeds

A 1-ounce serving of roasted pumpkin seeds contains 2.3 milligrams of iron, or over 28 percent of a man’s recommended daily allowance and almost 13 percent of a woman’s requirement per day. Roasted sunflower seeds contain 1 milligram of iron in every ounce. Although the non-heme iron contained in plant foods like seeds isn’t well absorbed by the body, you can increase the amount you receive by snacking on them with a source of vitamin C, such as a handful of strawberries

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Delectable Dried Fruit

Dried apricots provide 1.7 milligrams of iron in a 1/2-cup serving, an amount that fulfills 21 percent of the daily iron intake for men and almost 10 percent of the requirement for women. A small box of seedless raisins – typically 1.5 ounces of the dried fruit – contains 0.81 milligrams of iron. While dried fruit in moderation is healthy, all types are high in sugar and may increase your chance of tooth decay. Mail Online advises pairing a snack of dried fruit with a small amount of cheese to help protect your teeth from the acid produced by bacteria.

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Slip in Some Nuts

Each 1/4-cup of cashews contains 2.1 milligrams of iron. For a man, this would fulfill 26 percent of his RDA of the mineral. For a woman, it would supply nearly 12 percent of her RDA. Almonds have 1.3 milligrams of iron in each 1/4-cup serving, which is 16 percent of the requirement for men and 7.2 percent for a woman. A handful of dry-roasted, unsalted nuts along with a piece of vitamin C-rich fruit such as grapefruit or strawberries is a snack dense with absorbable iron, says registered dietitian Shannon Crocker.

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Bountiful Broccoli

A cup of raw broccoli supplies almost 8 percent of the day’s recommendation of iron for a man and almost 4 percent of the RDA for a woman with its 1.1 milligrams of the mineral. By snacking on the broccoli with a low-fat dip prepared from tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds, you can boost your iron intake – each 1-tablespoon serving of tahini provides 1.3 milligrams of iron. Try using tahini to make nutritious dips like hummus or baba ghanoush to serve alongside broccoli at snack time.

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  references
  
      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Second National Report on Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition in the U.S. Population 2012, Executive Summary
    
      Linus Pauling Institute: Iron
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12016, Seeds, Pumpkin and Squash Seed Kernels, Roasted, Without Salt
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12037, Seeds, Sunflower Seed Kernels, Dry Roasted, Without Salt
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 09032, Apricots, Dried, Sulfured, Uncooked
    
      Mail Online: Four More Snacks Which Can Harm Our Teeth
    
      The Vegetarian Resource Group: Iron in the Vegan Diet
    
      Fresh Juice: 10 Ways to Increase Your Iron Intake
    
      HuffPost Living: Best Foods for Iron - 20 Foods Packed With Iron
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12166, Seeds, Sesame Butter, Tahini, From Roasted and Toasted Kernels (Most Common Type)
       




  references
  
      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Second National Report on Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition in the U.S. Population 2012, Executive Summary
    
      Linus Pauling Institute: Iron
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12016, Seeds, Pumpkin and Squash Seed Kernels, Roasted, Without Salt
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12037, Seeds, Sunflower Seed Kernels, Dry Roasted, Without Salt
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 09032, Apricots, Dried, Sulfured, Uncooked
    
      Mail Online: Four More Snacks Which Can Harm Our Teeth
    
      The Vegetarian Resource Group: Iron in the Vegan Diet
    
      Fresh Juice: 10 Ways to Increase Your Iron Intake
    
      HuffPost Living: Best Foods for Iron - 20 Foods Packed With Iron
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12166, Seeds, Sesame Butter, Tahini, From Roasted and Toasted Kernels (Most Common Type)
    




Dried fruit is a good source of iron.

Image Credit: gojak/iStock/Getty Images

Image Credit: gojak/iStock/Getty Images

      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Second National Report on Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition in the U.S. Population 2012, Executive Summary
    
      Linus Pauling Institute: Iron
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12016, Seeds, Pumpkin and Squash Seed Kernels, Roasted, Without Salt
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12037, Seeds, Sunflower Seed Kernels, Dry Roasted, Without Salt
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 09032, Apricots, Dried, Sulfured, Uncooked
    
      Mail Online: Four More Snacks Which Can Harm Our Teeth
    
      The Vegetarian Resource Group: Iron in the Vegan Diet
    
      Fresh Juice: 10 Ways to Increase Your Iron Intake
    
      HuffPost Living: Best Foods for Iron - 20 Foods Packed With Iron
    
      USDA National Nutrient Database: Basic Report - 12166, Seeds, Sesame Butter, Tahini, From Roasted and Toasted Kernels (Most Common Type)