Many of our most important bodily activities require a regular supply of iron. Lean meat, shellfish, and leafy greens are ideal iron sources, but fruits can also help you fulfill your daily intake. Just so you know, adult men under 50 should consume 8 mg of iron, while for women, it is 18 mg. If you are over 50, regardless of gender, you need 8 mg of iron daily. Moreover, an exclusively vegetarian diet usually requires 1.8 times these recommended amounts since plant-based iron has more difficulty being absorbed by the body. As such, here are 11 iron-rich fruits (and how much you should have of them) that you can incorporate into your diet.
1. Peaches
There are very few things that are better than a juicy peach during the height of summer. These fruits provide not just iron but also other minerals. A medium peach has 0.38 mg or 2.1% DV of iron. They can be pureed for summer cocktails or sorbets. You can also use a griddle to caramelize them or use wine and poach them. They also make good crumbles, tarts, and pies. However, refrigerating them might turn their flesh mealy or floury.
2. Watermelon
You can’t think of summer fruits and not juicy watermelons? Put in some chunks in fruit salads. Or, you can toss them alongside feta and mind to create a delicious snack. A wedge of delicious watermelon has 0.69 mg of iron, 3.8% of your DV. To check for ripe watermelon, tap it until it sounds hollow. If you buy sliced slices, choose black over white seeds.
3. Dates
These delicious ripe fruits also provide iron. Pitted dates contain 0.22 mg each. Eating 5 provides 1.1 mg of iron (6% DV). They’re tasty snacks and effective cereal sweeteners. Biscuits, cakes, and other desserts benefit from their taste as well. Also, maybe you didn’t know but try them out with cheese.
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4. Prunes
Prunes is the other name for dried plums are quite rich in iron. Half a cup of pitted prunes contains 0.81 mg of iron, 4.5% of your daily intake value. They add rich flavor to sweet and savory recipes. They are amazing additions to spiced fruit pastries, compotes, stews, muesli, and bread. Try prune juice for extra iron. An entire cup of prune Juice has 3.02 mg or 16.7% DV iron.
5. Olives
You must be already familiar with olives, the Mediterranean specialty that is the mainstay of any good salad. Of course, they also work beautifully with creamy pasta or as pizza toppings. The fruit can also be used to make a tasty tapenade with anchovies and capers. Or, you can just use it as dressing by cutting and adding them to spaghetti and salads. Five huge olives yield 75 mg iron—4% DV.
6. Pumpkins
Pumpkins are nutritious and fiber-rich. One cooked pumpkin cup contains 1.40 mg of iron, 7.7% of your daily intake. Soups and stews taste creamy with it. Not to mention pumpkin pie, everyone’s favorite dessert! One slice of a pumpkin pie provides 1.97 mg of iron—10.9% DV.
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7. Tomatoes
No, they are not vegetables. Biologically, they are fruits. One cup of cooked tomatoes has 1.63 mg of iron, 9% DV. However, raw tomatoes have little iron. Sundried tomatoes and tomato paste concentrate the nutrition, making a smaller meal more nutritious. Tomato puree includes 4.45 mg of iron—nearly 25% DV—per cup. You can use the puree to make pasta sauce, stews, and curries. Sun-dried tomatoes have 2.5 mg of iron (14% DV) per half-cup.
8. Apricots
Tagines, stews, and compôtes benefit from the strong sweet-sour flavor of dried apricots. You can also use it for sprinkling on muesli, bread, salads, and stuffing. Half a cup of dried apricots contains 1.73 mg of iron, 9.6% DV.
9. Coconut
Contrary to its name, a coconut is, in fact, a fruit! A cup of slick, sweet, juicy coconut meat contains 1.94 mg of iron (11% DV). You can use it in Asian sweets or, if you want a twist, make it a salad component. It even suits curries. Coconuts contain 0.94 mg (5.2% DV) of desiccated unsweetened coconut per ounce. So you can bake some lamingtons with it or use it as a baking ingredient. The simplest method is probably to make a Thai curry. It’s quick and it has vegetables too. Coconut cream has 5.47 mg of iron (30.4%DV) per cup.
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10. Zante Currants
You may not have heard of them but they look like dried grapes and they are small and dark. They are zante currants. The most notable difference is that their flavor is quite strong. In half a cup, they provide 2.34 mg of iron or 13% of your DV. They are great ingredients for making jams, summer puddings, and sorbets. Regular raisins can also be a good companion to them as they provide 1.36 mg iron, or 7.5% DV per half-cup. Raisins are fantastic in trail mixes, rice puddings, and stuffed pancakes.
11. Mulberries
Mulberries’ sweet-sour flavor makes them ideal for jellies, puddings, and jams. These berries contain 2.59 mg, or 14.3% DV, per cup. You can eat them alone or with cream and sugar.
So, which fruit do you think you will incorporate into your diet next? Let us know in the comments!
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