Natural Sources of Iron for Stronger Muscles

Written by Maria Rainier

Natural Sources of Iron for Stronger Muscles

Iron isn’t just for pumping—you need it in your diet to build strong muscles and keep your blood, well, pumping. Sure, you can always go the Popeye the Sailor route and down a can of spinach a day, but you have to admit that that’s pretty gross. Look for the following superfoods at restaurants or the grocery store to take home.

	Clams. Of all natural sources of iron, food and green living experts at The Daily Green say clams are top dog. Three ounces of shellfish add about 24 mg of iron and only 126 calories to your diet. Bonus: clams are also generally high in potassium, which help muscular health as well.
	Oysters. Nope, they’re not the same as clams, but they pack quite an iron-filled punch, too. Pick farmed Pacific or European oysters to stay away from contaminants that often come with destructive harvesting methods to maximize on your iron in a sustainable way.
	Organs. Some cringe at the idea of eater liver or giblets, but animal organ meats can offer upwards of 10 mg of iron.
	Cereal. Another reason not to skip breakfast, cold and hot cereals are often high in iron and, if you’re picky with ingredients, low in sugar and calories.
	Soybeans. Soy isn’t just for vegans—just half a cup of cooked soybeans contain 4.4 mg of iron. Add them to salads or boil and add a pinch of salt for a great salad alternative.
	White beans, like other legumes, add fiber to your diet as well as 3.9 mg of iron. Bonus again: here is another food high in potassium to cure your muscular aches and woes.
	Lentils contain lots of fiber as well as 3.3 mg of iron, and are a great addition to soups. Post Punk Kitchen even has a recipe that uses lentils in favor of meat in a dish they call Snobby Joes. (Surprisingly, it tastes really, really good.)
	Pumpkin seeds contain a little over 4 mg of potassium at just 148 calories.
	The next time your mom brings over some gingerbread, ask if she added blackstrap molasses, one tablespoon of which packs 3.5 mg of iron and 172 mg of calcium.
	Spinach. You knew I had to put it in here, somewhere. Cooked spinach has 3.2 mg of iron, just under what lentils give you. The next time you have a salad, use spinach leaves instead of lettuce, which are little more than water.