As your body supplies blood and oxygen to your baby, your body demands twice the amount of iron you needed to transport oxygen back and forth. Following a balanced diet in some cases may not be enough, so we give you additional sources of iron that you can incorporate into your diet.
The recommended daily dose of iron for pregnant and lactating women is 30 milligrams according to The United States Recommended Daily Allowance (USRDA). Cleveland Clinic recommends eating at least three servings of iron-rich foods every day to make sure you meet the daily requirement of 30 milligrams of iron.
Aside from making hemoglobin for your blood, iron is important for the growing baby and the placenta. Insufficient iron can result in preterm delivery, low birth rate and worse, infant mortality.
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To make sure you meet the daily requirement, we give you more options for your daily dose of iron. Collected from Cleveland Clinic, Zee News and Baby Center, check out surprising sources of iron below:
1. Dried Apricots
Aside from being a great snack treat, dried apricots will also give you 10 percent of your daily iron requirement. More so, dried apricots also contain folic acid, magnesium, potassium and calcium.
2. Tofu
Aside from being rich in protein, tofu is also rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin A and K. This is most important as it regulates normal blood clotting needed particularly after giving birth.
3. Eggs
Eggs are rich in protein and are particularly good as they are low in calories. Eggs are good sources of folic acid, choline and iron. These will keep your amniotic membranes strong at the same time, prevent any birth defects.
4. Oatmeal
Men's Fitness says that one packet of instant plain oatmeal contains 61 percent of your daily value. You can add slices of bananas and walnuts for an extra dose of vitamins and nutrients.
5. Kale
One of the superfoods, Kale is a rich source of iron, fiber, magnesium, calcium and antioxidants. It is also a rich source of vitamins A, K and C according to Baby Med.
You may ask your healthcare provider if you need iron supplements aside from a well-balanced diet. For more sources of iron, check out the video below:
