A good breakfast is essential for keeping your energy levels high throughout the day. Healthy breakfast foods can also be rich in iron and other essential nutrients.
Luckily, there are many different foods you can choose from to get your day off to a great start.
Many foods contain a good amount of iron in a single serving and can be included in your healthy, balanced breakfast. These foods can provide you with many other nutrients, including antioxidants.
Here are ten delicious breakfast ideas that can ensure you get enough iron in your diet.
Table of Contents
10 Iron-Rich Breakfast Ideas
1. Oatmeal
A one-cup serving of cooked oatmeal contains around 2.1 mg of iron, or 12% of the recommended daily intake.
To further boost your iron intake, you could also top your oatmeal with other iron-rich foods, such as seeds, cashews, peanuts, peanuts, or almond butter. Adding fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and melon adds vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron, especially the non-heme type found in fruits and vegetables.
You could also use fortified or enriched oatmeal, which is widely available. One cup contains as much as 13.9 mg of iron, 77% of the recommended daily intake.
2. Whole-wheat Bread with Tuna
Sandwiches are a common breakfast food. However, depending on the filling, they may not be high in iron.
One slice of whole-wheat bread contains 0.7 mg of iron, and a portion of tuna contains about 1.2 mg of iron. So, this sandwich could give you up to 10% of your recommended daily iron intake.
You could top your tuna sandwich with sliced onions or chopped spring onions, increasing your fiber and antioxidant intake and lowering your risk of disease and other health conditions.
3. Fortified Cereals
Fortified cereals are delicious and very healthy, as long as you don't add too many high-calorie, high-sugar ingredients.
Instead, stick to fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like peanut or almond butter.
One serving of enriched breakfast cereal can contain up to 19.6 mg of iron, or 109% of the recommended daily intake . It's also low in calories, so you can include other iron-rich foods, such as peanut butter, fresh berries, bananas, nuts, or seeds.
4. Scrambled Eggs with Spinach
Delicious and versatile, eggs are a breakfast staple globally. They’re also rich in iron, among other nutrients.
Scrambled eggs made with two whole eggs contain about 1.4 mg of iron. Adding a half-cup of cooked spinach gives you another 3.2 mg of iron. This tasty breakfast could give you up to 25% of the recommended daily intake.
Eggs are also a rich source of protein, riboflavin, phosphorus, and selenium. Combining them with spinach gives you vitamins A, K, and B6, manganese, magnesium, antioxidants, and fiber.
So, scrambled eggs with spinach are a delicious, nutritious breakfast.
5. Eggs with Baked Beans
Fried eggs with baked beans is a classic breakfast in the U.K.
Two whole fried eggs provide you with 1.8 mg of iron, and a serving of baked beans contains 1.5 mg of iron.
This equals about 19% of the recommended daily intake of iron, which is a great start to your day.
Eggs are a rich source of protein, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and selenium.
Baked beans provide protein, fiber, thiamin, vitamin B6, and many essential minerals.
You could also add some whole-grain toast, which is rich in iron and other minerals.
6. Whole-wheat Toast with Peanut Butter
Peanuts are a rich source of iron and other nutrients.
One slice of whole-wheat bread provides you with 0.7 mg of iron, and two tablespoons of smooth peanut butter contain 0.6 mg of iron. Together, they provide up to 6% of the recommended daily intake of iron.
You could choose fortified peanut butter for your toast. Just two tablespoons contain as much as 5.3 mg of iron, 30% of the recommended daily intake.
Peanut butter on toast also contains protein, niacin, fiber, magnesium, and manganese.
7. Chicken Wrap
Breakfast wraps are a very popular dish that can help you increase your intake of many nutrients.
A serving of grilled chicken contains about 0.6 mg of iron, and a whole-wheat tortilla wrap provides you with 1.5 mg of iron.
Combined, this delicious breakfast can give you around 14% of the recommended daily intake of iron.
You could also add cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, avocados, lettuce, onions, or corn, increasing your intake of protein, fiber, niacin, phosphorus, selenium, thiamin, and folate.
8. Burrito
Whether homemade or bought in a store, breakfast burritos are usually made with beans, beef, or other protein, so provide you with iron and other nutrients.
A single burrito can provide you with between 2.5 mg to 4.2 mg of iron, about 26% of the recommended daily intake.
If you make your burrito at home, you can choose ingredients with lower sodium and other preservatives and higher levels of nutrients.
Adding vegetables to your burrito can boost your intake of fiber, vitamins A and B, and almost all minerals. It will also give you more antioxidants, which help keep you healthy.
9. Chicken Salad
A salad is very easy to prepare and boosts your intake of many important nutrients, including iron. Adding some chicken or other animal protein sources further increases your iron intake.
A chicken salad can contain between 3 mg to 6 mg of iron, depending on the ingredients. Add some more adventurous vegetables to boost your nutrient intake, such as avocado or olives.
Try including spinach, nuts, seeds, broccoli, and other high-protein foods in your salad.
Other nutrients you gain from chicken salad include healthy fats, fiber, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper.
10. Buddha Bowl
Buddha bowls are an easy, convenient meal that's very nutritious. A Buddha bowl consists of whole grains, vegetables, protein, nuts or seeds, and some dressing.
If you add beans, grilled chicken or turkey, eggs, or nuts, you can get up to 4 grams of iron per 100 grams of Buddha bowl.
This tasty breakfast can also boost your fiber, vitamins, and minerals intake. And if you add more vegetables, you can also increase your intake of antioxidants.
Conclusion
There are many healthy, iron-rich breakfasts that can contribute to a healthy, balanced diet.
What’s more, most of these dishes are incredibly easy to prepare, allowing you to save time in the morning without sacrificing flavor.
Be sure to try some of these breakfast ideas at least a few times a week.
Sources: Nutrition Data, National Library of Medicine, PMC, and Research Gate