Eating Iron-Rich Foods and Blood Donation
Being a blood donor means maintaining an iron-rich diet and a healthy lifestyle.
What do dark leafy greens, figs, almonds, and lentils have in common? They’re all an excellent source of iron! If you’re looking to boost your iron before or after a blood donation, it could be a great idea to incorporate these iron-rich foods into your diet that you may already have at home.
- Fruits like figs, dates, raisins, prunes, and prune juice.
- Vegetables such as broccoli, string beans, potatoes, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and dark leafy greens (Dandelion, collard, kale, spinach).
- Proteins such as beef, chicken clams, eggs, lamb, ham, turkey, por, and liver.
- Nuts and seeds like pistachios, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds.
- Legumes such as lentils, peas, tofu, tempeh, canned or dried peas, and beans (kidney, garbanzo, cannellini, and soybeans).
For optimum iron absorption, pair these foods with a source of vitamin C, such as carrots, kale, squash, cantaloupe, oranges, oranges, and apricots.
To learn more information about creating an iron-rich diet, visit health.clevelandclinic.org/.
For more information about blood donation and iron, read Iron Information.
Learn more about Blood Donation Requirements and Frequently Asked Questions.
Donate Blood – Find a Location
Source: Cleveland Clinic. (2020, November 4). How to Add Foods That Are High in Iron to Your Diet. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-add-more-iron-to-your-diet/