Cereals High in Iron

Iron is one of the essential minerals that play a crucial role in proper functioning of the bodily systems. This is evident from the fact that the hemoglobin is made up of iron and globin proteins. In short, iron is crucial for formation of red blood cells and normal blood circulation. Consequently, lack of iron leads to various medical problems, of which iron deficiency anemia is one of them. Including veggies, legumes and cereals high in iron is an easy way to minimize the risk of medical problems related to iron deficiency.

List of Iron-rich Cereals

As per the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) data, the amount of iron required by the body is 8-15 mg per day. The amount varies in accordance to the age and gender of the individual. Like for instance; girls in the age group 9-13 years need 8 mg iron per day; while teenage girls who have entered menstruation stage require 15 mg iron per day. Likewise, men above 19 years old and women over 50 years require 8 mg iron on a daily basis. The following is a list of cereals rich in iron, which can be included in the meal menu for iron rich diet:

• Millet - When compared to finger millets, the pearl millets contain more iron, i.e. about 8 mg per 100 g serving size.
• Sorghum - Another in the list of cereals high in iron is sorghum. Consuming 100 g of sorghum yields approximately 4.2 mg iron.
• Wheat - Wheat germ, cream of wheat and wheat flakes are very rich in iron mineral. Serving 2 tablespoons of wheat germ yields as much as 1.2 mg iron.
• Oat - Consuming one packet of ready to eat oatmeal is similar to providing 6.3 mg of iron.
• Cornflakes - The cornflakes sold in food centers are high in iron content. Serving one cup of cornflakes is sufficient to provide 47 percent of the daily iron requirement.
• Barley - In one cup serving size or 157 g of barley, the mount of iron content is 2.1 mg, which is about 12 percent of the daily requirement.
• Quinoa - Not actually a cereal, but considered as a false cereal, quinoa is also a rich source of iron, calcium and complete amino acids.
• Bran Flakes - Consuming 1 cup of bran flakes is sufficient for providing 11 mg of iron.

Iron-rich Breakfast Cereals

Nearly all people, irrespective of age and gender, start their day with a bowl of fortified cereal and a glass of milk (or juice). In most of the cases, the breakfast cereals are supplemented with iron at the time of processing. However, some cereal brands contain a higher percentage of iron than other products. Breakfast cereals high in fiber and iron content are listed below:

• Ralston Enriched Bran Flakes
• Kellogg's All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes
• Kellogg's Product 19 Cereal
• Kellogg's Complete Oat Bran Flakes
• General Mills Whole Grain Total
• General Mills Total Cornflakes
• General Mills Multigrain Cheerios
• Malt-O-Meal Cereal

From the above-mentioned products, the Ralston Enriched Bran Flakes contains the highest iron, providing about 44 mg iron in a 200 calorie serving amount. The remaining breakfast foods rich in iron contain approximately 18-24 mg iron per one cup serving size, which is more than the daily recommended amount. You can adjust the serving quantity with reference to the daily requirements. For detailed info, refer to the iron rich foods chart to understand the actual amount of iron present in several food items.

Getting aware about the list of foods high in iron will help in proper planning of the daily diet. Other than cereals high in iron, some of the iron containing food items are green vegetables, dried fruits, fish, eggs, poultry, meat, organ meat, molasses and enriched rice. Thus, you have the option of adding variety of foods rich in iron and enjoying your diet, instead of getting bored with the same food items.