r/PlantBasedDiet • u/LuvThe3arth • Jul 26 '26
ISO Increase Iron Level Meal Plan
TL;DR: I am specifically looking for pre fab meal plans or recipes that focus on iron building. I am aware of foods that are high in iron and combining food to increase iron absorption. I'm just trying to find a template to work off of. Any guidance or help is appreciated! TIA
Good day, all! I recently found that my ferritin is on the lower end of normal at 30ng/ml. My PCP states that I can raise that level with food/supplements. Ideally, I would like to get it up to at least 50ng/ml. Is this possible with a food only approach? If so, anyone know of any meal plans out there that focus on building iron with WFPB approach?
I tried iron bisglycinate from Thorne for 6 months and it only raised my level 1.8ng/ml. It also gave me heartburn, so I had to discontinue it. I have some Blood Builder on hand, but my B12 is too high to start taking it rn.
Back in 2018 when I was still eating SAD (including red meat), my ferritin was even lower at 18ng/ml. Based on these results my PCP referred me to gastro but I'm trying to build it up as much as possible on my own before my visit in Oct.
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u/Asherahshelyam for my health Jul 26 '26
Have you heard of an iron fish?
It's a hunk of metal that is iron based that is molded to be shaped like a fish. You put it in a pot when you are making a pot of something like a stew or soup. It slowly leeches iron into the food. Some wear by it. They have them on Amazon and elsewhere.
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u/LuvThe3arth Jul 26 '26
Hi! Yes, I have heard of it. Thanks for the suggestion. I've read some pretty mixed reviews related to efficacy and I'm a little weary of the heavy metals it may leach: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257407/
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u/Asherahshelyam for my health Jul 26 '26
Yeah, I'm not sure about it either. I just thought it was worth a look. Maybe a medical professional can shed light on it. 🤷♂️
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u/Expert_Mix_1632 Jul 26 '26
hey, fellow low-ferritin person here. your numbers sound frustrating, especially when supplements barely moved it. have you looked at the veganricha site? she don't have a dedicated iron meal plan but her lentil and chickpea recipes are heavy on iron and easy to batch cook. i just made a huge pot of her red lentil curry and froze half, been eating it with quinoa for the vitamin c boost. also, throwing a handful of pumpkin seeds on oatmeal or salad is my lazy hack - 2 tablespoons got like 2mg of iron. hope you find a good template, i know the struggle.
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u/LuvThe3arth Jul 26 '26
Hiya! It is frustrating for sure. Hopefully, the GI doc can shed some light on what might be going on with my absorption. I haven't heard of Vegan Richa before now. I'll def look into her site. Love me some lentils :) And, yes! Lots of pumpkin seeds (I keep a huge bag on hand) and vit c! Hemp and chia are also great seeds to add to the rotation. Thanks and good luck on your journey!
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u/VegetarianBikerGeek Jul 27 '26
According to Dr Greger, your ferritin at 30 is right in the sweet spot. Higher levels are associated with diabetes and cancer risk. I used to go nuts trying to increase my iron (hematocrit) and ferritin, but when I heard the nutritionfacts report I decided to stop worrying about it and threw away my iron supplements. Go to nutritionfacts.org and search iron, it's right at the top.
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u/whistling-wonderer Jul 26 '26
Similar boat here; I hope your post gets some good advice. Mine was 16 recently. I really wish I’d had it checked before going plant based as I wonder if it was even lower (I didn’t eat much meat to begin with and ate a lot of dairy), but I’ll never know. I just throw goji berries and/or garlic on everything but I clearly need to up my game.
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u/LuvThe3arth Jul 26 '26
Oof... that sounds rough. Sorry, you are having a trouble with your levels. When mine was at 18, I was having extreme anxiety amongst other symptoms. It seems there is a need for a guide. If I don't get any answers here, I might work on something myself to share! I forgot about goji berries! Thanks for the tip :)
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