Iron Rich Healthy Gluten Free Meal Plan Ideas {Snacks and Meals with at Least 15% DRI Iron}

Iron Rich Healthy Gluten Free Meal Plan Ideas! Snacks and Meals with at Least 15% Daily Recommended intake of Iron. These Iron Rich recipes are also loaded with Vitamin C to help with absorption. Easy gluten free meal plan ideas to boost your health!

Hey friends! And Welcome to my first edition of Gluten Free Meal Plan ideas! I plan on doing this every 15th of the month. The gluten free meal plan ideas will rotate with certain nutrients or dietary needs. For instance, this month we are focusing on IRON RICH gluten free meal plan ideas. Breakfast, Snacks, Lunch, and Dinners! Next month we will focus on Gluten Free and Dairy Free meal plan ideas. Make sense?

I figured since today was tax day, we’d all need a mental break and someone else to do some planning for you. You cool with that?

First, let’s talk about why it’s so important to boost your Iron intake once you become gluten free.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficits found in patients with celiac disease and non celiac gluten sensitivity.  – (source)

Chances are if you are just finding out that you are gluten sensitive or celiac, then you probably haven’t been absorbing much Iron. This is due to the damage/weakening of the villi in the small intestine which then causes nutrient malabsorption.  Iron from food is mostly absorbed in the upper intestines (which can be damaged by gluten). Ugh, I know. Not so good, eh?

When this malabsorption happens, then there is more chance of an Iron deficiency anemia to occur.

Iron is a part of “hemoglobin,” a protein which carries oxygen in blood. It’s necessary to transport oxygen to cells, for energy metabolism, normal human growth, reproduction and immune system health. (source)

So to put it briefly, we need Iron for all kinds of cellular development and immune health! And for those are gluten sensitive/celiac, we need a little extra until you get your gut health back to 100%.

There are two forms of Iron in foods which I’ve briefly spoken about in the past. One is “heme” Iron which is mainly found in meat/animal sources, and the other Iron is “non-heme,” which is mainly found in plant based sources. Both sources are more easily absorbed when combined with foods high in Vitamin C (such as fruits, leafy greens/veggies, etc), although heme Iron has higher absorption with Vitamin C foods.

This week’s iron rich gluten free meal plan does just that! It combines gluten free Iron Rich foods with Vitamin C rich food sources. I’ll specify which meals are heme/non heme iron based below.

You ready to boost that Iron and feel good?!

Let’s plan!

Gluten free iron rich meal plan (at least 15% DRI Iron source)

Breakfast –  Plant Based Iron Sources

Lunch –  Plant and Animal Iron sources

 

Snacks/Desserts –  Plant Based

Dinner – Heme (animal) based Iron sources

IRON Rich Food Sources –

• • Organic Red meat (Grass fed if possible)
  • Organic Pork/ham
  • Organic Poultry
  • Seafood/Fish
  • Beans/Lentils/Peas
  • Dark green leafy vegetables
  • Dried fruit (cranberries, figs, raisins and apricots)
  • Iron-fortified gluten free grains/breads
  • Fortified Pea Protein/Rice Protein

VITAMIN C Rich Food Sources

• • Broccoli
  • Papaya
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Pineapple
  • Grapefruit
  • Kiwi
  • Leafy greens
  • Oranges
  • Bell Peppers
  • Strawberries
  • Tangerines
  • Tomatoes
  • Certain Dried Fruit (like apricot/cranberries)