This Iron-Rich, Blood-Sugar-Balancing Food Is A Nutritional One-Stop Shop

In terms of the best foods high in iron, your mind may fixate on animal sources, like fish and organ meats, or perhaps beans and spinach for a plant-based option. But according to Saeed, one famously rich source is commonly overlooked: spirulina. 

"One of my favorite sources of iron is spirulina," Saeed declares. "You don't even need that much—1 ounce has 8 milligrams of iron, which is awesome." (For reference, 1 ounce converts to 28 grams.) And just 1 tablespoon (which equals 7 grams) contains 11% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron1, "whereas 3 ounces of organic beef liver has about 4.05 milligrams2, so these plant-based foods can actually have a lot of iron in them," Saeed continues. 

The point is, spirulina boasts a large share of essential nutrients for whole-body health, iron included—in fact, many experts even consider the blue-green algae a nutritional "one-stop shop."* 

Here's the thing: Spirulina isn't exactly present in any foods. It's a form of algae that is typically freeze- or sun-dried once harvested and sold as a blue-green powder or tablet. That said, you can find nutrient-rich spirulina in a host of supplements on the market—most notably in greens powders to sprinkle on top of smoothies, salads, and soups. Take a peek at this spirulina quinoa salad and spirulina smoothie for some recipe inspiration. 

According to Saeed, spirulina is an iron-rich superstar with a glowing résumé of health benefits.* For what it's worth, she also loves lentils and dark chocolate to get even more of a nudge toward her iron goals. "Then you can really optimize your overall health," she says.