The Iron-Rich Foods You Should Be Eating To Burn Fat Faster, Doctors Say

1. White Beans

One of the best types of plant-based, iron-rich foods for weight loss is legumes. Lentils, peas, chickpeas, soybeans, and peanuts are legumes that are particularly high in iron. But, white beans are by far the best. "In general, all legumes contain iron. But white beans contain the most; you can get 6.6mg of iron per 1 cup," Garcia explains. This superfood is also great for boosting your metabolism.

Plus, there are so many ways you can cook white beans for weight loss. Garcia has some suggestions: "You can add white beans to soups and stews, but this is an excellent legume to cook and make into a puree to add to other foods and fortify them with iron. You can make mashed potatoes and add the mashed white beans to make iron-rich mashed potatoes." Yum!

2. Spinach

Another great iron-rich food for weight loss that Garcia suggests is spinach. This leafy vegetable is particularly interesting because its iron levels change when it's cooked. "One cup of raw spinach can give you 1 mg of iron, but cook it, and the heat makes iron more accessible and can provide 6.43 mg of iron," she notes. The iron and antioxidant levels in spinach are also beneficial for hair growth. Of course, you can still eat spinach raw to get some iron, but not as much if it's cooked.

Garcia says that spinach is her "favorite go-to iron-rich vegetable." This is because "it's versatile in that you can freeze it and always have spinach available to make soups and stews." And spinach's mild flavor means that you can actually add a few cooked leaves into an anti-inflammatory smoothie without the bitter taste.

And, you can incorporate white beans and spinach leaves into one tasty, iron-rich meal. "A good combination is a quesadilla with mashed white beans mixed with cheese and a handful of spinach leaves before cooking the quesadilla." Doesn't that sound tasty?

The Bottom Line

Overall, there are plenty of iron-rich foods that can help with weight loss. Garcia highly recommends white beans and cooked spinach to improve iron levels without the high cholesterol that comes with animal-based foods. Thankfully, there are so many delicious ways to prepare white beans and cooked spinach for weight loss. Just remember that simply eating iron-rich foods won't help you lose weight. You must also get plenty of sleep, avoid processed foods, consume healthy foods, and consistently exercise.