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Can Ice cream be made without dairy cream, and be healthy at the same time? Yes, it’s absolutely possible, and a growing variety of vegan ice creams in the market confirms it. But what exactly those plant-based ice cream are made of?

Ice cream is known as a creamy frozen treat, and many of us could not imagine hot summer months without it, especially thanks to our childhood memories. In old times, each region, even each town used to have ice cream vendors of their own, who were inventive with flavours, making use of local ingredients.

Before we dive into details of how modern manufacturers replace dairy in their products, let me tell you that there have always been frozen dessert varieties without any animal products. For example, famous sorbets, made from sweetened water, with the addition of fruit juice. The most famous flavours are on a tangy side, and include lemon, grapefruit or a mix of berries.

Or take a look at Sicilian granita, which reminds of shaved ice, but comes in unusual nutty flavours like almond and pistachio. Or think of paletas, traditional Mexican ice creams. While some of them are indeed made with milk, many artisan producers offer flavours that are mostly made just from fruit. Paletas are traditionally made with a natural sweetener (jaggery, raw thickened sugar cane juice), and the only extra flavour you might find there is a dash of red chill pepper.

Fruity popsicles and sorbets, of course, can satisfy our craving for a refreshing sweet, but can’t really match those traditional creamy sweet ice creams, that we know from our childhood. Following the trend of plant-based and vegan diet popularity, many manufacturers started developing their own formula for a perfect vegan ice cream – let’s take a look what they are made of!

Vegan ice creams and popsicles: ingredients

First of all, keep in mind that not all ice creams with a tag “vegan” are healthy. When you buy them, take a very close look at the ingredients, to make sure that there are no preservatives and artificial flavour enhancers. Also, pay attention to the type of sweeteners that are used in the ice cream and try to avoid all types of processed sugars, corn syrup etc.  As a rule of thumb, if you know all the ingredients and all of them are coming from whole foods (i.e. not processed), then you can enjoy it without major health concerns.

You can also make many of the vegan ice creams at home, easily, and then you will be in full control of what’s inside. If you want to replicate the store bought ice cream 100%, however, you will need an ice cream machine  (if you are ready to make the investment, take a look at our list of the best ice cream machines here).

Here is the list of the most basic ingredients that you will find in the healthier store-bought vegan ice creams:

Cashew nuts

If you’ve been into vegan desserts for a while, you might know that cashew nut is one of the most common bases used for the creamy vegan desserts. Soaked and processed cashews really resemble a creamy, dairy-like consistency, and make a great base for all the traditional treats, that would normally call for heavy cream or even cheese (like vegan cheese cakes etc.). The drawback of heavy cashew nut use is that it makes the ice cream quite expensive. Besides, we tend to eat too many nuts, that are very hard to digest, in their processed and sweetened form. Besides, some people might be allergic to nuts. In other words, even though it tastes amazing and has no dairy, it might not be the very best option for regular consumption.

Coconut milk

One of the main features of many vegan recipes, both at home and in the commercial food production, is when dairy milk is simply replaced by plant-based milk. Coconut milk here is the top choice, because it simply has a lot of fat, and hence can get really close to the original ice cream flavour. Of course, if coconut milk is used as the main ingredient of the ice cream, the coconut flavour will be very dominant and it puts certain limitations on the way the ice cream can be flavoured by the manufacturers. For that reason in coconut milk-based ice creams usually a lot of other ingredients are used, to mask the flavour, though it’s difficult to hide it completely. We found that the best way to “mask” the coconut flavour, if needed, is the use of spices, and we touch upon it in our vegan ice cream masterclass.

Soy

Soy is used in all possible vegan products. It’s used as a replacement for milk, cheese, meat, cold meats substitutes etc. There is no surprise that you find soy or its by-products not just in vegan sausages, but also in ice creams. While it can be used wonderfully as a base, it’s often used just as an additional ingredient.

Soy is a rather controversial product, and a lot of experts call to limit its consumption as much as possible. At the same time, many Asian countries, including Japan and Indonesia, have been traditionally consuming soy products (mostly fermented) without negative health outcomes. When it comes to soy, it’s very important to know where and how it was produced, and make sure that it’s an organic and non-GMO product. And of course, as in case with most other foods, that raise health concerns, moderation is key!

Cocoa butter and coconut oil

Among the ingredients of vegan ice creams you will often see cocoa butter and coconut oil, and their content can be quite high. Both are being added to slow down the melting process, and of course to add some fat, in order to mimic the full fat dairy ice cream as closely as possible.  Cocoa butter is mostly added to more expensive brands, as it’s quite an expensive ingredient on its own, but taste-wise it does make the texture of the product richer and creamier. Coconut oil was recently making headlines in the media (again) for not being as healthy as it was believed to be. You can read about both benefits and risks of coconut oil here and decide if it’s the ingredient you are happy about. From our side, again, we will mention what we think is the most important: moderation is key. And remember that many traditional societies have been thriving on coconut oil for centuries, given it’s grown and produced, as well as consumed correctly.

Sweeteners

People who lead a full sugar-free lifestyle might argue that all types of sugars and sweets are unhealthy. Why it’s not incorrect, it should not be taken to the extreme: as long as the sweeteners are natural, and are not eaten in excessive quantity, there is nothing wrong with having them in your diet . So, look for natural sweeteners (and this is what health-oriented brands usually use), like coconut sugar and syrup, raw cane sugar, stevia. As I’ve mentioned at the beginning of the article, if you are looking not just for a vegan ice cream, but for a healthy vegan ice cream, a type of sweetener used is one of the main things to pay attention to.

Agave syrup is a very common ingredient, but this is something you might want to be careful with – we are talking in detail about all types of sweeteners, and why things like agave syrup are unhealthy in our Healthy Desserts Course.

Thickeners

In traditional ice cream production milk powder is often used to give a better texture to the ice cream. You will also see different types of thickeners in vegan ice creams. Usually, it’s different types of flours, which should not be a big problem unless you have particular food intolerances and allergies.

Flavours

If you buy an all-natural vegan ice cream, you will never have a question about the type and the quality of the flavours that were added. What’s all-natural is easy to understand: those kind of brands will have on their list of ingredients things like fresh fruits and berries, raw cocoa powder, pure vanilla etc. They will never have anything starting with “artificial”,  or written in numbers and letters instead of words. This is as easy, when choosing a healthy product: just make sure that you don’t need to google any ingredient that you see on the box!

Of course, the only way to have full control over what your vegan ice cream is made of, is to make the ice cream yourself, and to be frank, it’s quite simple too. We have a detailed step-by-step video guide for making simple vegan ice creams without an ice cream maker. Making it yourself will allow you to create your favourite  flavors, eat it at any time you want, and save a lot of money on expensive vegan brands.

The kombucha has taken popular culture by storm, with people buying stacks of it at supermarkets. If you walk down a crowded street in a big city, you can probably spot 10 people with kombuchas in their hands within a span of 10 minutes.

But what is kombucha? Why are people going crazy over it? Does it really help you? Is it bad for you? How much of it can you drink? All these questions and more will be answered in this article as we give you all the basics of kombucha and its production, along with the health benefits and side effects.

What Is Kombucha

Kombucha is a drink made up of fermented green, black, or white tea, mixed with sugar. It is a key component of ancient Chinese medicine and has been around for a long time. Due to the fermentation of the kombucha through the use of a symbiotic culture known as scoby, which sort of resembles a mushroom, the drink starts to produce new compounds such as Vitamin B, probiotic enzymes, antioxidants, and cellulose.

All of these are great for your gut and your body in general. But, along with these healthy components, the fermentation also builds up small amounts of alcohol and other acidic components.

Health Benefits Of Drinking Kombucha

There are tons of people online and in real life who criticise kombucha and try to discredit its amazing health benefits, but a lot of these benefits have been scientifically proven to be true. For instance, a study conducted on mice in 2012 found that kombucha helps the gut microbiota in mice that have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This is just one of many scientific pieces of research conducted on kombucha that cement its health benefits. Here are a few other benefits of kombucha:

1. Rich Source of Probiotics – Since kombucha is fermented through the use of a scoby or ‘mother’, they produce acetic acid and other acidic compounds, along with alcohol, making the drink carbonated. Along with this, there is also a large amount of probiotic bacteria that is created during the process of fermentation.
   Probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria and make your gut healthier, along with improving many different aspects of your health including digestion, inflammation, and weight loss.
2. Contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals – Kombucha is high in antioxidants (polyphenols), that are known for decreasing inflammation, the root cause of many chronic diseases. It also contains small amount of B group vitamins, minerals and organic acids, that fight against bad bacteria.
3. Provides the benefits of Green Tea – Green Tea contains a lot of benefits and beneficial compounds such as polyphenols, which are a powerful antioxidant. Other benefits of green tea include improved metabolism, lowered blood sugar, increased weight loss, etc. Green tea has also shown the capability to reduce the risk of prostate, breast, and colon cancer. Kombucha that is made from green tea contains all of these benefits since they contain the same plant compounds.
4. May reduce risk of Heart Disease – A study published in 2015 showed that rats that consumed kombucha showed improvement in the two markers of heart disease, LDL and HDL cholesterol in as little as 30 days. Green tea drinkers have been found to have 31% less risk of having heart disease, and since a variety of kombucha is made from green tea, this benefit applies to the latter as well. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death all over the world, drinking kombucha can help keep your heart healthy and safe from disease.

Health Concerns

Although kombucha has many incredible health benefits, such as the ones we mentioned above, if not made properly or stored in the wrong way, it can be harmful to your health. Here are a few of the health concerns related to kombucha, that are often mentioned by the health experts, and the reasons why they might be not as big as they sound:

1. Sugar – Kombucha is made with sugar, and it logically raises concerns among those who lead a sugar-free lifestyle or have blood sugar level problems. Here, it is important to understand that the sugar is consumed by the culture, and the ready drink doesn’t have the same amount of sugar that you put during its preparation. To be precise, one glass of kombucha will contain app.roximately 2-6 grams of sugar (vs 13 grams in natural orange juice, for example). That said, people with high blood sugar levels or diabetes should avoid drinking processed kombuchas since manufacturers add a lot of sweetening ingredients to it.
   In other words, sugar is a big concern in a store-bought kombucha, as it’s impossible to control the amount and the quality of sugar used during the manufacturing process. If you make kombucha at home, however, the type and amount of sugar can be reduced to its minimum, yet it will not compromise on the quality of your drink. At home, you can also use healthier alternatives to white sugar, like jaggery (evaporated cane juice).
2. Alcohol – fermentation process of kombucha involves the breakdown of sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Normally the level of alcohol in kombucha doesn’t exceed 0.5%, as in case with any other fermented drink (including kefir etc.). It was reported that homemade kombucha can reach up to 3% of alcohol, mostly due to inappropriate storage and prolonged fermentation process.For this reason, it is often recommended to pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems to proceed with drinking kombucha with caution.
3. Caffeine – Kombucha is made with tea, and hence the final drink has caffeine content as well, which can be of concern to people who choose not to consume caffeine. The amount of caffeine, however, is reduced during the fermentation process and is not the same as in the amount of tea used, coming up to not more than 10 mg per glass (vs 100 mg per glass of coffee).

While some health concerns are associated with kombucha, the health benefits of this ancient drink by far overweight its risks. Moreover, usually, they can be avoided by consuming properly prepared and stored homemade kombucha, when the high quality and healthier ingredients are used (green tea instead of black tea and jaggery instead of white sugar). Kombucha is an incredibly healthy drink that also tastes delicious, just don’t forget the golden rule for any kind of food and beverage, even the healthiest of all: moderation is key.

Check out our upcoming online courses:

Healthy cooking often means a drastic change in eating habits, and as habits are our second nature, it might be just one of the most difficult things in the world to do. Many students in our Online Healthy Cooking School say that the most difficult thing for them was to start, to make that first step towards the healthier kitchen and better habits.

So, what do you do, where do you begin in that ocean of information about what is right and what is wrong on your plate? We asked 15 nutritionists and healthy cooks to share their best tips on getting started with healthy cooking. Here is the list of their practical advice, that can be helpful even if you are not a novice in healthy eating anymore.

1.Think “plus one” each time you are preparing a recipe or a meal

This reminds you to add at least one additional non-starch vegetable or beans to the meal or dish.  This simple technique is fast and can really help you boost your intake of vegetables that provide important micronutrients, feed the good bacteria in your gut microbiome, and fills you up on healthy foods. The great thing is it’s inexpensive, quick, and can easily be done with items you probably already have on hand if you’re trying to eat healthier.

Lisa Garcia  (MS, RDN, LD) is a registered dietitian nutritionist. She uses a coach approach and personalized, actionable steps to enable clients to address weight and gut health issues while still enjoying their lives and eating (follow Lisa on Facebook)

Easy green beans recipe:

2. Start with plant-based complex carbs and use the right oil

Start with a single-ingredient plant-based complex carb; my favorites include beans, legumes, potatoes, or any minimally processed grain such as barley or farro. Consider swapping butter and lard for liquid oils – my favorite being Avocado Oil, which allows for a high cooking temperature, and thus contributes a great deal of heart-healthy unsaturated fats!

Rachel Fine (MS, RD, CSSD, CDN) is a Registered Dietitian and owner of To The Pointe Nutrition, a nutrition counseling firm in NYC

(follow Rachel on Instagram)

3. Swap your ingredients for healthier recipes

For starters, cooking healthy does not need to be boring nor complex. One super easy swap is to start cooking with gluten free ingredients to make your dishes more nutritious. Swap out regular semolina drum wheat pastas for legume based pastas such as red lentil or chickpea pasta for increased protein intake, as 1 serving can have up to 14g protein. You can then add in your favorite vegetables and protein to make it a more well-rounded dish such as broccoli and grilled chicken. For flavor, you can whip up a plant based sauce in under 5 minutes such as a vegan pesto or a vegan cashew sauce.  Incorporating dairy free ingredients into your cooking such as using coconut milk or vegan cheeses have added nutritional benefits as these are anti-inflammatory and also a good source of healthy fats and proteins. You can use coconut milk as a swap for regular milk when baking or making pancakes, and swap out butter for coconut oil in all recipes as well.

Melissa Eboli AKA Chef Via Melissa is a certified Culinary Nutrition Expert (CNE), Nutritional Chef and wellness counselor based out of NY. Her services include event catering, dinner parties, cooking classes and recipe development (follow Melissa on Facebook and Instagram)

Gluten-free Strawberry Pie Recipe:

4. Start with sheet pan meals

People often overcomplicate cooking in their minds and when you add in a ‘healthy’ twist, it becomes even more daunting. From my experience, as a Food Business Owner and Health Coach, the best way to start is with whole food ingredients, prepared simply. And, don’t be afraid to take shortcuts to make it easier on yourself. For example, purchase pre-cut vegetables or mini-versions, like baby carrots and baby potatoes. This makes it so much easier to get food prepped and into the oven. I love sheet pan meals – where all the ingredients are cooked together on one sheet pan, making clean-up a breeze too. One of my favorites is organic chicken thighs with roasted baby potatoes and baby carrots. Use simple spices like salt, pepper and garlic powder to season the chicken, potatoes and carrots. Drizzle some olive oil on the pan and cook all ingredients at 400 F for 30 minutes. It’s easy to change up this simple meal with different proteins, vegetables, herbs and spices, like rosemary, sage or turmeric, for variety. You’ll be amazed at how simple this meal is to prepare and wow your family and friends!

Elizabeth Girouard is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and Certified Workplace Wellness Ambassador. She is also the Founder of Pure Simple Wellness and Zing Meals

(follow Elizabeth on Facebook and Instagram)

Baked potato wedges recipe:

5. Master 10 flexible recipe techniques

The best way to get started with healthy cooking is to first make a list of all the whole foods you love today (i.e., vegetables, grains, beans). It’s common to get in a food rut and forget about all the whole foods you already like. It’s best to start incorporating these “Personal Best” foods into your current meals before introducing new foods into your diet. The second tip is to make a list and master ten flexible “Recipe Techniques” that are aligned to your eating style and can easily incorporate whatever ingredients you have on hand. For example, a stir fry over quinoa or zucchini noodles, simple pasta dish, a frittata with meat and/or veggies, a vegetable soup with chicken or beans, and a meat/veggie chili are good examples of this. Keeping ingredients you love on hand and using simple but flexible recipes is a great way to get into healthy cooking one bite at a time!

Marissa S. Costonis H.C. is a health change guru and author of the Amazon bestseller, Change BITES, 5 Change Management Strategies to Transform Your Health

(follow Marissa on Instagram and Facebook)

6. Make half your plate fruits or vegetables at every meal

The recommendation for the general public is to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, with a serving equivalent to about 1 cup of produce. Most Americans find this difficult to do, but if you cook each meal so that half of the plate is filled with fresh, frozen, or canned fruits or veggies, you’re guaranteed to improve your health. Typically, you should shoot for 2 servings of fruit, as these are higher in sugar, and 3 servings of non-starchy veggies per day. Don’t count the starchy corn, potatoes, beans, or peas towards your vegetable servings. While they do provide nutrients, like fruit, they’re high in sugar and can make your liver work overtime to release insulin. Focus on the “rainbow” of fruits and vegetables to get all of your vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This means eating greens, reds, oranges, whites, and yellows throughout the week, as each color contributes a small portion of your micronutrient needs.

Colleen Wysocki-Woods (MS, RDN) is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a private practice in Colorado called ZEST Nutrition

(follow Colleen on Facebook)

7. Use as few ingredients as possible

Healthy cooking doesn’t need to involve all day meal prep, batch cooking and complicated meals or soggy dinners. Forget the idea of meal prepping and cooking for the entire week. This can get old, plus its tedious it involves a lot of work.  Focus instead on 5 ingredients, 20 minute meals, that involve little to no prep. Think pre-chopped veggies, fresh pre-made guacamole and sheet pan dinners!

Mariana Dineen is a Registered Dietitian and the founder of Pretty Nutritious, a virtual private practice and social media platform with a mission to help women find the confidence to ditch unrealistic diet rules and live a fun and delicious life

(follow Mariana on Instagram)

Two Ingredient Rice Bread Recipe:

8. Start with breakfast

Start small and pick one meal to transform at a time. Start with breakfast. Breakfast is easy to meal prep with homemade, healthy, and nutritious options, instead of all the processed sugar-filled junk, or worse, skipping breakfast all together before you run out the door.Easy options like overnight protein oatmeal, pancake bites, freezable waffles, vegan frittata bites, or classic baked goods like healthy muffins and quick breads.

Options that can be made ahead, freeze well, transport well if you do need to eat “on the go” and work for everyone in the family will make your morning less stressful, fueled with nutrition, and lead you to have an easier time making healthy choices throughout the rest of the day.

Rebecca Pytell is the founder, content creator, and celiac disease and food allergy coach behind Strength and Sunshine, a gluten-free & allergy-free food and recipe website

(follow Rebecca on Facebook and Instagram)

9. Buy the rainbow

When going grocery shopping, try to buy produce in a variety of colors or choose a different fruit or vegetable every time you shop- think rainbow. This will offer a wide range of health-promoting nutrients because each fruit or vegetable is packed with its own set of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. Many of the pigment compounds in these fruits and vegetables also act as antioxidants, which defend against cell damage. With the help of a bit of oil and seasoning, you can easily roast or sauté a mixture of vegetables and incorporate them into entrees or meal preps. Fruits can be sliced into salads or enjoyed as desserts. Having a variety of produce on hand gives you options when it’s time to cook, helping keep your meals interesting.

Ysabel Montemayor is the lead Registered Dietitian at the meal delivery service Fresh n’ Lean,

the largest organic ready-to-eat meal delivery service.

10. Choose healthy oils for cooking

From my clinical experience, what we input to our bodies through food choices has a massive effect on “mental illnesses” (Anxiety, depressive disorders). It’s important to remember that a majority of our serotonin is located in our guts, that’s our neurotransmitter that creates feelings of happiness, so we first need to make sure our gut health is OK. My best tip is to start making manageable steps towards changing how you cook and eat. If you’re cooking with anything other than coconut, olive, or avocado oil, please change that now. Try new ways to roast veggies and always make your own sauces. They’re so much yummier and most likely always better for you. Here’s a healthy dressing recipe for honey mustard dressing: 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp dijon mustard, black pepper & Himalayan sea salt, a tsp (or less!) of pure maple syrup or agave.

Erica Basso (MA, AMFT) is a Holistic Psychotherapist, who uses the power of food to heal and connect

(follow Erica on Instagram)

11. Add more pulses and vegetables to your diet and cook them with spices

If you want to get started with healthy cooking, you may want to incorporate more plant-based ingredients in your diets such as beans, pulses, vegetables and tofu. When cooking with these ingredients, I would really recommend stocking up on some spices and herbs as they add so much flavour which will make all the difference. One of my favourite easy ways to make something healthy is to make a curry using chickpeas or lentils and lots of vegetables. Using spices such as curry powder, cumin and turmeric and herbs like cilantro (coriander), paired with some creamy coconut milk will transform the beans and vegetables into a comforting, flavourful curry that you won’t be able to stop eating!

Rhian WIlliams has a food blog where she posts easy, undetectably vegan and gluten-free recipes, focusing on healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients

(follow Rhian on Instagram and Facebook)

Mung Bean Soup Recipe:

12. Plan ahead and invest in slow cooker

Make a plan and keep it simple! One thing I love recommending to beginner cooks is investing in a slow cooker. We have all been there; coming home from a long day at work and don’t have the energy or time to cook. Start the day off right and throw something into the slow cooker! It is very hard to burn, and the entire meal is already done before you get home. Bonus: Check your local grocery store to see if they have any slow cooker meals already prepped for you.

Laurel Deininger is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator located in St. Petersburg, Florida who loves cooking, yoga, and her dog, Reagan.

(follow Laurel on Instagram)

13. Keep frozen vegetables at hand

Getting started with healthy cooking can be intimidating, so I suggest starting with small changes instead of trying to go all-in at once. You’ll need time to build your cooking skills and for your body to adjust to the new way of eating. A great way to start incorporating more healthy ingredients into your meals is to keep frozen vegetables on hand. Items like frozen broccoli florets, spinach, peas, or cauliflower can be tossed into many recipes, like soups, stews, casseroles, and quick pasta dishes for an instant nutritional boost. Plus, they’re already washed and chopped, which means less work for you. And perhaps the best part, you don’t have to worry about frozen vegetables going limp in the back of your fridge if you don’t use them right away.

Beth Moncel has been creating simple, satisfying, balanced, and budget-friendly meals for ten years through her blog, BudgetBytes. She loves teaching people how to cook and watching them discover the joy and independence that come with cooking at home

(follow Beth on Instagram)

Savoury oatmeal with frozen veggies recipe:

14. Start slow and add one change at a time

So often people try to do too much as one time, cutting out entire food groups or macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat). Start by focusing on adding more veggies to your day and consuming protein at each meal.  Look for easy ways to make healthy swaps; one’s that take little to no effort. For example, instead of wheat pasta, try zucchini noodles or House Foods Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti. Instead of regular gnocchi, try a cauliflower based gnocchi. These are a few sneaky ways to increase your vegetable and protein intake, both of which keep you fuller for longer.

Lauren Cadillac is a Manhattan-based Registered Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer, who’s approach focuses first on feeling good; improving mood, sleep, digestion, energy, performance in the gym and at work

(follow Lauren on Instagram)

15. Gradually build your healthy cooking habits

When getting started with adopting a healthy cooking regimen, the key is to start simple by choosing one meal that you want to focus on. From there you can start to seek inspiration and recipes from Pinterest, Instagram accounts or cookbooks for that one meal.  For example, if you want to start to cook healthier dinners, you can make a goal to cook one new healthy recipe a week. As you build up this habit, you can increase to two or three healthy recipes a week, until it some becomes a sustainable lifestyle. Then you can move on to looking at other meals or snacks to start cooking healthier options.  Don’t overwhelm yourself, take it one healthy meal at a time.

Allison Tibbs is a certified Personal Trainer & Healthy Lifestyle Coach who advocates for women to use fitness, nutrition, and self-care as a way to create more peace, joy, and balance in their lives

(follow Allison on Instagram)

Feel inspired? Check out our online healthy cooking classes:

Iron deficiency is a rather common condition nowadays. Pregnant women, children and vegetarians are considered to be high risk groups and doctors routinely prescribe them iron supplements. But do they really need one, or can iron deficiency be avoided just with the help of iron-rich foods?

Side effects of iron supplements

First of all, it’s important to understand if you have any iron deficiency at all. For that you can simply make a routine blood test – nowadays some companies even allow to do so without a doctor’s visit (here is an example of one such Test for Nutrient Deficiencies that we know of).

Unless you are suffering with a severe case of anemia or have a serious medical condition, there should be no need for you to take iron supplements. Moreover, there are good reasons why you should avoid taking one. First of all, its side effects like constipation or diarrhea together with abdominal pain and cramps are common, and a medicine to aid digestion is often prescribed along with an iron supplement.

To do a quick check of what short-term issues appear to be most common, we did a search on Google, putting “iron supplements” with the word “why”, and here are the top suggested queries that appeared:

Recent research shows that If iron is taken in excessive quantities it can even cause long-term adverse effects on health. Some studies showed a suggestive association between dietary heme and risk of colon cancer. So, unless an iron supplement is absolutely necessary, it is worth trying to get all the iron you need from food sources.

Difference between iron in animal foods and in plant-based foods

Vegetarians and vegans are often diagnosed with iron deficiency. There are two different types of  dietary iron that are found in foods: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is only found in animal foods and it is much easier absorbed than non-heme iron. Animal foods with the highest content of iron include, for example, liver, beef, clams.

Non-heme iron is found in plant-based foods and it does not get absorbed as well as heme iron. It is possible however to increase non-heme iron absorption with the right combination of foods.

How to increase iron absorption from plant-based food

There are a few simple rules you need to follow in order to increase absorption of non-heme iron: 

1. Always combine iron-rich foods with Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps to absorb iron and synthesizes red blood cells.

Here is an example of some foods containing a big amount of Vitamin C (besides lemons, oranges and fresh chilli peppers):

2. Do not combine iron-rich foods with foods that contain caffeine

Coffee and black tea can reduce your iron absorption by as much as 60%. Try to bring caffeinated foods and beverages in your diet to the minimum. If it is not possible, keep at least two hours between your iron-rich meal and a cup of coffee.

3. Do not combine iron-rich foods with foods that contain calcium

Studies have shown that calcium can inhibit iron absorption, the inhibitory effect, however, may be of short duration. Similar to caffeine, try to avoid eating any foods that contain calcium (for example, dairy) together with your iron-rich meal.

4. Consume foods containing phytic acid the right way

Phytic acid is found in plant seeds and it may interfere with absorption of various minerals and nutrients, in particular iron, zync and calcium. Foods with high content of phytic acid, however, are also the biggest sources of non-heme iron – it includes seeds, legumes and nuts. To neutralise phytic acid always soak the foods (at best overnight), or use techniques like sprouting and fermentation. Vitamin C also counteracts phytic acid.

5. Improve your overall gut health

Including probiotics in your regular diet can improve absorption of minerals significantly. Probiotic foods include yoghurt, sauerkraut, miso, kimchi.

Iron-rich foods for vegans and vegetarians

There are a few main groups of vegetarian and vegan foods that are rich in iron. If you follow the main rules of non-heme iron absorption, they might meet your daily iron requirement.

1. Legumes

Different types of lentils, beans, including soy products, are known sources of iron for vegans and vegetarians. It includes flours made from legumes like chickpea flour.  Don’t forget to soak legumes overnight to neutralise phytic acid. Here are a few examples:

2. Leafy greens

Spinach is not the only source of plant-based iron, even though it is the most popular one. Other leafy greens like beet greens, swiss chard or turnip greens are also extremely high in iron.

3. Dry fruits, berries and vegetables

Some dried fruits and vegetables have significantly more iron than their raw form. The best example is sun dried tomatoes that have more iron than natto. Dried apricots are an example of iron-rich dried fruits.

4. Seeds and nuts

Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds etc.) are the real powerhouse of iron. It is also crucial to soak them before consumption. Here are a few examples of iron content in seeds:

5. Grains

Certain grains and cereals, including quinoa, buckwheat and oats, also contain high amounts of iron. Don’t forget to soak the grains before consumption.

6. Sweets

Molasses is often prescribed by nutritionists as a natural “iron supplement”. Jaggery (gur), raw unprocessed cane sugar, also has high contents of iron.

Recipes of some Iron-rich foods for vegans and vegetarians

– Savory Chickpea Pancakes

– Beet Greens Soup

– Spicy Oatmeal

– Sesame Spinach

– Sesame Seed Candy

Nutrition data source: http://nutritiondata.self.com/