Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Nutritionist Questions Whether Six Foods Deliver 21 Milligrams Iron
Six foods have been suggested as a way to get more iron from meals.
But the amount of iron listed for food is not the same as the amount your body uses.
Dietitian Kanikka Malhotra says normal portions of four of the foods provide about 5–6 mg, not 21 mg.
The body absorbs only some of the iron in plant foods.
Eating vitamin-C-rich foods, such as lemon or guava, with a meal can help.
Soaking or sprouting seeds and beans may also make their nutrients easier to use.
Tea and coffee can get in the way, so she suggests having them away from meals.
Some people, including menstruating women and pregnant women, may need closer attention to iron intake.
Nutritionist Shweta Shah suggested six kitchen staples to support iron intake and healthy haemoglobin levels.
Dietitian Kanikka Malhotra says ordinary portions of four listed foods provide roughly 5–6 mg of iron, not 21 mg.
Plant-based iron absorption varies, with Malhotra citing a range of about 2–15%; ICMR-NIN recommendations assume about 8%.
Vitamin C can support iron absorption, while soaking, sprouting, roasting or fermenting seeds and legumes can reduce phytates.
Malhotra advises keeping tea and coffee about an hour away from meals and says some groups may need closer attention to iron intake.
- Who
- Nutritionist Shweta Shah shared the food combination; dietitian Kanikka Malhotra assessed its iron content and absorption.
- What
- The article examines whether six kitchen staples can provide 21 mg of iron and how to improve iron absorption from food.
- When
- Shweta Shah recently shared the list in an Instagram post; no publication date is specified.
- Where
- The list was shared on Instagram.
- Why
- To explain that iron content on a plate does not equal the amount absorbed by the body, and to offer ways to support absorption.
Claim
Dietitian's assessment
Whether the foods provide 21 mg of iron
Claim
Shweta Shah suggested combining six kitchen staples to get 21 mg of iron from food.
Dietitian's assessment
Kanikka Malhotra says normal portions of four foods in the combination provide roughly 5–6 mg; reaching 21 mg would likely require unusually large quantities.
What the iron total means
Claim
The 21 mg figure describes iron consumed from food.
Dietitian's assessment
Malhotra stresses that only a portion is absorbed; at an assumed 8% absorption rate, 21 mg would yield about 1.7 mg absorbed.
- Foods suggested
- Haleem (garden cress) seeds, black chana, pumpkin seeds, black raisins, curry leaves and black sesame seeds
- Estimated iron in ordinary portions
- About 5–6 mg from haleem seeds, black chana, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds, according to Malhotra
- Non-haem iron absorption
- About 2–15%, according to Malhotra
- Assumed absorption rate
- About 8% in ICMR-NIN 2020 dietary recommendations, as cited by Malhotra
- Vitamin C recommendation
- ICMR-NIN recommends at least 20 mg per 1,000 kcal per day
- Meal timing advice
- Keep tea and coffee about an hour away from meals; separate calcium supplements from iron-rich meals
- Groups identified for closer attention
- Teenage girls, menstruating women, pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and toddlers, vegetarians and vegans, regular blood donors, and endurance athletes