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YouTubeWe may get 2.3 mg iron daily from 1 serving of frozen berries (0.4 mg), 1 tbsp dried mulberries (0.9 mg) and 1 tbsp of goji berries (1.0 g), as outlined below. In addition, if we invest in berries like 'dried karonda' (bengal currants), sundakkai (dried turkey berries), barberries or sumac, we can get some more iron.
How much iron in ½ cup of berries, as per USDA?
| mg Iron | Source |
| 0.8 | (½ cup) Strawberries (Frozen) |
| 0.6 | (½ cup) Blackberries (Frozen) |
| 0.5 | (½ cup) Raspberries (Frozen) |
| 0.5 | (½ cup) Loganberries (Frozen) |
| 0.4 | (½ cup) Sour Red Cherries (Frozen) |
| 0.4 | (½ cup) Wild Blueberries (Frozen) |
| 0.1 | (½ cup) Blueberries (Frozen) |
What did I learn? (a) Wild blueberries have much more iron than blueberries, (b) If we consume ½ cup of blueberries and ½ cup of mixed frozen berries (a mixture of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries) on alternate days, we will get approximately 0.4 mg iron daily.
How much iron in ½ cup of fresh berries, as per USDA?
| mg Iron | Source |
| 1.3 | (½ cup) Mulberries |
| 0.4 | (½ cup) Blackberries |
| 0.4 | (½ cup) Raspberries |
| 0.3 | (½ cup) Strawberries |
| 0.3 | (½ cup) Sweet Cherries |
| 0.2 | (½ cup) Blueberries |
What did I learn? If we live in a region where fresh mulberries ('shahtoot' in Hindi) are available, we should buy them! They are flavorful and iron rich! :)
How much iron in 10 g of berries? Source: Nutritive Value of Indian Foods (2016), published by ICMR, India.
| mg Iron | Source |
| 3.91 | (10 g) Dry Karonda (Bengal Currant) |
| 2.22 | (10 g) Dry Sundakkai (Turkey Berry) |
| 0.85 | (10 g) Black currants |
What did I learn? Karonda, a tart berry found in India, is iron rich! Just 10 g of dry karonda gives us about 4 mg iron.
Can we get approximately 10% DV iron from 2 tbsp (1/8 cup) dried mulberries daily? Yes! These mulberries are sweet, so they are a welcome addition to morning breakfast cereal, salads or green smoothies. Here are some iron rich brands:
- Anthony's White Mulberries have 1.8 mg (10% DV) iron in 1/8 cup (2 tbsp, 14 g, 40 calories).
- Sun Tasty White Mulberries have 1.8 mg (10% DV) iron in ½ oz (14 g).
- Foods Alive White Mulberries have 1.8 mg (10% DV) iron in 1½ tbsp (14 g, 45 calories).
- White Mulberries by Essential Living Foods have 1.8 mg (10% DV) iron in 2 tbsp (45 calories).
There are many other brands selling dried white mulberries. Not every brand says that it's iron rich. It would help to read Nutrition Facts label before buying.
I tried finding dry karonda online but couldn't find it. If available, it is an iron rich food according to ICMR nutrition database.
How much iron? As per ICMR, 10 grams of dried sundakkai (dried turkey berries) have 2.2 g iron (11% DV). Can we eat 10 g in one meal? How about 5 g?
Alternate names: solanum torvum, turkey berry, devil's fig, pea eggplant, platebrush or susumber.
Taste: salty, slightly bitter.
How to use? The Cuisine section at Wikipedia article on Sudakkai says:
South Indian cuisine: This blog is a good starting point for sundakkai preparations.
How much iron in 3 tbsp (28 g to 30 g) of dried goji berries? Aproximately 15% DV. So if we consume about 1 tbsp daily, we'll get roughly 1 g (approximately 5% DV) iron.
- Goji Berries by Nutrient Elements have 2.7 mg (15% DV) iron in 1 oz (28 g).
- Goji Berries by Navitas have 3.0 mg (15% DV) iron in 3 tbsp (30 g).
- Goji Berries by Terrasoul have 2.8 mg (16% DV) iron in 1 oz (28 g)
Barberries are iron rich but typically consumed in small quantities because they are so tart. They are used in Mediterranean cuisine as toppings on rice, for example. How much iron in 1 tbsp barberries?
Barberries by Northwest Wild Foods have approximately 4% iron DV (0.7 mg) in 1 tbsp.
Sumac is a spice made from sumac berries, popular in Mediterranean cuisine. Consumed in small quantities because it's tart. How much iron in 1 tbsp sumac?
Sumac by Eat Well Premium Foods has 2.6 % DV (0.5 mg) in 1 tbsp.
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