The Best High in Iron Snacks in Australia: Our Top 15 High in Iron Snacks available at Coles & Woolworths

January 13, 2022

The Best 15 High in Iron Snacks that you can find in Coles and Woolworths.

We’ve all gone to the local Coles and Woolworths to look for snacks – but snacks that are high in iron? That’s hard to find. We thought the same thing, so we created a list of the best 15 high in iron snacks we think are in Coles and Woolworths.

But first, let’s talk about IRON…

Iron — it’s a mineral we all need. But why do we actually need iron and what does it do? And… What are some good sources of iron and are there any healthy Australian snacks you can eat to naturally boost your iron levels?

The short answer is that iron is a critical mineral for healthy body functioning: your body uses iron to transport oxygen via blood around your body and to your muscles (via the production of Hemoglobin and myoglobin). It’s also essential for a healthy immune system, good digestion, better concentration and memory, and more energy!

What are some foods that are high in iron?

There are many foods rich in iron. The top 10 sources include sardines, octopus, lamb, kangaroo, oysters, chicken and beef liver, mussels, pumpkin seeds, tofu, beef, turkey.

What are my Iron needs?

While specific iron needs depend on the person and their diet, age and gender, nutritional guidelines recommend that:

✔ Women aged 19-50 consume 18mg per day

✔ Men over 19 and women aged 51+ consume 8mg per day

✔ Pregnant women consume 27mg per day

✔ Breast-feeding women consume 9mg per day

(Sources: NIH.gov & betterhealth.vic.gov.au)

Why Australians may need to add more iron to their diets…

Now that you’re aware of how important iron is an essential mineral – did you know that it is estimated that 1.1 million Australians are iron deficient? With that in mind, there are a variety of delicious and nutritious natural snacks that have significant amounts of iron in them.

Here at KOOEE, we didn’t realise how important iron was until we started researching it for ourselves. That’s why we created this blog to share the list of our top 15 high in iron snacks.

But first, here are three important reasons why iron plays a significant role in a healthy body functioning:

Increases Energy:

Iron is a mineral that helps release energy from food and carries oxygen to the muscles and brain. Good sources of dietary iron include lean red meats, dark-green leafy vegetables, and whole grains.

Boosts Hemoglobin:

It’s important that we get iron (along with other essential vitamins) into our diet. By taking a high heme iron-enriched diet, we are able to boost Hemoglobin levels and keep anemia at bay. Interesting fact, heme iron is absorbed four times better than the non-heme forms of iron.

Reduces Fatigue:

If you’re struggling with fatigue, there may be a simple reason – lack of iron. Iron is very important for our health as it’s part of red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. If you become anaemic because you don’t have enough iron, the cells within your body will work less efficiently and this will lead to tiredness and fatigue.

Hopefully, these three reasons have helped set the record straight – on how important iron is for the body to function properly. Whether you’re a meat eater or not, we always encourage you to consult with a medical professional if you think you may be experiencing iron deficiency symptoms.

Four easy ways that you can consume more iron every day…

It’s not difficult to see how your health can be negatively affected by consuming too little iron. So here are four nutritionist-approved wholefoods that can help naturally increase and boost your iron.

1. Pumpkin Seed Bread

Pumpkin seed bread is a great healthy alternative to traditional wheat or multigrain breads. Pumpkin seed bread also tends to be lower GI (glycaemic index), meaning that you have more sustained energy for a longer period of time!

FUN FACT – Pumpkin seeds are packed with vitamins like manganese, vitamin K, Zinc and have an average iron content of 9.76 mg per 100g

2. Free Range Organic Eggs

It’s no surprise that we’ve added free-range organic eggs to our list. Often referred to as mother nature’s multivitamin, eggs are one of the best foods rich in iron and essential nutrients. Eggs are also naturally high in protein, calcium, vitamin B2, zinc.

FUN FACT – The iron content in eggs increases when they’re cooked. Each cooked egg contains an average iron content of 1.75 mg.

3. Spinach

Spinach is known to be the king of leafy vegetables as it’s one of the healthiest vegetables in the world. When cooked properly, it has a delicious texture and excellent taste that might change your mind about this green treasure. Along with plant compounds like Lutein (which helps eye health) and Kaempferol (an antioxidant that may reduce your risk of cancer).

FUN FACT – one cup of cooked spinach contains about 6.5 mg of iron.

4. Strawberries

Strawberries are a fresh and ripe superfood we all love. They taste great, are readily available, and they’re so easy to grab and eat. And they’re nutritious, delicious and healthy. While not a strong source of iron themselves, they are very high in vitamin C and folate (as well as a number of other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients).

FUN FACT – strawberries are high in Vitamin C which actually helps increase absorption of iron!

What are some high in iron foods for vegetarians?

The highest foods in iron for vegetarians include fortified meat substitute products, pumpkin seeds, Tofu and nori. Vegetarian foods containing moderate amounts of iron include chia seeds, goji berries, wholemeal pasta, broad beans, flaxseed, red kidney beans, sundried tomato, chickpeas, lentils, green peas, tahini, cashews, muesli with added fruit and nuts, sunflower seeds, corn, pistachios, spelt, silverbeet, almonds, asparagus, okra, beetroot, radish, quinoa, oats, wholemeal bread, bok choy, split peas, hazelnuts, dried apricots.

How do I get enough iron if I am primarily working from home?

As the pandemic has made it challenging for everyone, our friends @jess_spendlove_dietitian and @chloe_mcleod_dietitian from the @health_performance_collective have created this fantastic infographic about a Dietitian’s Day on a plate working from home edition:

Here’s an example of a Dietitian’s day on a plate for the average woman to get 18mg of iron each day

Are there any snacks that are high in iron?

Here are 4 iron rich snack ideas:

KOOEE! Organic Beef Snack Sticks
12 raw cashews with 3 organic dried apricots
Roasted chickpeas
Nori seaweed

Are there any healthy recipes rich in iron?

Iron Rich Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 Brown onion, finely chopped
2 Celery stalks, finely chopped
1 Medium carrots, finely chopped
1 Medium zucchini, finely chopped
1 small beetroot, grated
3 Garlic cloves minced
500g Beef and lamb liver mince
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon dried italian herbs
700g Tomato passata sauce
2 Bay Leaves

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots and zucchini and sauté for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef and cook for 10 minutes stirring continuously until the meat is browned and broken down into small pieces.
Add the Italian herbs and tomato paste and mix with the meat.
Add the passata, grated beetroot and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Cover and cook for at least 40 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Serve with regular or pulse spaghetti and some grated cheese.

Overall, however, we know that hitting your iron goals can be hard on a daily basis, that’s why we’ve also found and created a list for you of the 15 best high-in-iron ready-made snacks below!

Here’s our list of the top 15 healthy high in iron snacks that you can find at Coles and Woolworths:

This list of our top 15 healthy high in iron snacks can be found at the local Woolworths and Coles. Make sure to bookmark or print this list the next time you visit the grocery store!

KOOEE! Natural Beef Jerky

OK, maybe we’re slightly biased here – but hear us out… Our beef jerky contains 1.44mg per 30g pack, (we got it tested in a lab) so it’s a handy source of iron when you’re looking for something healthy. And as a meat-based product, it’s an excellent source of iron that you can take on the go as a convenient, high in iron snack. Finally, our beef jerky also offers 14g of natural protein per serve.

KOOEE! Natural Beef Jerky

Sirena Tuna in Springwater

Tuna is a great source of iron (with an average 1.6 mg of iron per 100g of Tuna) — which helps you stay on top of your game. For that reason, we love Sirena Tuna because it’s a high in iron snack.

Happy Snack Co Chickpea Snacks & Fava bean snacks

Happy Snack Co uses Australian grown chickpeas which are slow-cooked and perfectly seasoned for a delicious crunch. Packed with healthy plant-based fibre, Chickpeas also offer an average iron content of 6.2 mg of iron per 100g, which makes it a really solid high in iron snack.

KOOEE! Beef Sticks

Australia’s first Natural Twiggy Stick, made with 100% Australian Organic, Grass-fed Beef, and no mystery meat. We also had snack sticks lab-tested, which confirmed that there is .75mg per stick (3mg per 100g), making this a convenient high in iron snack, and a super-easy way to supplement your daily iron intake.

You can find our Snack Sticks available here on our online shop.

Mayvers – Peanut Butter

Creamy peanut butter—it’s delicious, healthy, and a great way to start the day with some toast. This High iron Snack is generally packed with typically .56mg per tablespoon.

Supermarket – Walnuts

A handful of these bad boys will keep your afternoon cravings satisfied! The average iron content in walnuts is 2.9 mg of iron per 100g, making it a high in iron snack.

99th Monkey – Almond butter

Made in Melbourne in small batches, we simply love 99th Monkey’s Australian Almond Butter! Generally, the average iron content of almond butter is 3.5 mg of iron per 100g of Almond Butter, which is a great high in iron snack.

King Oscar – Sardines

King Oscar offers premium quality Brisling Sardines, perfect on toast, in a salad or straight from the can! Sardines have an average iron content of 2.48 mg of iron per 3 oz of Sardines, the perfect high in iron snack.

Mayvers – Tahini

Nothing beats natural hulled sesame seeds as a healthy spread. Tahini has a huge average iron content of 9 mg of iron per 100g of Tahini, making a spoon of Tahini a fantastic high in iron snack.

Always Fresh – Olives

Always Fresh – have made some of our favourite Spanish olives, perfect on a homemade KOOEE beef pizza. Olives contain an average iron content of 3.3 mg of iron per 100g, an excellent high in iron snack.

Lindt – 95% Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate makes everything better, especially when you know it’s actually a high in iron snack as well! The average iron content for dark chocolate of this nature is around 12 mg of iron per 100g of Dark Chocolate, making this a very high source of iron for those with a sweet tooth.

ThinkFood – Munchme Pumpkin seeds

The nourishment you’ll love to bits! The stuff is stupidly delicious and a fantastic high in iron snack. The average iron content for Pumpkin Seeds is 3.3 mg of iron per 100g of Pumpkin Seeds.

Olinas – Just Sprouted Pumpkin Seed Crisps

We’ve been loving these plant-powered, super seed crisps made from a few nutrient-rich ingredients, the perfect high in iron snack. As we stated before, pumpkin seeds generally have an average iron content of 3.3 mg of iron per 100g.

Macros – Hemp Kale Corn Chips

Treat yourself to these crunchy and wonderful Hemp & Kale Chips – a really yum high in iron snack. Generally, a 3-tablespoon serving of hulled hemp seeds contains an average iron content of 2.38 mg of iron.

Frisp – Strawberry Crisps 15g

The perfect pre-workout sweet snack, nothing beats freeze-dried fruits! The average iron content of these delicious bad boys is 0.4 mg of iron per 100g of Strawberries. But while it’s not super high in iron, it’s high in Vitamin C, which helps iron absorption.

Conclusion – How You Can Potentially Consume Enough Iron Without Taking An Iron Supplement…

We hope you found this article on the best high in iron snacks helpful.

Here at KOOEE!, we don’t believe in a one size fits all approach when it comes to nutrition. However, we do think that our Australian-made high in iron snacks can conveniently (and deliciously) help you increase your daily iron intake.

Keen to skip the shops and have our high in iron jerky and snack sticks delivered to your door? Don’t go any further – we have you covered.

You can purchase our range of healthy snacks right here:

Click here to try our JERKY Sample Pack

Click here to try our STICKS Sample Pack

We’ve also created this snacks table below so you can print out our list of the best 15 high in iron snacks:

SNACK	SIZE	COLES	WOOLWORTHS	RRP	IRON
KOOEE! Natural Jerky Sea Salt	30g	✔	✔	$5.95	1.44mg of iron per 30g packet of KOOEE! Beef Jerky
Sirena Tuna In Springwater	95g	✔	✔	$4.30	Generally, 1.6 mg of iron per 100g of Tuna
The Happy Snack Co. Roasted Fava Beans - Lightly Salted	150g	✔	✔	$5.30	Generally, 6.2 mg of iron per 100g Chickpeas
KOOEE! Organic Beef Sticks - Sea Salt	25g	✔	✔	$3	0.75 mg of iron per stick (3 mg per 100g)
Mayver's Crunchy Peanut Butter	375g	✔	✔	$5	Generally, 1.9 mg of iron per 100g of Peanut Butter
Supermarket Walnuts	400g	✔	✔	$12	Generally, 2.9 mg of iron per 100g of Walnuts
99th Monkey Almond Butter	200g	✔	❌	$7	Generally, 3.5 mg of iron per 100g of Almond Butter
King Oscar Sardines In Olive Oil	105g	✔	✔	$2.50	Generally, 2.48 mg of iron per 3 oz of Sardines
Mayver's Hulled Tahini Spread	385G	✔	✔	$5.30	Generally, 9 mg of iron per 100g of Tahini
Always Fresh Pitted Kalamata Olives	670g	✔	✔	$7.50	3.3 mg of iron per 100g of Olives
Lindt Excellence Supreme Dark Chocolate Block	100g	✔	✔	$4.50	Generally, 12 mg of iron per 100g of Dark Chocolate
Thinkfood Munch Pumpkin Seed	500g	✔	✔	$18.50	Generally, 3.3 mg of iron per 100g of Pumpkin Seeds
Olina's Just Sprouted Pumpkin Seed Crisps	80g	✔	✔	$5	Generally, 3.3 mg of iron per 100g of Pumpkin Seeds
Macro Hemp Corn Chips Kale & Wasabi	125g	❌	✔	$5	Generally, a 3-tablespoon serving of hulled hemp seeds contains 2.38 mg of iron
Frisp Strawberry Crisps	15g	✔	✔	$3	Generally, 0.4 mg of iron per 100g of Strawberries

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