How To Get Enough Iron on a Plant-Based Diet
This Quinoa and Black Bean Buddha Bowl is High in Iron
- quinoa: 100 g of cooked quinoa have 1.5 mg of iron.
- black beans: 100 g of cooked black beans have 2.1 mg of iron.
- tomato puree: Tomatoes are great because they not only have iron but also vitamin C which helps absorb the iron.
- tahini: 25 g of tahini have 2.2 mg of iron.
- pumpkin seeds: 25 g of pumpkin seeds have 2.2 mg of iron.
- lemon juice: It is recommended to drink a glass of orange juice with your meals or add lemon juice as a source of vitamin C. Especially since plant-based iron has a lower absorption rate per se, this is a simple tip to increase iron absorption.
This Quinoa and Black Bean Buddha Bowl is Full of Flavors
Quinoa and Black Bean Buddha Bowl (Iron-Rich)
- 1 servings
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients
– 50 g quinoa, uncooked
– 150 ml vegetable broth
tahini sauce
– 1 tsp tahini (~ 10 g)
– juice of 1/2 lemon
– 1 tsp agave syrup
– pinch of salt
black beans
– 1 onion
– 1 tbsp tomato puree
– 1 can black beans (~ 200 g)
– 1/4 tsp cumin
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 1/2 tsp paprika
– 1 small bell pepper
– handful of small tomatoes
– 2 handful of spinach
– pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Start by cooking the quinoa for ~ 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you don’t have vegetable broth, simply mix 200 ml of water with a teaspoon of vegetable broth powder or a vegetable broth cube.
- While the quinoa is cooking, make the sauce. Mix all the ingredients until well incorporated.
- Finely dice the onion and sauté in a splash of water in a pan over medium-high heat for ~5 minutes. Strain the black beans. Then, add the tomato puree, black beans and spices to the pan and let simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Wash the vegetables. Cut the bell pepper into thin strips and the tomatoes into halves. If you want, you can mix half of the spinach with the quinoa.
- Assemble your bowl by first adding the spinach leaves, then the quinoa, black beans and vegetables. Drizzle the tahini sauce on top. Garnish with a few pumpkin seeds.
Notes
You could also use maple syrup or another liquid sweetener of your choice instead of agave.
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