A food may be labeled "enriched" for one of two reasons, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. A food may be labeled "enriched" if it contains 10 percent more of a nutrient than a non-enriched type of that same food. A food may also be labeled "enriched" with a certain nutrient if it meets FDA requirements for the amount of that nutrient. Because pregnant women need more iron than other women, they may need to eat iron-enriched products to meet their daily requirement. The recommended daily intake of iron for pregnant women is 27 mg.
Bread and Baked Goods
When wheat is processed to make flour, many of the nutrients are lost. After processing, these nutrients are added back in and the product is then labeled "enriched." Therefore, products made with enriched flour are typically high in iron. One large bagel contains 5.5 mg, an English muffin contains 2.4 mg, a frozen waffle contains 2.3, a pita contains 1.6, and one slice of white bread contains .9 mg.
Pasta
Pasta is typically made with enriched flour as well, so most pastas are enriched with iron. One cup of cooked egg noodles contains 2.4 mg, 1 cup of chow mein noodles contains 2.1 mg, and 1 cup of cooked spaghetti noodles contains 1.8 mg. The type of iron added to enriched food is called nonheme iron. This type of iron is not as easily absorbed as heme iron, which is iron from animal products. You may, however, increase the absorption of nonheme sources by consuming them with vitamin C. If you consume the pasta with tomato sauce, the vitamin C in the tomatoes can help you absorb the iron. Eating nonheme iron with meat also increases the absorption, so adding meatballs to your pasta will increase the absorption as well as provide additional iron, because meat contains iron. One cup of canned pasta with meatballs contains 3.3 mg.
Cold and Hot Cereal
Cold cereals are typically iron enriched. Some cold cereals contain as much as 18 mg of iron, which is more than 65 percent of the amount needed by pregnant women. If your cereal is not also fortified with vitamin C, you can drink a glass of orange juice with your breakfast to increase the absorption of the iron. Hot cereals, such as farina and oatmeal, are also enriched with iron. One cup of cooked farina provides 47 percent of the daily value for pregnant women. One packet of prepared instant oatmeal supplies 39 percent.
Rice and Corn Products
One cup of cooked, enriched white rice contains 2.9 mg of iron, which is 11 percent of the daily value for pregnant women. Black beans are also high in iron, so you can create a meal higher in iron by combining the two. You can also add tomatoes or peppers to increase the absorption of the iron of the beans and rice. One packet of corn grits contains 9 mg of iron, which supplies more than 30 percent of the daily value. One medium corn muffin contains 3.2 mg, and 1 oz. of enriched corn tortilla chips contains 1 mg.
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