5 Ingredient Iron Shake — 2.5x More Iron Than Beef

This is the first shake in my new Plant Powered Shakes series, and I wanted to start with the one nutrient I get asked about more than any other: iron. Almost every plant-based eater I teach worries they aren’t getting enough of it. So here is a shake that has 2.5x more iron than beef, comes together in one blender, and uses five ingredients you probably already have.

It’s the kind of thing I drink when my hair and nails are feeling a little weak and I want something quick before the day runs away from me.

What’s In This Iron Shake?
Every ingredient here is doing a job, and most of them are doing two.

Raw spinach is the iron base. I blanch four cups down to one because cooking it gently shrinks the volume and makes it far easier to drink (and a little kinder on your stomach than a mountain of raw leaves).

Tahini brings a second hit of non-heme iron along with calcium and healthy fats, and it gives the shake that lovely creamy body.

Soy milk rounds it out with plant protein and amino acids.

Then comes the ingredient that makes the whole thing work: one small orange, peeled with the seeds removed. And to take the edge off the greens, a single Medjool date(or a spoon of maple syrup or coconut nectar if that’s what you have). Naturally sweetens the shake while adding fibre and potassium.

The Science
Here’s the part most people miss. The iron in plants is non-heme iron, which your body absorbs less easily than the heme iron in meat. That’s the usual argument for why plant eaters “can’t get enough.”

But there’s a simple fix, and it’s vitamin C. Non-heme iron + vitamin C together absorb almost as well as heme iron does. One orange genuinely does the trick.

Why It Works
The vitamin C from the orange dramatically boosts how much of the non-heme iron from the spinach and tahini your body can take in. That single swap is what lets a plant-based shake go toe to toe with beef. You’re not just drinking iron, you’re drinking iron your body can actually use, and that’s the whole game.

Chef’s Tip
Blanching the spinach helps mellow its flavour and creates a smoother, creamier shake without compromising its nutritional benefits. I also recommend drinking this shake immediately after blending to preserve the vitamin C from the fresh orange.

5 Ingredient Iron Shake — 2.5x More Iron Than Beef

Divya Butani

A 5-ingredient plant-based iron shake with more iron than beef. The vitamin C from one little orange helps your body actually absorb it,so it works as hard as a steak would.

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Servings 1 person

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 Blender

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup Unsweetened non-GMO soy milk
• ▢ 4 cups Raw spinach (blanched down to 1 cup)
• ▢ 2 tbsp Tahini
• ▢ 1 small Orange (peeled, seeds removed)
• ▢ 1 Medjool date (or 2 tbsp maple syrup / coconut nectar)

Instructions

• Blanch the spinach and let it cool slightly, then squeeze out the excess water.
• Add everything to the blender.
• Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve straight away.

Nutrition

Serving: 1glassCalories: 400kcalProtein: 17gVitamin C: 85mgCalcium: 614mgIron: 7.2mg

Calories: 400kcal