Iron & Cooked Spaghetti

Iron is a mineral that helps sustain life, and it's an essential part of your daily diet. While meat is one of the best sources of iron, cooked spaghetti supplies the nutrient, too. In fact, if you don't eat meat, cooked spaghetti is a nutritious addition to your healthy eating plan that will help you get plenty of iron. In addition to iron, cooked spaghetti also delivers several other key nutrients that support your good health.

A cup of cooked spaghetti, whether it's enriched or unenriched, contains 1.79 milligrams of iron. That's almost one-quarter of the 8 milligrams of iron men should have each day, and it's about 10 percent of the 18 milligrams women need on a daily basis. You might have heard the recommendation that you should eat more whole-wheat pasta than white pasta because it's higher in fiber. That's true, but a cup of cooked whole-wheat spaghetti supplies slightly less iron with 1.48 milligrams.

Most of the iron floating around in your body resides in your blood cells, and it aids those cells in carrying oxygen to all the parts of your body. You also need plenty of iron to encourage normal cell formation. Iron plays a key role in aiding your body in producing energy, too. Iron deficiency, which is the No. 1 nutrient deficiency in the world, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, leads to fatigue and poor work performance because your cells aren't transporting enough oxygen to all the parts of your body.

The nutritional benefits of cooked spaghetti don't stop with it's high iron content. When you eat enriched cooked noodles, you'll also get 167 milligrams of folate per cup, which is about 42 percent of the 400 micrograms you need each day. Folate helps prevent certain birth defects and aids your body in making energy from the foods you eat. That same cup of cooked enriched spaghetti also delivers 2.37 milligrams of niacin, a B vitamin that helps you convert food to energy and keeps your nervous system healthy. You'll also get vitamin K for normal blood clotting and tiny doses of potassium, zinc and magnesium.

Even though cooked whole-wheat spaghetti contains slightly less iron than white versions, you should still opt for it as often as possible. A cup of whole-wheat pasta contains 6.3 grams of fiber, which is one-quarter of the 25 grams women need each day and 17 percent of the 38 grams men need on a daily basis. Look for enriched versions of whole-wheat spaghetti so you still get the extra folate and niacin, too. If you're looking for additional ways to boost your iron intake, add lean meat to your pasta. You might also try sauteing leafy greens, such as spinach, and adding them to your cooked spaghetti. Leafy greens supply a good dose of iron per serving. Add bell peppers to your pasta, too. The vitamin C they contain will help you absorb the iron from the noodles.