Top 7 Foods With Chromium & Why We Need It

When it comes to staying healthy, we tend to focus on getting appropriate amounts of vitamins, protein, and carbs. And we usually care more about minerals like potassium, iron, and calcium while ignoring other beneficial minerals like chromium.

Today we are going to show you a list of some foods with chromium.

Chromium is an essential trace element for human health, and it plays a crucial role in metabolism.

Chromium is naturally found in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, meats, and whole grains, and it is necessary for proper insulin function, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism.

However, it is crucial to maintain a healthy and balanced diet to meet the daily recommended intake of chromium, and supplements should only be taken under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

This trace mineral helps your body regulate its blood sugar, improving brain health and breaking down fats, carbs, and protein more effectively. You don’t need to panic if you don’t get a lot of chromium, but it’s always a good idea to get your recommended daily intake of it.

Here is a list of 7 foods with Chromium

To help you incorporate this mineral into your diet, we’re bringing you a list of the top 7 foods that are high in chromium.

Grape Juice

Naturally, grapes are packed with chromium and other beneficial minerals. Drinking only one cup of grape juice will give your body 7.5 mcg of chromium (21-30% of your DV).

Keep in mind that the concentration of chromium in grapes can differ from one crop to another, depending on the way they were planted and taken care of.

If you’re going to buy grape juice, you want a juice that is 100% natural and doesn’t contain added sugar or anything that could reduce the benefit you get from it. Otherwise, you can just juice the grapes yourself.

What’s also great about grape juice is that one serving gives you a good amount of vitamin C, which improves your immune system and protects you from free radicals. Moreover, vitamin C or ascorbic acid is suggested to help you absorb even more chromium. 

So, whether you sip on your pure grape juice on its own or add it to your healthy smoothie, you’ll get a decent intake of chromium either way.

Orange Juice

If you’re not a big fan of grape juice, you can still get some chromium from orange juice. In fact, drinking just 240 ml of orange juice gives your body 2.2 mcg of chromium (6% of the average DV), which is a lower portion of chromium when compared to grape juice.

However, you can get 90% of your DV of vitamin C in only one serving of orange juice. You’ll also get other antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids. These elements in orange juice can potentially reduce your risk of inflammation and heart disease.

Like grape juice, it’s best to get 100% pure orange juice with no added sugar or flavoring. 

Broccoli

When it comes to nutrition benefits, everyone knows you should eat Broccoli. Including broccoli in your diet can help you get more chromium.

45 grams of broccoli provide your body with a whopping 11 mcg of chromium, which for some people is around a third of their daily intake, and for others, is almost 50% of their DV of chromium! 

This wondrous, versatile veggie is also rich in fiber and Vitamins K, C, A, and B9. Besides chromium and numerous vitamins, broccoli also provides you with a decent amount of potassium.

It can be enjoyed raw as a healthy snack; you can just dip it in yogurt dip, hummus, or any other healthy dip and crunch away at it!

You can also include it in your salad for extra crunch and nutrients! Not into raw broccoli? Steam or saute it to make a tasty side dish. You can even turn it into a rich, creamy puree! 

Whole Wheat Flour

When trying to get more chromium into your diet, whole wheat products are a great option. On average, a 58-gram whole wheat English muffin will provide you with 10% of your daily chromium intake. How cool is that?

There are other whole wheat goodies that give you lesser portions of chromium but still increase your daily intake. You can often get 3% of your DV by eating a 36-gram slice of whole wheat bread.

In addition, whole wheat flour provides you with a good amount of fiber and protein, which can decrease your appetite and help you lose weight.

For example, 30 grams of whole wheat flour contains 3.3 grams of fiber and 3.9 grams of protein. 

Adding whole wheat flour to your diet is super easy, as it can substitute regular flour in most recipes. 

Brewer’s Yeast and Baker’s Yeast

Yeast is an essential ingredient in bread recipes. It’s actually a fungus named Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is a great chromium source. Every tablespoon gives you about 17 mcg, 40% of your DV.

You can use yeast in recipes to increase your protein content, enhance your immune system, and boost your overall energy. Yeast is usually sold as a powder, so you can add it to your salad, smoothie, or yogurt. It might taste odd at the beginning, but the nutritional value is totally worth it!

Animal-Based Proteins

In general, proteins that come from animal sources are an excellent source of chromium. 85 grams (3 oz) of beef provides you with 2 mcg of chromium (6% of the average DV).

You can get your chromium from other animal sources, too, but they may contain smaller amounts. 85 grams of turkey breast, for example, contains 1.7 mcg of chromium (5% of the DV). 

Chicken breast can also provide you with a good amount of chromium. 85 grams of chicken breast provides you with  0.5 mcg of chromium  (1% of the DV).

All of these animal-based proteins contain vitamin B12, which your body needs to speed up the formation of red blood cells and ensure the proper functioning of the nervous system.

String Beans

String beans, or green beans, can be a good chromium source to include in your diet. 73 grams of string beans provide 1.1 mcg of chromium (2.5-3% of the DV). 

Additionally, green beans are a great way to reduce bloating, abdominal pain, gas, and many other digestive issues.

That is because they’re very low in FODMAPs, which are carbohydrates that are not digested until they reach your gut. Their name stands for “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols.”

In fact, if you have some digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, eating green beans is a great option for you because they won’t provoke your gut in any way.

Everyone knows how to eat them — steam, boil, saute, or roast them, and enjoy these green beauties as a snack or a side dish!

Final Thoughts

So, there you have 7 chromium-packed foods that you can easily include in your diet! Never rely on supplements before food, and instead, always try to get your chromium from natural sources. Stay safe and healthy!