100g firm tofu 2.9mg iron
¼ cup cashews 1.5mg iron
2 cups baby spinach 2.9mg iron
1 egg 0.9mg iron
1 cup cooked quinoa 2.5mg iron
40g Uncle Tobys Plus with Iron 3mg
1 cup red kidney beans 4mg iron
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds 2.3mg iron
2 Sanitarium Weet-Bix 3mg iron
5 dried apricots 0.9mg iron
Iron in food
The two main forms of iron are haem (found in
meats) and non-haem (found in plant foods).
Your body can absorb animal-based haem iron more
readily than plant-based non-haem iron. Here are
some of the top food sources of both types of iron:AnimAl-bAsed iron sources
● Organ meats (liver, kidney) ● beef ● pork
● fish ● chicken ● oysters ● musselsPlAnt-bAsed iron sources
● Whole grains ● dark leafy vegetables
● lentils ● kidney beans ● tofuSome foods help your body absorb iron, while others
inhibit it. Vitamin C helps release the non-haem iron
found in plant foods, improving iron absorption. So,
it’s best to pair vitamin C-rich foods, like citrus fruit,
tomatoes and capsicum, with foods that contain iron.
In most cases, cooking vegetables increases the
amount of available non-haem iron.
Tea and coffee can inhibit iron absorption, so enjoy
these beverages away from iron-containing meals.Whyweneediron
Ironiscriticaltoproducing
haemoglobin,aproteinwhich
transportsoxygenaroundour
bodies.Ifourcellsarenot
gettingenoughoxygen,we
canfeeltiredandfatigued.
Ashaemoglobinisred,not
havingenoughironcanalso
leaveuslookingpale.When
ourdietislackinginironand
ourbodycan’tmakeenough
redbloodcells,wehaveiron
deficiencyanaemia.
Ontheplusside,having
enoughironensurespeak
energylevels,boostsbrain
functionandpromotesa
strongimmunesystem.Howmuch
doweneed?
Therecommendeddietaryiron
intakeis18mgdailyforadult
womenand8mgformen.
Womenshouldhavetheiriron
levelscheckedregularlyduring
theirreproductiveyears,asthey
canfinditdifficultduringthis
timetomeetincreaseddaily
ironneedsthroughfoodalone.PLANT POWER
Boost your energy levels with these iron-rich vegetarian foods.26 healthyfoodguide.com.auhfg FeAtures