Flourish Health & Wellbeing Magazine - Dec23 - Flipbook - Page 38
Sources of dietary iron
Foods high in iron
Many people think dietary iron only comes
from red meat. Yet there are many iron-rich
foods, including animal-based, plant-based
and iron-for琀椀昀椀ed foods.
These iron-rich foods can help
your body get the iron it needs:
• Eggs
• Dried apricots
• Fish
• Iron-for琀椀昀椀ed cereals
• Leafy green vegetables (for
example, spinach, silverbeet,
kale, green salad leaves)
• Legumes (for example, baked
beans, len琀椀ls, chickpeas)
• Oats
• Poultry
• Quinoa
• Red meat
• O昀昀al (liver, kidney, pate)
• Seeds
• Nuts (for example, almonds
and cashews)
• Tempeh
• Tofu
• Wholegrain bread and cereals
Haem iron comes from animal-based foods
and is easy for your body to absorb.
Non-haem iron comes from plant-based
foods and is a li琀琀le harder to absorb.
Foods with non-haem iron are a valuable
source of dietary iron and should be part
of a healthy and well-balanced diet. In fact,
most of the iron in the Australian diet comes
from plant-based foods such as grains and
vegetables. Even for meat-eaters.
Eating to increase iron absorption
The way you eat and what you eat together
can help increase your iron absorp琀椀on. If taking
calcium supplements, make sure you take these
at least one hour before or a昀琀er a meal as they
can interfere with iron absorp琀椀on.
Avoid tea, co昀昀ee and red wine with meals
because they can reduce iron absorp琀椀on
from foods.
Eat foods containing vitamin C with your
meals to help break down iron-rich foods
for be琀琀er absorp琀椀on. Foods with vitamin C
include citrus fruit, strawberries, kiwifruit,
pawpaw, melon, green leafy vegetables,
tomatoes, broccoli and capsicum.
Eat meat and vegetables together to
increase the amount of iron you absorb
from your vegetables.
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