There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is found only in animal products and fish, while non-heme iron is found in many plant-based sources. Your body absorbs the most iron from heme sources, so in order to intake enough iron while not eating meat or fish, you first need to ensure you include enough plant-based iron sources in your diet.
Secondly, you need to include foods in your diet which help optimise your iron absorption. Good sources of iron include: Cooked beans or chickpeas, pumpkin or sesame seeds, dried apricots, and wheat germ sprinkled over your porridge.
Vitamin C also helps improve the absorption of iron from food, so creating vitamin C-rich salads with dark, leafy greens (such as kale, broccoli and spinach) and combining them with iron-rich legumes such as black beans, green peas and chickpeas is a good start.
To find out more about how you can train to become a Nutritional Therapist, attend one of our open events.
By Eva Killeen
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