Iron-Rich Foods Should be a Staple of Your Diet

Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet with plenty of iron-rich foods is good advice for everyone. But for some people—such as children and women—eating plenty of foods containing iron is especially important given their higher iron needs.

• heme iron—found in meat, poultry and fish
• non-heme iron—from plant foods, such as dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach; beans, peas and dried fruit. Non-heme iron is not absorbed as well as heme iron, which is why vegetarians often don’t get enough iron in their diet.

Vitamin C is iron’s friend. Getting enough vitamin C in your diet can help your body absorb iron. Vitamin C can be found in fruits and some vegetables, such as broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes, as well as citrus juices like orange juice.