It is easy to increase your iron intake by eating iron rich foods. However, a recent survey conducted among young women highlighted a big gap in their knowledge of iron rich foods:

- 26% of young women admitted to having a hard time identifying iron rich foods
– 26% of young women knew that liver is a good source of iron and forty percent (40%) are aware that green vegetables are a good source too.
– 17% knew eating fortified cereal for breakfast could increase iron intake.
– 12% cited baked beans as one of the many iron rich foods.
– 10% knew boiled eggs contain a good amount of iron.
– 9% mentioned red meat as among the top iron rich foods.
– 2% considered eating dried figs to up their iron intake.

Food Rich in Iron
Eating enough iron Rich Foods is critical to ensure your body doesn’t become iron deficient and is at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia. Worldwide iron deficiency is a major problem, but it might come as a surprise to hear that a lack of iron is the number on nutrient deficiency in the United States. Here are some of the top iron rich foods which you should include in your diet:
– Beef, pork, lamb and organ meat like liver. The redder the meat the better.
– Poultry, especially the darker meat from the legs
– Oily fish like sardines and mackarel and mollusks such as mussels, clams and oysters

Iron Rich Foods for Vegetarians:
Vegetarians often have more of a problem to get sufficient iron from their diet, because most vegetarian products have lower iron content and the type of iron in plant products is not easily absorbed by your body. As a vegetarian you will need t plan your meals more carefully to ensure you get sufficient iron rich foods and you need to maximize the iron absorption by your body. Here are some tips for vegetarians:
– Eat Green leafy vegetables
– Incorporating food or drinks rich in vitamin C, such as fruits, vegetables and fruit juice will help maximize iron absorption.
– Eat iron fortified foods. You can find fortified breakfast cereal, fortified rice and much more.
– Nuts, apricots, plums and other dehydrated fruits are great iron rich snacks.

Menu Ideas
Since there are so many Iron Rich Foods it should not be too difficult to put good tasting, easy to make menus together. Here are some examples:

Breakfast:
– fortified breakfast cereals or biscuits made of whole wheat
– wholemeal toast with poached egg, two low-fat sausages, grilled tomato and baked beans
– fruit juice rich in vitamin C such as orange or grapefruit

Lunch:
– wholemeal toast topped with smoked mackarel or canned sardines in tomato sauce
– bean salad or chicken salad
– some fresh fruit juice

Dinner:
– asian stir fried beef with red bellpepper and brocolli
– steak or some other lean red meat
– fresh fruit juice

Snacks:
– pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashew nuts
– dried fruit like apricots, plums, figs
– slice of gingerbread cake

Iron Absorption
Of all the iron in the food you eat only a fraction is actually absorbed and used by your body. The amount of iron absorbed by your body is a complex issue and depends on many different factors like how much iron you already have stored in your body, the type of iron in the food your eating (plant vs animal) and what are other foods you are eating in combination. But there are simple things you can do to boost your iron absorption. For one, you can ensure you get plenty of iron absorption enhancers like foods rich in vitamin C, these foods increase the amount of iron your body absorbs from your diet. Also, don’t drink tea or coffee with your meal as these act as iron absorption inhibitors and slow down the amount of iron your body absorbs.