Eating an Iron-Rich Diet

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Iron-rich foods can prevent anemia and keep you healthy.

MEAT and FISH contain iron that your body can use immediately.

• Beef and Chicken LIVER
• Shellfish (clams, mussels & oysters)
• Cooked beef & turkey
• Chicken
• Fish (halibut, haddock, salmon, small amounts of tuna)
• Pork
• Veal

OTHER FOODS contain a lot of iron too.

But you need to eat them together with MEAT, FISH, or VITAMIN C in order to absorb all of their iron.

Eat any of these foods…

• Breakfast cereals with iron (check the label)
• Cooked beans and lentils
• Nuts and seeds (pumpkin and sesame)
• Tofu
• Broccoli
• Baked potato
• Pasta, egg noodles, and rice
• Wheat germ
• Spinach

with these sources of vitamin C:

• Orange and grapefruit juice
• Fruit: Strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges, and grapefruit
• Cooked vegetables:
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Peas
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Raw green or red peppers (NOT the HOT ones)

Some foods PREVENT your body from absorbing iron.

Eat these foods at meals that DON’T include iron-rich foods:

• Coffee and tea
• Red wine
• (White wine is okay)
• Whole grains and bran