Forgetting About Iron

Iron is one of the numerous essential vitamins and minerals that can be found in meat. For instance, a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of ground beef provides 14% of the daily recommended intake of iron.

Meat also contains heme iron, a type of iron that is simple for your body to absorb. Non-heme iron, which your body can't absorb as efficiently, is found in plant sources of iron. Numerous varieties of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and legumes contain non-heme iron. As a result, vegetarians are more likely to experience iron-deficiency anemia, a condition in which there are not enough red blood cells in the body. Dizziness, shortness of breath, and fatigue are symptoms. However, you can receive all the iron you need from a well-planned vegetarian diet that is rich in plant-based foods. Make sure to eat lots of healthy sources of iron, such as lentils, beans, fortified cereals, nuts, seeds, oats, and leafy greens, if you're a vegetarian or vegan. Furthermore, combining foods high in vitamin C with foods high in iron can improve the absorption of non-heme iron. Including a vegetable side dish, salad, or piece of fruit with your meals will help increase iron absorption because most fruits and vegetables include vitamin C.