Will I get enough Iron?

Will I get enough Iron? This is another much asked question when it comes to making the change to a vegetarian lifestyle.

As one of the cooks at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga, I often get asked this question. I have been a vegetarian for well over 30 years and the only time I have every suffered from low iron levels is when I hemorrhaged after child birth and after surgery. Even during my pregnancy, my iron levels were high for a pregnant woman

Iron is found in many vegetarian foods. Good sources of iron are found in bananas, raisins, whole grains, parsley, plums, blackstrap molasses, green leafy vegetables, legumes, prunes, dried fruit, beetroot, sunflower seeds, pepitas and sea vegetables.

Some foods interfere with iron absorption and it is recommended to avoid them altogether. These are cocoa, chocolate, tea, coffee, beer and smoking.

It is good to take plenty of vitamin C, which aids the absorption of iron. Foods high in vitamin C are citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, also in strawberries, kiwifruit, watermelon, blackcurrants, papaya, tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas, pinto beans, blackeyed peas, red peppers, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. However, all fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of vitamin C so it certainly is no concern on a healthy vegetarian diet.

Gayatri

Instructor Australian school of meditation and yoga