Eating a well-balanced diet rich in iron and vitamins can prevent or reduce iron-deficiency anemia. Both animal and plant foods contain iron, but our bodies absorb the iron from meats, fish, and poultry better than from plants.
To increase the amount of iron that is absorbed from plant foods, eat them with foods high in vitamin C (oranges, strawberries, peppers) or with meat, poultry, or fish. Red meat (beef liver, lean sirloin, lean ground beef, etc.) is the richest source of iron.
Iron is also found in fortified cereals, bread and pasta, beans and nuts, including baked beans, dried fruit (apricots, peaches, raisins, and prunes), prune juice, and dark green leafy vegetables.
