Can I get enough iron from my diet?

You can get iron from food, but depending on the type of iron, it may not be absorbed well, and it may not be sufficient to meet your requirements. There are two types of iron found in the diet, non-haem iron and haem iron. Non-haem iron is found in plants, nuts and legumes. This is absorbed at a much lower rate and extent than heme iron, which is found in animal products such as meat, especially red meat. It’s important to remember that even if you are making a conscious effort to ingest more heme iron, by eating meat, other daily habits like drinking tea and coffee after your meals can reduce iron absorption.