Eating healthy foods high in iron may help you avoid getting iron-deficiency anemia. Many delicious foods are good sources of iron.

The best animal sources of iron include:

•  Beef or chicken liver

•  Lean beef

•  Chicken

•  Turkey

•  Oysters

Good plant food sources of iron include:

•  Beans and lentils

•  Baked potatoes

•  Tofu

•  Cashews

•  Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables

•  Breakfast cereals that are fortified with iron

•  Whole grain breads

You can also cook with a cast iron pan. Some of the iron from the pan absorbs into the foods you cook. Acidic foods like tomato sauces absorb the highest amount from cast iron pans.

There’s another way to get even more iron out of the foods you eat. Eating a high-iron food with a food that contains vitamin C helps your body absorb iron better. Vitamin C-rich foods include:

•  Oranges and citrus fruits

•  Kiwi fruit

•  Mango

•  Papaya

•  Pineapple

•  Strawberries

•  Broccoli

•  Brussels sprouts

•  Bell peppers

•  Sweet potatoes

•  Tomatoes and tomato juice

See your doctor about iron

You can get your iron levels checked by your doctor with a blood test. Some people already have high iron levels and should not use cast iron pans or take iron supplements. Talk to your doctor about iron, including any recommended diet changes.

Sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, U.S. National Library of Medicine