Iron, kontomire and getting the most from plant iron

Iron carries oxygen around your body. Low iron leaves you tired, breathless and short on concentration. Plant foods contain plenty of iron, but in a form (non-heme iron) that the body absorbs less easily than the iron in meat. The NIH says vegetarians may need almost twice as much iron as meat eaters for that reason. The fix is not eating more food. It is eating smarter.

Good plant sources of iron in Ghana

• Dark leafy greens: kontomire (cocoyam leaves), ayoyo, moringa and spinach. Always cook cocoyam leaves thoroughly.
• Beans and legumes: black-eyed peas, bambara beans, lentils and chickpeas.
• Whole grains: millet, sorghum and oats.
• Seeds and nuts: sesame, pumpkin seeds, agushie and groundnuts.
• Tofu and other soy foods.

Three habits that increase absorption

• Add vitamin C to the same meal. Tomatoes, peppers, oranges, pineapple and pawpaw all help your body absorb plant iron. Kontomire stew cooked with tomato and pepper already does this, and so does a glass of fresh orange or pineapple juice with your meal.
• Keep tea and coffee away from meals. They reduce iron absorption. Have them at least an hour before or after eating.
• Soak, sprout and cook. Soaking beans and grains and cooking them well reduces compounds that block iron absorption.

Who needs to pay most attention

Women who menstruate, pregnant women, children and teenagers, and people who donate blood regularly need more iron. If you are in one of these groups and eating plant-based, ask your doctor to check your iron levels (ferritin).

Do not self-prescribe iron tablets

Too much iron is harmful, and tiredness has many possible causes. Take iron supplements only if a blood test shows you need them, and follow your doctor's dose.

An iron-smart plate

Kontomire stew with ampesi, red red with a slice of pineapple, or groundnut soup with a fresh juice: each puts plant iron and vitamin C together. Those combinations are built into our meal plans.