Nutrition
How do vegans cover iron?
Short answer
Eat legumes, tofu, seeds, fortified cereals and greens, and add vitamin C to the meal. Non-haem iron absorbs less well than haem iron, but it can be planned.
Plant iron is less absorbable, but you can improve it by adding vitamin C – peppers, lemon juice or sauerkraut to the meal. Avoid tea and coffee right after eating – they block absorption.
Good sources: lentils, chickpeas, tofu, pumpkin seeds, oats and leafy greens. Menstruating women need about 18 mg of iron a day, men about 10 mg; on a plant-based diet the need can be higher (according to NIH up to 1.8 times), because plant iron is less well absorbed.
If you feel tired, ask your doctor for a blood count and ferritin – ferritin shows falling iron stores earlier than a blood count. Do not take iron supplements on your own, because too much iron is harmful too. Iron deficiency happens to meat-eaters as well.