Iron out your meals

Not to be confused with the kind you pump at the gym or used to keep your clothes crinkle-free, the mineral iron has many important functions to keep your body operating well.

The three crucial roles of iron include:

To carry oxygen around the body

Every cell in the body needs oxygen and iron carts it around in our blood. There is iron in the haemoglobin of red blood cells and it also carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of the body.

Ensuring a healthy immune system

Your cells that fight infection depend on adequate stores of iron. This means if your iron stores are low, your body is more prone to infections.

Making energy

Iron is essential for the body's chemical reactions that produce energy from food. This means if your iron levels are low, your body may not be able to use all the energy available.

So how can you get more of this important mineral?

An iron-rich recipe is considered a ‘good source of iron’, this means it provides 25% or more of an adults daily iron requirements in one serving. So anything with more than 3.25mg iron per serve can be called ‘iron-rich’ and is what you’re looking for when you’re planning a meal.

Here are some of our favourite recipes to include in your weekly meal plan that will keep your iron levels high!

Slow-Cooked Teriyaki Beef

4.4mg of iron per serve

This recipe is sure to become a staple in your household. The beef is so tender it melts in your mouth and the homemade teriyaki sauce is rich and flavoursome, yet easy to make. The versatility of this beef means you can simply serve with rice, mashed potatoes or steamed greens. But we love the idea of cook once, eat twice so we tend to split the beef across two of our favourite recipes; the Teriyaki Beef Bowl and the Teriyaki Sushi Cake. This recipe will keep for 3 days when refrigerated or up to 6 months when frozen.