--- title: 6 Iron-Rich Food Combos—No Meat Required description: Try these clever nutritionist-approved strategies to make sure your body has plenty of the vital mineral. canonical: https://time.com/4298074/iron-rich-food/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-20T14:40:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:51.175Z article:section: Health og:title: 6 Iron-Rich Food Combos—No Meat Required og:description: From spinach to black beans og:url: https://time.com/4298074/iron-rich-food/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17a7e4c02c28b5bc/69878152f887dcc3b0e8a58e/time-50-healthiest-foods-spinach.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1707 og:image:height: 960 og:image:alt: healthiest foods, health food, diet, nutrition, time.com stock, spinach, greens, vegetables, salad og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 6 Iron-Rich Food Combos—No Meat Required twitter:description: From spinach to black beans twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17a7e4c02c28b5bc/69878152f887dcc3b0e8a58e/time-50-healthiest-foods-spinach.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 6 Iron-Rich Food Combos—No Meat Required > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=2956fd5a-0c0c-4bb2-ad34-e048731de29d&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Business of Creativity: The Chocolate Makers [Watch (HLS stream): The Business of Creativity: The Chocolate Makers](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/DhKufoJq.m3u8) (4:13)  _Published 2012-12-27. The Mast brothers followed their passion for chocolate to create a growing artisan business in Brooklyn, NY_ by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Contributor Apr 20, 2016 2:40 PM UTC  Danny Kim for TIME by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Contributor Apr 20, 2016 2:40 PM UTC If you’ve been considering cutting out or cutting back on red meat, you may be wondering if you’ll wind up depriving your body of iron. Sure, plant-based foods also contain this mineral, but it isn’t as readily absorbed. Only 2% to 20% of the iron in plants (called non-heme) makes its way from your digestive system to your blood, compared to 15% to 35% of the iron in animal foods (called heme). But fortunately, there’s a simple solution: Just add some vitamin C to your meal. It boosts the amount of non-heme iron your body absorbs by as much as six fold. Below are six iron-rich plant foods, each paired with a fruit or veggie loaded with vitamin C. But there’s no need to stick with these specific pairs—feel free to mix and match. You can create tons of combos with these 12 staples, to help your body get all the iron it needs. **1\. Spinach (iron) + red bell peppers (C)** There are plenty of ways to pair these two. Raw, minced peppers in a spinach salad works, as does spinach cooked into a [stuffed bell pepper.](http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,10000001185329,00.html) Or try sliced peppers sautéed with spinach. I love this combo with olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper. **_Health.com:_** [_What Can You Make With Fresh Baby Spinach?_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20399696,00.html?xid=time) **2\. Broccoli (iron) + tomatoes (C)** Toss steamed broccoli florets in sundried tomato pesto. Or to put together dinner in minutes, sauté broccoli and tomatoes with onions, mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, and Italian herb seasoning. Complete the meal with a lean protein (like chicken breast, salmon, or white beans) and a small serving of a healthy carb (such as quinoa or brown rice pasta). To get an iron boost at breakfast, add broccoli and tomatoes to an omelet or frittata. **3\. Black beans (iron) + cabbage (C)** One of my favorite ways to combine these two is in black bean tacos, each topped with a generous portion of [vinegar-based slaw](http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,20919027,00.html). Black bean-stuffed cabbage rolls are another great option. Or simply add whole, chilled black beans to a [slaw](http://www.health.com/food/cabbage-slaw-poppy-seed-dressing). **_Health.com:_**[_5 Biggest Salad Mistakes You’re Making_](http://news.health.com/2014/10/31/5-biggest-salad-mistakes-youre-making/?xid=time) **4\. Kale (iron) + oranges (C)** You can whip both of these into a [smoothie](http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,20914218,00.html), add orange wedges to a kale salad, include them in a stir fry, or enjoy an orange with some crunchy [kale chips](http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,10000002013004,00.html) for a nourishing snack. **5\. Lentils (iron) with Brussels sprouts (C)** Serve grilled or [oven-roasted Brussels sprouts](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20972515,00.html) over a bed of seasoned lentils, or add both to a fresh garden salad. Shaved Brussels sprouts and lentils also make a great filling for[ lettuce cups](http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,20905887,00.html)! **_Health.com:_**[_5 Easy Swaps to Get More Fiber and Boost Weight Loss_](http://news.health.com/2015/10/16/5-easy-swaps-to-get-more-fiber-and-boost-weight-loss/?xid=time) **6\. Dark chocolate (iron) with strawberries (C)** If you didn’t know that dark chocolate is a good source of iron, I’m thrilled to deliver the good news. Melt and [drizzle it over whole strawberries](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20945309,00.html). Or add chopped dark chocolate and sliced strawberries to your morning oatmeal, whip them together in a smoothie, or fold them into protein-packed Greek yogurt. For a fun and healthy dessert, try frozen pops—pour almond milk, chopped dark chocolate, and minced strawberries into molds, along with seasonings like fresh grated ginger, chopped mint, or ground cinnamon. **Bonus tricks** * **Cook with iron:** Using iron cookware transfers some of the iron into your food, boosting your intake. This works especially well with acidic foods that have a higher moisture content, like tomato sauce. One classic study found that the iron content in spaghetti sauce increased nine fold after being [cooked in a cast iron pot](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23868537). * **Avoid foods that interfere with iron uptake:** Tannins (found in tea and coffee) and calcium both interfere with absorption. So if you’re trying to build your body’s iron stores, try to avoid drinking tea and coffee, and taking calcium supplements before an iron-rich meal. _Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York_ Times _best-selling author, and her newest book is_ Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast_. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest._ [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://www.health.com/nutrition/vegetarian-iron-food-combos?xid=time) ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] Do [00:06] you think that we could have chosen a better thing to [00:08] sell than chocolate. In terms of just, being around [00:11] happy people. And, people smiling, and people being [00:14] excited, to come here? [ MUSIC ] [00:22] Mast Brothers Chocolate is a, craft, chocolate maker. [00:25] Our approach is, basically, to source the best [00:28] ingredients in the world. And, when you source the [00:30] best. I guarantee you it will be farmed by incredible [00:32] people, that are well- paid and on great land. So, if we [00:36] don't compromise quality, we'll always end up on top. [00:39] And, we'll be making the most delicious chocolate in [00:40] the world. Chocolate is, arguably, the most [00:44] popular food on earth. Everybody loves it, but [00:47] nobody's connected to how it's made. [ MUSIC ] [00:51] There's always these things that people do to escape, [00:54] kind of, from reality. Where, when you're doing, you [00:56] don't think about anything else. And, food became that [00:59] for me, so I'm dutching New York, to go to culinary [01:01] school. Always passionate, about working with my [01:04] brother, and starting a family business. We were [01:05] roommates, and always, would through around [01:07] different ideas. That, eventually led to, to making [01:10] chocolate as a hobby. When we first started making [01:14] chocolate, even from our apartment. There were very [01:17] few people, we could really model ourselves after. [01:19] Nobody was making chocolate from scratch, in New [01:21] York. [ MUSIC ] We didn't just wanna start something, [01:24] and see what happened in the next couple years. We [01:26] wanted to commit to it, for the long term. We basically [01:30] did what, I think, a lot of entrepreneurs do. You take [01:32] out credit cards. That was really our only choice at the [01:34] time and, and we were so passionate about it we just [01:37] went for it. When we first started we were making like, [01:39] a couple hundred bars a week. Tops. And then, we'd [01:42] sell them at the Farmer's Market, Artist and Flea's [01:44] Market, Brooklyn Flea Market. And then, we'd take [01:47] whatever cash we made from that and buy a new [01:48] piece of equipment or. Buy some more beans. The [01:52] base of our chocolate is only made with cocoa beans [01:54] and sugar. To connect people to that kind of simplicity. [01:57] And, to show them how delicious that simplicity can be. [02:01] And how complex it can be, is really an exciting [02:04] opportunity. [ MUSIC ] [02:09] Basically, we're always, kind of, searching for the new [02:11] best bean. Now, farmers are sending their beans to us [02:14] saying. Hey, try this bean, try this bean. We want to [02:16] see what you can do with this bean. Yeah there's an [02:18] ingrained trust, almost, with the, with the farmers. That [02:21] were going to pay tribute, to the hard work that their [02:23] doing. The large majority of chocolate, [02:27] consumed on earth, is made by a handful of giant [02:30] industrial companies. There's no machine, that can [02:32] really tell you, if your chocolate tastes good. Now, [02:35] we've got 35 employees. Everybody [02:40] here is a chocolate maker. No matter if you work in [02:42] sales or whatever. You have to become a chocolate [02:44] maker first. Every step of the way, we're [02:48] almost forced to innovate, because there is no map. [02:51] For what we're doing. A lot of the machinery that we [02:54] use. We had to either customize, or come up with, to [02:57] really make it work for us. [ MUSIC ] [03:01] Innovation even starts, on just, sorting all of our beans [03:03] by hand. Making sure, we have the best and most [03:06] delicious beans, to put into all of our chocolate. Every [03:09] other chocolate shop, basically, in the world. They're [03:12] out roasting beans. Every bean, from every origin, gets [03:15] a slightly different roasting profile. Because, we want to [03:18] display all of the unique characteristics, of each bean. [03:21] We use a stone grinding technique, and we age our [03:24] chocolate. So, we take time. We take time. Our, [03:28] sort of, stoic, Midwest upbringing has taught us, that [03:32] hard work. Gets you where you want to go. We've [03:35] never owned a business before, so we're learning a lot [03:38] as we go. We get new opportunities thrown [03:42] at us all the time. So, we have to really define what [03:46] our company is. Who we are, and how we want to lead [03:49] this company. Quality is always our focus. Quality is [03:52] always our focus. So would I like to make [03:56] more chocolate to reach more people? Absolutely. [04:00] Absolutely. But, we always have to be careful how we [04:02] do that, to make sure we never compromise our [04:04] quality. 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