6 Iron-Rich Food Combos—No Meat Required

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. Or try sliced peppers sautéed with spinach. I love this combo with olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper.

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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. Black bean-stuffed cabbage rolls are another great option. Or simply add whole, chilled black beans to a slaw.

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4. Kale (iron) + oranges (C)

You can whip both of these into a smoothie, add orange wedges to a kale salad, include them in a stir fry, or enjoy an orange with some crunchy kale chips for a nourishing snack.

5. Lentils (iron) with Brussels sprouts (C)

Serve grilled or oven-roasted Brussels sprouts 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!

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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. 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

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