Vitamin C is one of the most crucial
vitamins for your immune system and for
healthy nervous system function. It also
helps support healthy skin by protecting
skin tissue and aiding in collagen
production. Vitamin C helps reduce stress mentally and physically,
helps protect the
body from illness, and can even help
relieve inflammation in your joints. Since Vitamin C acts as an
antioxidant in the
body , increasing your intake can only help you
out. Iron is a critical mineral needed for energy, a healthy
metabolism, healthy red
blood cell function, and providing
adequate oxygen to the body. There are
two forms of iron: heme and nonheme
iron. Since plants come in the form of
nonheme iron, some people believe that a vegan diet isn't adequate in providing
enough iron for optimal absorption. While
this isn't true, it is important to eat in a
way that optimizes iron intake for
ultimate absorption. Pairing Vitamin C with iron has been shown to
improve absorption and support
the body better than not pairing the two
together. The good news is this isn't hard
to do. Many vegan foods that contain
Vitamin C also contain iron, or they pair
perfectly with vegan foods that do contain iron. Here are 5 Vitamin C
rich foods to pair
with iron-rich foods: 1. Lemon Lemon is a top source of Vitamin C and it
goes great with iron-rich foods such as:
spinach, quinoa, chia seeds, lentils,
oatmeal, spirulina, soybeans, tomato paste, white beans, and kale. You
can make a green smoothie or green
juice with lemon and greens, add a
squeeze of lemon zest or juice to chia
pudding, quinoa salad or lentils, use
lemon juice to make quinoa cakes, add lemon juice to a smoothie with
spirulina, or top your bean salad with some fresh
squeezed juice as well. 2. Camu Camu Camu camu berrypowder is my go-to
source for Vitamin C. It's contains more
Vitamin C than any other food in the
world with 1667% in just one teaspoon!
Plus it has an awesome tangy taste so it's
perfect in a smoothie or a breakfast
cereal like oats or quinoa porridge. You can also make energy bars using camu
camu berry, nuts, chia , hemp and sesame
seeds, cacao nibs, and raisins or prunes.
Cacao and cocoa, along with raisins and
prunes are all rich in iron, as are sesame,
chia, and hemp seeds. 3. Spinach and Kale Both spinach and kale are rich in both
Vitamin C and iron, so they're ideal all the
way around. Pair them with lentils,
lemons, quinoa, white beans, or soybeans
as a savory dish, or with some fresh fruit and cacao in a smoothie for optimal
absorption. 4. Strawberries Strawberries contain more Vitamin C
than any other North American berry.
They go lovely in any smoothie you choose
or served on top of a fresh salad at lunch.
You could also pair them with oatmeal or quinoa for breakfast or
perhaps even make a strawberry and tahini sandwich in
place of your usual peanut butter and jelly
combo. Tahini (sesame seed butter) is
rich in iron and has a delicious nutty
flavor. Need more ideas? Here are 25 recipes with strawberries you're
sure to love. 5. Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes actually have more
Vitamin C than an orange, more
potassium than a banana, and more
magnesium than many nuts and seeds.
They're also a wonderful source of
Vitamin B6 too. Pair sweet potatoes with lentils, quinoa, kale (like
in these yummy patties), use the puree in a smoothie with kale or
spinach, top a sweet potato with
beans for lunch, or squeeze some
blackstrap molasses over one for dessert
(which is another rich source of iron.) You
can also add them to your hummus recipe since chickpeas and tahini are both good
sources of iron. Oranges, blueberries, raspberries,
blackberries, most all leafy greens,
apples, limes, broccoli, papaya, pineapple,
goji berries, and kiwi are also all great
sources of Vitamin C. Get creative with your meals and do the
best you can. It's completely possible to
eat a whole foods vegan diet and obtain
plenty of iron, but optimizing your
absorption whenever you can is never a
bad idea.
vitamins for your immune system and for
healthy nervous system function. It also
helps support healthy skin by protecting
skin tissue and aiding in collagen
production. Vitamin C helps reduce stress mentally and physically,
helps protect the
body from illness, and can even help
relieve inflammation in your joints. Since Vitamin C acts as an
antioxidant in the
body , increasing your intake can only help you
out. Iron is a critical mineral needed for energy, a healthy
metabolism, healthy red
blood cell function, and providing
adequate oxygen to the body. There are
two forms of iron: heme and nonheme
iron. Since plants come in the form of
nonheme iron, some people believe that a vegan diet isn't adequate in providing
enough iron for optimal absorption. While
this isn't true, it is important to eat in a
way that optimizes iron intake for
ultimate absorption. Pairing Vitamin C with iron has been shown to
improve absorption and support
the body better than not pairing the two
together. The good news is this isn't hard
to do. Many vegan foods that contain
Vitamin C also contain iron, or they pair
perfectly with vegan foods that do contain iron. Here are 5 Vitamin C
rich foods to pair
with iron-rich foods: 1. Lemon Lemon is a top source of Vitamin C and it
goes great with iron-rich foods such as:
spinach, quinoa, chia seeds, lentils,
oatmeal, spirulina, soybeans, tomato paste, white beans, and kale. You
can make a green smoothie or green
juice with lemon and greens, add a
squeeze of lemon zest or juice to chia
pudding, quinoa salad or lentils, use
lemon juice to make quinoa cakes, add lemon juice to a smoothie with
spirulina, or top your bean salad with some fresh
squeezed juice as well. 2. Camu Camu Camu camu berrypowder is my go-to
source for Vitamin C. It's contains more
Vitamin C than any other food in the
world with 1667% in just one teaspoon!
Plus it has an awesome tangy taste so it's
perfect in a smoothie or a breakfast
cereal like oats or quinoa porridge. You can also make energy bars using camu
camu berry, nuts, chia , hemp and sesame
seeds, cacao nibs, and raisins or prunes.
Cacao and cocoa, along with raisins and
prunes are all rich in iron, as are sesame,
chia, and hemp seeds. 3. Spinach and Kale Both spinach and kale are rich in both
Vitamin C and iron, so they're ideal all the
way around. Pair them with lentils,
lemons, quinoa, white beans, or soybeans
as a savory dish, or with some fresh fruit and cacao in a smoothie for optimal
absorption. 4. Strawberries Strawberries contain more Vitamin C
than any other North American berry.
They go lovely in any smoothie you choose
or served on top of a fresh salad at lunch.
You could also pair them with oatmeal or quinoa for breakfast or
perhaps even make a strawberry and tahini sandwich in
place of your usual peanut butter and jelly
combo. Tahini (sesame seed butter) is
rich in iron and has a delicious nutty
flavor. Need more ideas? Here are 25 recipes with strawberries you're
sure to love. 5. Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes actually have more
Vitamin C than an orange, more
potassium than a banana, and more
magnesium than many nuts and seeds.
They're also a wonderful source of
Vitamin B6 too. Pair sweet potatoes with lentils, quinoa, kale (like
in these yummy patties), use the puree in a smoothie with kale or
spinach, top a sweet potato with
beans for lunch, or squeeze some
blackstrap molasses over one for dessert
(which is another rich source of iron.) You
can also add them to your hummus recipe since chickpeas and tahini are both good
sources of iron. Oranges, blueberries, raspberries,
blackberries, most all leafy greens,
apples, limes, broccoli, papaya, pineapple,
goji berries, and kiwi are also all great
sources of Vitamin C. Get creative with your meals and do the
best you can. It's completely possible to
eat a whole foods vegan diet and obtain
plenty of iron, but optimizing your
absorption whenever you can is never a
bad idea.
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