I have always kept a really close eye on vitamins and minerals in my diet and one of the things I noticed when I first became a pescetarian was that I was not getting enough iron. Whilst red meats are of course a good source of iron, there are surprising number of meat-free iron-rich foods that are super-healthy and very versatile, so below is a list of all of the iron-rich foods that we make regular use of:
Nuts – We regularly cook with pine nuts, peanuts and cashew nuts because they are high in iron and add great texture and flavour to so many meals.
Spinach – Another fantastic source of iron, which can be used in all sorts of pescetarian dishes and also contains lots of calcium and vitamin A.
Mollusks (clams, mussels, oysters) – Extremely rich in iron and absolutely delicious. I love cooking rich Italian dishes with mussels and clam.
Beans and Pulses – Filling and flavoursome, beans and pulses such as kidney beans and lentils can be used in all sorts of recipes, from Italian through to Indian.