Iron is a key component of your body's oxygen carrying and distribution pathways. But for many females, endurance athletes, or individuals predisposed to anemia, it can be difficult to practically consume enough iron.

As with all nutritional habits, rather than just blindly "popping pills" and relying strictly on supplements, it is ideal for your body to achieve adequate vitamin, nutrient, and mineral intake via natural means. Supplements can be highly effective, but remember that you must eat real food!

So I'm going to share with you 10 very effective, practical, easy and tasty ways to optimize your iron intake, designed with the busy triathlete in mind:

Eat the following "Power-Iron" salad 4-5x/week: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of wheat germ or unsweetened bran cereal (available in cereal section of grocery store) on a 1-2 handfuls of spinach and romaine lettuce. Include a handful of chopped broccoli and 2 tablespoons of garbanzo, kidney, lima, pinto, black beans, or navy beans. You can also include a 1-2 teaspoons of chopped olives and 1-2 chopped celery stalks. Use an olive oil/vinaigrette dressing, and include if available 1-2 pinches of parsley, thyme, oregano and/or basil.

Eat 1 handful per day of the following snack mix: 1 part pumpkin seeds, 1 part soy nuts, 1 part sesame seeds, 1 part raisins, craisins, or dried blueberries.

Try the following meal that is a huge iron boost, and experiment with your own variations: roasted or sautéed asparagus (3-5 pieces), sautéed with olive oil, tofu, sea salt, pepper, turmeric to taste, lemon juice and slivered almonds. Include if available 1-2 pinches of parsley, thyme, oregano and/or basil. This is a very easy and quick meal to prepare and pack for lunches or to eat as a side with dinner.

Other high-iron “produce” foods to include regularly in salads and as lunch or dinner sides, and to purchase frequently when at the grocery store: string beans or green beans, kale, mustard greens, kelp, Brussels sprouts, olives, green peas, fennel and celery.

Ensure that your multi-vitamin includes: ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate or ferrous succinate. Recommend amounts will vary depending on size, sex, and unique situation. For a more comprehensive discussion of unique iron needs, visit WHfoods.com.

Wait at least 1 hour after a meal before drinking any black or green tea, both of which contain tannins that can interfere with iron absorption.

Include 1/2-1 teaspoon of cinnamon with all breakfast foods, yogurts, cereals, etc. You'll receive the added benefit of the blood-sugar stabilizing properties of cinnamon.

If you consume oatmeal, consider substituting with cooked quinoa, which is higher in iron. Amaranth and millet are also good choices.

If possible, eat a serving of red meat (the side of a deck of cards) 1-2x/week.

Chopped fresh dill weed and salmon go very well together and would be another excellent dinner choice that is high in iron. You can serve with roasted asparagus, or any of the other vegetables listed above. Crimini mushrooms also are high in iron and are excellent sautéed with the salmon.

Remember that I offer nutritional consulting for athletes, weight loss, or general health. Just go to www.pacificfit.net.

Until next time, train smart,
Ben Greenfield