National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month and since I am a Registered Dietitian, I figured I better post some nutrition-related information this month :)

I have been thinking about Iron recently since Blake needs a little more. Iron needs are highest during periods of rapid growth, such as childhood, adolescence and pregnancy. Iron is in foods of both plant and animal origin, but the iron from animal sources is absorbed better than iron from plant sources. There are a few ways that you can increase your body's absorption of iron from foods of plant origin and from egg yolks:

• Enjoy a food rich in Vitamin C with it. Foods such as orange, bell pepper, strawberries, cantaloupe, broccoli, tomatoes, and guava are good sources of Vitamin C
• Add a little meat, poultry, or fish. For example, adding ham to an egg omelet will increase the absorption of the iron found in the egg or adding ground beef to your chili will increase the absorption of the iron found in beans.
  
• Drink coffee or tea between meals instead of during - the tannins found in coffee and tea make absorption of iron harder for your body.

Hopefully that was interesting to someone. If you have a question about nutrition or want me to post about a specific topic, leave me a comment. I will try to post on several different nutrition topics this month.

I know its off topic, but here are a few pictures of Blake and I when we were in CA with my mom one year ago for my good friend Megan's wedding (Feb 27, 2009). Happy Anniversary Megan & Earl!