As dietitians, an essential component of our job involves performing dietary recalls. As part of these recalls we can help to assess whether or not an individual is meeting their essential micronutrient targets based on their habitual eating habits.
While a nutritionally-complete diet extends far beyond calcium and iron intake, these are two key nutrients which we frequently notice are often under-consumed by the average individual.
If we identify that someone could be at a potential risk of nutrient deficiency due to inadequate intake, we try our best to take a “food first” approach rather than jumping straight to supplementation. Furthermore, having the knowledge of how many exact milligrams of each nutrient you need to consume to reach your RDI is one thing… but practically translating these numbers into actual food sources and meals is a whole different ball game.
With that, taking a food-first approach needs to be achieved sustainably and enjoyably, and recommendations for calcium and iron need to be far more comprehensive than “just increase your intake of dairy and red meat”.
As you can see in the infographic above, there are a variety of ways to meet your daily requirements for both calcium and iron by including an abundance of nutritious food sources and flavourful meals within your diet. Plus, this is just scratching the surface… and we would love to know in the comments below your favourite calcium and iron-rich meals that you prepare on a weekly basis! 🤓
*Iron recommendations are based on the assumption that someone is consuming both animal and plant products. If someone is exclusively plant-based, iron recommendations are double those quoted above (16mg and 36mg for males and females, respectively).