Food has two types of iron â heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry, and is the form of iron that is most readily absorbed from your stomach and taken up into your body after you eat it.Non-heme iron is found in plant foods as well as meat.Foods with non-heme iron are still good to eat, but the iron contained in these foods wonât be absorbed as completely as heme iron. You absorb up to 30 percent of heme iron, found only in animal tissues (meat, poultry, and fish).You absorb 2-10 percent of non-heme iron, found in plant foods as well as meat.on-heme iron is found in plant foods as well as meat. Foods with non-heme iron are still good to eat, but the iron contained in these foods wonât be absorbed as completely as heme iron. You absorb up to 30 percent of heme iron, found only in animal tissues (meat, poultry, and fish).
Foods high in protein also tend to be high in fat. Protein-rich foods should provide 10 to 35 percent of your total daily calories. Adequate protein intake is essential as proteins are the main substances the body uses to build and repair tissues such as muscles, blood, internal organs, hair, skin, nails and bones.
In the UK, adults are advised to eat 0.75g of protein for each kilogram they weigh, based on the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI). So if you weigh 70kg (11 stone), you should eat about 52.5g of protein a day. On average, men should eat 55g and women 45g of protein daily. Thatâs about 2 palm-sized portions of meat, fish, tofu, nuts or pulses. But most people find it very easy to eat a lot more. Men and women in the UK eat about 45-55% more protein than they need each day, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.