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).
You need protein for your muscles, bones, and the rest of your body. Exactly how much you need changes with age: 1  Babies need about 10 grams a day. 2  School-age kids need 19-34 grams a day. 3  Teenage boys need up to 52 grams a day. 4  Teenage girls need 46 grams a day. 5  Adult men need about 56 grams a day.
Protein is an important component of weight gain diets, especially when youâre trying to increase your lean body mass. The Institute of Medicine encourages women to consume at least 46 grams and men to eat at least 56 grams of protein each day; pregnant and nursing women need at least 71 grams of protein every day.arbohydrates make up the largest percentage of your diet, especially if you exercise regularly. The Institute of Medicine recommends adults consume a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates each day, and 45 to 65 percent of their daily energy intake from carbohydrates.