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.
Consuming 20 percent of your total calories from protein equates to 400 calories a day based on a 2,000 calorie diet. As a general rule, between 10 percent and 15 percent of your total calories should come from protein. So, if you consume 2,000 calories per day, at least 200 should come from protein, or about 50 grams. You should try to eat around one gram of protein per one kilogram of body weight, or around 0.4 grams per pound. An easier way to figure this out in your head is to take your weight, divide it in half, and subtract 10.