Approximately half of all cases of anemia are due to iron deficiency, which is the most common nutritional deficiency. Symptoms, which include fatigue, pale skin and fingernails, weakness, dizziness, headache or swollen tongue often go unnoticed.

Dietary iron can be found in two forms: heme from meat and other animal sources and non-heme from plant and iron-fortified foods. Heme iron is highly bioavailable compared to non-heme but pairing non-heme iron with vitamin C can enhance the body's absorption of the non-heme form.

Aim to consume about 18 milligrams of iron daily. Excellent food sources include beef-liver, seafood, canned white beans, fortified cereals, leafy greens and tofu. Cooking with a cast iron skillet is also a great way to incorporate more iron into your diet. Check out this Spinach Sundried Tomato Goat Cheese Frittata in a cast-iron skillet recipe to get your taste buds jumping.

Spinach Sundried Tomato Goat Cheese Frittata

Yields: 8

Portion Size: 1 slice

Ingredients

• 16 oz spinach
• 12 oz yellow onions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp garlic cloves, minced
• 3 oz parmesan cheese
• 1 oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 12 ea. eggs, beaten
• 1 oz milk
• 3 oz goat cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 375F. In a cast-iron skillet, saute onions in oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add spinach and sundried tomatoes and saute until wilted and liquid is cooked.
• Whisk milk, parmesan, salt and pepper into eggs and pour over spinach mixture in the cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle goat cheese over the eggs and bake for 10 minutes until eggs are set. Cut into 8 slices and serve immediately.

Nutrition

• Calories - 230
• Total Fat - 14g
• Carbs - 10g
• Protein - 17g
• Sugar - 3g
• Sodium - 640mg
• Iron - 3mg