The best way to avoid either iron overload or iron deficiency is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, with a diversity of nutrient-rich foods. If you get enough iron from foods, you probably won’t need supplements
Since iron deficiency is a far more common problem than iron overload, it’s important for most people to eat iron-rich foods. Lean meat is the best source of iron. Part of the reason is that the iron in meat is in a form that’s easy for the body to absorb. Modest servings of low-fat meats should be eaten several times a week
Although many vegetables contain iron, the amount our bodies can absorb varies because of other chemical compounds present in vegetables. A Swedish study indicates that good iron absorption results from consumption of carrots, potatoes, beets, pumpkin, broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, and sauerkraut. These vegetables all contain ascorbic acid, malic acid, or citric acid, which enhance absorption. On the other hand, some vegetables that contain a lot of iron can’t really provide most of it to our bodies because they also contain a lot of phytate. These not-too-good sources of iron include butter beans. Lentils, beet greens, and, believe it or not, spinach.