Ask the RD | November
Our registered dietitian, Jamie, offers answers to nutrition-related questions our community have submitted over the past month.
The information shared within this blog is meant for informational purposes only and should not be received as medical advice.
If you have a question to submit, please click the button and watch for a response the following month. Before submitting a question, we invite you to visit the main page for Ask the RD and enter a keyword into the search box — your question may already be answered!
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Protein consumption should not necessarily change when trying to lose weight. However, it depends on what your protein intake looks like at the baseline. Many folks are already consuming enough protein throughout their day, but timing and distribution are sub-optimal. Some are consuming too much protein, while others are missing the mark.
I would first start by assessing your current protein intake to determine if you need to increase or decrease consumption. You can use a free app such as MyFitnessPal to help you track your “macros” for a week or so and adjust from there. Keep in mind that our bodies lose weight from both fat stores and muscle stores during weight loss, so the goal is to consume adequate protein to support maintenance of muscle mass while still allowing for overall weight loss (preferably from fat stores).
Consuming more protein than your body can reasonably use should also be avoided as the body will store any excess of calories as fat, even when those calories are coming from protein foods. Excessive protein intake can also be hard on the kidneys, so more is not always better.
Remember that protein needs are influenced by several factors including current body size, age, health conditions, and type/amount of physical activity. To find out how much protein would be best for you, refer to our previous blog post below.
Previous related Ask the RD posts:
How much protein is recommended daily? Does age or gender matter? (January 2025)
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Iron is an important mineral that our bodies need for making red blood cells and plays a role in muscle metabolism, cellular function, hormone synthesis, and normal growth and development. The RDA for iron is 8 mg per day for adults ages 19 or older, though the need more than doubles for women of menstruating age (18 mg per day), and more than triples for pregnant women (27 mg per day). Age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status can also impact the dietary adequacy of iron.
Some people do not get enough iron in their diets and may need to increase their intake via food and/or supplements. Such populations include infants, young children, teenage girls, menstruating women, pregnant or breastfeeding women, medical conditions (such as post-surgery, cancer patients, GI disorders, heart failure patients, or those undergoing frequent blood donation), and those following a plant-based diet.
There are also populations where iron intake should be limited and discussed with their providers. This includes medical conditions (i.e., hemochromatosis), and those taking certain medications (such as levodopa (Parkinsons medication), levothyroxine (thyroid medication), proton pump inhibitors (acid reflux medication), and calcium supplements).
Dietary iron comes in two forms, heme iron and nonheme iron. Heme iron can be found in animal-based foods such as meats, poultry, and seafood; whereas nonheme iron is found in plant-based foods such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fortified grain products. It is important to note that nonheme iron has lower bioavailability than heme iron, so those following a plant-based diet may need to consume more dietary iron to meet their daily needs.
Iron absorption can be influenced by other foods. Vitamin C foods like citrus, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, or broccoli enhance the absorption of nonheme iron. On the other hand, foods high in phytates and polyphenols, which are found in grains, beans, legumes, and spinach, can decrease the absorption of both heme and nonheme iron.
For most, a healthy and balanced diet will meet one’s nutritional needs for iron; however, supplementation may be necessary for some. See below for a list of high-iron foods or check out the USDA National Nutritional Database for a more detailed list.
Fortified foods: Fortified breakfast cereals and breads
Seafood: Oysters, sardines, tuna, clams
Meats & Poultry: Beef liver, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey
Legumes: White beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, green peas, soybeans
Nuts & Seeds: Cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, almonds
Grains: Breads, pasta, rice, oatmeal, quinoa, barley, corn tortillas
Vegetables: Spinach, tomato products, potatoes (with skin), broccoli
Fruits & Others: Raisins, dried apricots, molasses, eggs
Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, is a clinical dietitian within the Providence health system. She works closely with the heart programs in offering consultations for heart failure patients, cardiac rehab patients, and serves as the nutrition consultant for Basecamp Prevention + Wellness. Jamie offers monthly nutrition-based classes and a monthly heart-healthy recipe as part of Basecamp’s free community programming.