In the nutrition world, figuring out how different foods mix can really change the way your body handles nutrients. Recently, Sandra Moñino, a well-known nutritionist, chatted about this on the “Ginger and Lemon” podcast. If you love a hearty steak dinner topped off with a side of yogurt, you might want to rethink that combo (it could be throwing off your iron uptake).
Calcium and iron: a tricky duo
When you pair calcium-packed foods like yogurt with iron-loaded ones such as steak, things can get a bit complicated. Calcium can get in the way of your body picking up iron. Since iron is important for making hemoglobin (which carries oxygen in your blood) and helps keep your metabolism humming, skipping out on it isn’t something to take lightly. Sandra Moñino points out that following up steak with yogurt can end up with “a large part of this mineral” bypassing your system because the calcium and iron are essentially competing in your intestines (think of it like a race where one blocks the other’s lane).
If you run low on iron, it might not hit you right away—your liver, spleen, and bone marrow might have a little backup—but eventually, you could notice signs like low energy, dizziness, thinning hair, or looking paler than usual.
Other things that can mess with iron absorption
It’s not just yogurt that can trip up your iron intake. Hot drinks such as coffee and tea can do it too, thanks to their polyphenols and tannins. These substances can seriously slow down the absorption of plant-based iron and even put a dent in how your body takes in animal-based iron. Studies suggest that drinking these beverages with your meal can cut down iron uptake by up to 60% (a real game-changer if you depend on getting your daily nutrients from your food).
Sandra Moñino isn’t saying to ditch yogurt, coffee, or tea altogether. Instead, she recommends waiting about one to two hours after a meal heavy in iron before enjoying these drinks.
Tips for getting the most out of your iron
If you want to make sure your iron gets absorbed, try adding a bit of vitamin C to your meals. Vitamin C can boost iron absorption, and it’s super easy to work into your diet with things like lemon juice, fresh tomatoes, or raw bell peppers. This little tweak can go a long way toward countering any problems that might come from eating calcium-rich or tannin-packed foods right after an iron-heavy meal.
Learning more about how our food combinations work means we can keep our eating habits smart without having to completely revamp our diets. As Sandra Moñino puts it, “Even if you’re eating well, you could be missing a significant portion of your nutrients.”
Rethinking everyday eating habits
What Sandra Moñino is laying out really makes you pause and think about everyday habits—like digging into yogurt right after a steak or sipping coffee after a bowl of lentil soup. While these habits might seem harmless, they could be quietly messing with your nutrient intake in the long run.
By making a few small changes—such as spacing out when you eat certain foods and adding a splash of vitamin C to your meals—we can really up our game when it comes to absorbing nutrients. Understanding how our eats work together gives us the power to make smarter choices for our diets and helps set us up for better health down the line.
Taking just a few mindful steps today might mean you’re not missing out on what your body really needs tomorrow.
