ivillage uk

Reader: Over the past month I haven't been eating meat and I have found myself to be really tired and unmotivated with almost everything, but especially when it comes to getting my 'five-a-day'.

I know I need to be eating plenty of iron-rich foods, but I'm really struggling to eat much fruit (I'm eating vegetables within my meals). How can I increase my fruit intake and also my snack intake as I'm not eating nearly enough during the day as I don't feel hungry?

Catherine Matthews: It sounds as though you may be at risk of iron deficiency as you are feeling tired and lacking an appetite. You need to increase your intake of iron to prevent iron deficiency anaemia. It's harder to get enough iron if you don't eat meat, so you need to take care to eat plenty of foods that are rich in iron. Try to eat a good selection of the following:

• wholemeal bread and wholegrain breakfast cereals
• pulses such as lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas
• green vegetables such as watercress, spring greens, broccoli and okra
• eggs
• dried fruit such as prunes, apricots and figs
• nuts such as peanuts, almonds and brazils
• shellfish

Eating foods containing vitamin C helps us absorb iron from non-meat sources, so it's a good idea to have a glass of fruit juice with your toast or cereal in the morning. Try to avoid drinking tea with meals and for half an hour afterwards because this can reduce the amount of iron you absorb.

To increase your intake of fruit, make meals and servings containing fruit more interesting and tasty. Why don't you have fruit salads with a dollop of low-fat yoghurt, or stew fruit and add some raisins, sultanas or cinnamon for flavour. Also make smoothies; this is a great way of increasing the amount of fruit you are consuming.