Ilyn Mendoza

NUTR 510
Lesson Plan

Pumping Iron for Healthy Blood: Nutrition for Women with Iron
Deficiency Anemia
Goal: To provide education for adolescent girls/women aged 16-40 about proper nutrition for
iron deficiency anemia
Behavioral Objectives: By the end of the class, participants will be able to
1. Identify the two reasons why iron is important for your body
2. Identify three foods high in heme iron and three foods high in non-heme iron
Teaching Aids:
1. Powerpoint
2. Meal planning card (Activity: Meal Planning)
3. Scratch paper
4. Display of foods high in iron (Sample Menu)
Handouts:
1. Pumping Iron for Healthy Blood: Meal Planning for Women with Iron Deficiency
Anemia brochure by Ilyn Mendoza
Introduction:
Before I start my presentation, Id like to hand out a card to each of you. Remember the number
on the front and notice the food item on the back. Dont lose the card, as we will be doing an
activity with it later.
Who can tell me one thing that you should do everyday to maintain good health?
Physical Activity: It is recommended for adolescents to do at least 60 minutes of physical
activity each day. Adults should do 2 hours 30 minutes of moderate physical activity or 1 hour
15 minutes of vigorous physical activity. Additionally, it is important to do strengthening
activities at least two days a week.
Why is this significant? While it is important to pump iron a couple times a week to keep
your muscles healthy, it is also important to pump iron in the nutritional sense every day
To make sure your blood is healthy.
According to the Center of Disease and Control, Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional
deficiency in the United States and the leading cause of anemia. Globally, one out of four people
are estimated to have anemia. There is a higher prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in women
than men as there is a 30% increase of anemia in non-pregnant women and 42% increase of
anemia in women that are pregnant.

Today, we will be talking about the importance of iron, iron deficiency anemia, and how to plan
meals rich in iron. Hopefully by the end of this lesson you can identify two reasons why iron is
important for your body and identify three foods high in heme iron and three foods high in nonheme iron.
Main Content:
Slide 2:
Lets start off by talking about iron. Iron is a big deal. It is an important mineral that your body
always needs. There are two main reasons why iron is important for you.
One reason is because it helps bring oxygen to your body. Iron brings oxygen to your body by
attaching to your blood cells. After iron is attached to your blood cells, it can carry oxygen from
your lungs to other places in your body (like your muscles).
Another reason why iron is important for you is because it helps your body cells function well.
Iron provides your body with energy, helps break down foods, and keeps you healthy and free
from any sickness (like the common cold).
Daily Recommended Intake of iron will change from person to person, depending on ones age
and gender.
For men, 11 mg is required for those ages 14-18 while 8 mg is needed for those ages 19
and up.
For women, 15 mg is required for those ages 14-18 while 18 mg is needed for those ages
19-50.
o For women ages 51 and up, 8 mg is required.
As you can see, there is a big difference between how much iron is recommended for men and
women. Who has an idea about why that may be? Keep this in mind during the presentation
because we will re-visit this topic later.
Slide 3:
When your body does not have enough iron, you might develop iron deficiency anemia. This
type of anemia happens when your blood cells do not have enough iron. There are many reasons
why your body may not have enough iron. What are some reasons you can think of?
Your red blood cells may not have enough iron for three main reasons. Either your need for iron
is higher than average (rapid growth/pregnancy and blood loss ie. menstruation), you absorb iron
at a lower rate (taking high doses of antacid), or you are not eating enough iron rich foods (strict
vegetarian diet).
Slide 4:
Iron deficiency anemia can cause unfavorable symptoms. These symptoms will be different for
everyone. You may:
Feel tired and weak
Appear pale
Feel cold
Get sick often

 Perform poorly in work or school

Personally, I used to feel tired all the time and always needed to take naps. I was also prone to
getting sick and friends and family would always note how pale I looked. Has anyone
experienced these symptoms themselves, or know of someone who has?

Slide 5:
Thinking back about the difference in Daily Recommended Intake for men and women, women
need more iron than men because of their increased iron needs. Because of periods of rapid
growth (such as in pregnancy) or times of blood loss (ie. menstruation of donating blood), iron
needs are increased

Slide 6:
Having iron deficiency anemia isnt the end of the world. There are ways to treat and manage it
for those that already have it, as well as ways to prevent it for those who do not have anemia.
Your doctor may give you iron supplements if your body requires more iron, you cannot absorb
enough iron, or you arent consuming enough. A common side effect for these supplements is
constipation, so you may also receive a stool softener or be required to consume more fiber.
Something used to both treat and prevent the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia is consuming
foods rich in iron. You can even consume high iron foods with iron supplements to help enhance
your iron intake even more. There are two types of iron in food:
Heme iron is iron from animal sources. Your body is able to absorb this iron two to three
times more than other iron sources. What are some sources of heme iron you can think
of?
Non-heme iron is iron from plant sources. Even though your body is not able to absorb
this iron as well as heme iron, they can still make a difference.
o One way to help enhance the absorption of iron in your body is by eating foods
high in vitamin C with non-heme iron foods.
o What are some sources of non-heme iron, as well as vitamin C you can think of?

Slide 7:
Here are more examples of iron rich foods. What are some sources of heme iron you can point
out? What are some sources of non-heme iron you can find? What are some sources of vitamin C
you can eat with these non-heme iron foods?
Slide 8:
Activity: Meal Planning
Remember the card I handed out earlier? You will be placed in a group depending on the number
on your card and the food item on the back of it.
If you got a card with the number 1 on the front and oatmeal on the back, you will be the
breakfast group

If you got a card with the number 2 on the front and salad on the back, you will be the
lunch group
If you got a card with the number 3 on the front and pasta on the back, you will be the
dinner group
Use the scratch paper I am passing out to think of a meal someone with iron deficiency can plan
and eat during breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Who would like to share what meal they created?
Slide 9:
Here is a sample menu of meals that I created for someone with iron deficiency anemia to eat for
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Notice that there are at least two foods high in iron incorporated in
the meal, and at least one source of vitamin C to help increase iron absorption.
As you can see, these are all simple meals to throw together. For those that are interested, the
recipe amount is listed in the brochure given at the beginning of class.
Slide 10:
Review:
Ask participants to:
1. Identify the two reasons why iron is important for your body
2. Identify three foods high in heme iron and three foods high in non-heme iron
Independent Practice: Next time you are planning what to eat for the day, think of two foods high
in iron that you can incorporate into your meals
Conclusion:
Though iron deficiency anemia is such a global health issue, especially for women, it is
important to stay educated on ways to combat this issue. Today we discussed why iron is
important and why it is a problem when we dont have enough iron in our body. We also
discussed how to incorporate more iron into your diet. As someone who grew up with iron
deficiency anemia, I hope the benefits of iron and the ease in consuming iron rich foods can
motivate you to start pumping iron for healthy blood.