Your Nutrition Needs in Your 30's

 Top Needs for The 30's

  

You’re balancing work, babies, fitness, and friends. If there were a medal for multitasking, you’d get the gold.

Must haves: Iron, folic acid, and calcium. You need 18 milligrams of iron each day to help you steer clear of anemia and to boost your immune system. Trying to get pregnant? Folic acid is key: Getting 400 micrograms daily will help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. Calcium is essential for keeping those bones strong; you start losing bone mass after 35. Women 19 to 50 need 1,000 mg per day, but more than half of us don’t get it.

Best foods to eat now: 30s

• Get fortified with vitamin-packed cereals like Total, which has 100% of your iron and folic acid requirements in one bowl.
• Lean beef, pork, and beans are also iron-rich. Eat enough folic acid–rich foods like oranges, asparagus, and leafy green veggies.
• Bone up with low-fat dairy picks—milk, cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese will all give you a calcium boost.