Your body needs oxygen to burn calories, and the oxygen that you get from breathing air reaches your body cells via the blood. By supporting the production of red blood cells, you can maintain or speed up the metabolism of calories that you get from food. Eating foods that add to your daily values of protein, iron and vitamin B contribute to this interactive relationship. At the same time, you'll want to take in less saturated fat, which slows digestion and the absorption of other nutrients.
Seafood
Fish of all kinds provide B vitamins and a source of low-fat protein. Mollusks, such as clams and oysters, provide this nutrition as well as more than just the trace of dietary iron that most fin fish contain. To speed up metabolism, eat seafood in place of fattier meat protein foods several times a week.
The American Diabetes Association recommends salmon, halibut, cod, flounder and sardines among fish choices. Additional mollusks to boost your iron intake include scallops and mussels.
Legumes
Legumes include beans, peas, soybeans and lentils, and are among the foods highest in iron. Many iron-rich foods, including legumes, also offer protein and several B vitamins to aid in red blood cell synthesis. The National Institutes of Health suggest legumes for people with anemia, or insufficient red blood cells, caused by a deficiency of iron or vitamin B.
In addition, kidney, pinto, black or navy beans, split peas, chickpeas, soybeans and lentils represent protein sources with only trace amounts of saturated fat. Eating these in place of meats will benefit your metabolism.
Grains
Whole grains contribute similar advantages to the oxidation of calories. Eating brown rice, pearl barley, whole wheat baked products and whole grain cereals often will help you attain your daily values of iron, protein and some B vitamins. Combining grains with legumes will increase your iron and protein intake, and provide a broader array of B vitamins.
The American Diabetes Association suggests avoiding refined-grain foods by checking the package ingredients. Whole grain items such as tortillas, crackers and breads will have whole wheat, corn or rye listed first.
Greens
Leafy green vegetables add few calories to your daily totals but help you to burn quite a few. The darkest veggies tend to have the most iron. For instance, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database, cooked spinach, collards, turnip greens and kale have greater iron content than broccoli and snap green beans. All of these foods, however, contribute iron, protein and B vitamins to your diet, with the content highest in cooked spinach.
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