Avoiding black or green tea and coffee at meals.
Adding a source of vitamin C at meals.
Increasing legume (peanuts, beans, lentils, peas) intake.
Cooking foods (especially water based acidic foods like tomato sauce) in cast iron skillets.
Symptoms of low iron are
Often, no symptoms
Paleness
Feeling tired
Unusual shortness of breath during exercise
Unusual food cravings (known as pica)
Fast heartbeat
Cold hands and feet
Brittle nails or hair loss
Headaches
Dizziness or lightheaded
If you have any of these symptoms consult your doctor and ask for an iron level test I am sure that many vegetarians are low in iron particularly in the Sikh community who drink a lot of tea.