According to the Standards of Care Guidelines, transfusing thals should not worry much about iron from foods. Veg foods should never be avoided by transfusing patients. The iron is not high and is also poorly absorbed. The only food that is of much concern is red meat and should be eaten in moderation at most, as its iron is most easily absorbed. Your body does need iron from foods to function, so it should never be completely avoided, as the iron stores are of little use for day-to-day bodily functions.
And as Sharmin mentioned, follow the advice of Oakland. That is where the Standards are written. I am delighted to hear that Oakland is advising dose splitting. The goal is chelation 24/7 and its importance is well recognized. Once a day use of Exjade cannot provide 24 hours of chelation. I feel that Novartis has overemphasized the importance of once a day chelation, as it is a more effective marketing technique, even if twice a day gives better results. The goal was once a day and they seem hesitant to alter their marketing strategy, although I do believe they would find it advantageous to the health of patients to take a smaller dose, but more often. It does seem to cause less side effects when taken this way. and patients usually see improvement in their liver function tests, also.