I never really thought about Iron in food, but it is really important.
Alongside everything else I eat loads of lentils and Cacao nibs as a snack.
So maybe a tasty snack could help to add some more Iron to your diet?
Almond butter 1.2 (2 tablespoons)
Apricots, dried 1.5 - 3.4 (1 cup)
Arugula, 12 mg/200g calorie
Asparagus (raw), 21 mg/200g calorie
Baked beans (1.9/medium portion)
Beet Greens (raw), 23 mg/200g calorie
Beet greens, cooked 1 cup 2.7 mg
Beets, 1.3 mg/200g calorie
Black beans 3.6, cooked (1 cup)
Black-eyed peas, cooked (1 cup) 2.3 - 3.6 mg
Bok choy 0.4 - 1.8 (1 cup cooked )
Bran flakes (3/4 cup) 8.1
Bran flakes 8.1 (1 cup)
Broccoli 1.3 mg (1 cup cooked )
Brown rice (circa 0.95, steamed, 1 cup/portion)
Brussels sprouts 1.9 (1 cup cooked )
Butterhead Lettuce (includes Boston and Bibb varieties), 19 mg/200g calorie
Cereals
Cashews (1/2 cup) 4.0
I use cast iron cookware
Chick Peas (Garbanzo beans) 3.2-4.7, cooked, 1 cup
Chinese Cabbage (pak-choi, cooked), 17 mg/200g calorie
Collard greens 0.9 mg/1 cup cooked
Curly Kale (1.9/medium portion)
Dandelion Greens (raw), 14 mg/200g calorie
Figs, dried (1/2 cup) 1.5
Green Beans, 12 mg/200g calorie
Kelp (seaweed) 0.3, 2 tablespoons
Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup 3.0-5.2
Lentils (120 g): 2.9 mg (1 cup, 6.6 mg)
Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 4.4 mg
Mushrooms, cooked (1 cup) 2.7
Mustard greens 1.0 (1 cup cooked )
Navy beans 4.5, cooked (1 cup )
Oatmeal 1.6 cooked (1 cup )
Peaches, Dried (6 halves): 3.1 mg
Peanut butter 0.6 (2 tablespoons )
Peas, cooked 1 cup 2.5
Pinto beans, cooked (1 cup) 3.5 - 4.5
Pistachios (2 mg/14g)
Potato 1 large 3.2
Potato, baked with skin (medium) 1.9
Potatoes (cooked), 16 mg, 200g calorie
Prune juice (8 ounces): 3 mg
Prunes 1.1 mg (1 cup )
Pumpkin Leaves (cooked) 30 mg
Pumpkin seeds
Quinoa, cooked (1 cup) 4.0
Raisin (1/2 cup) 1.5
Red Leaf Lettuce, 15 mg/200g calorie
Sesame seeds 1.3 mg/12g
Sesame Tahini (2 Tbs.) 2.7
Soybeans 8.8, cooked (1 cup )
Spaghetti: 0.5 mg/100g (or more?)
Spinach, cooked (1 cup) 6.4
Spirulina (1 tsp): 5 mg
Sunflower seeds 1.0 - 9.6 mg/cup (?)
Swiss chard, cooked (1 cup) 4.0
Tempeh 1 cup 4.4-4.8
Tofu
Tomato paste (4 ounces): 3.9 mg
Turnip greens 1.2 - 3.2 (1 cup cooked )
Watermelon 0.3 (1 cup diced )
White beans (1/2 cup) 3.9 mg
Cream of wheat, cooked (1 cup) 10.3
Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 0.9 mg
I never really thought about Iron in food, but it is really important.
Alongside everything else I eat loads of lentils and Cacao nibs as a snack.
So maybe a tasty snack could help to add some more Iron to your diet?
My doctor rang me at home to say he wants to see me ASAP, my iron level is so low he doesn't know how I am standing upright
This is the third time this year I've had the test and I've been eating bucketloads of iron pills and loads of iron rich food and vitamin C - it's ridiculous.
I'm not losing blood anywhere but just can't seem to keep my iron levels up. I may need a blood transfusion this time. I'm getting a bit anxious about it.
Silent but deadly :p
sorry to hear that, Hemlock. i have trouble keeping my iron levels up as well but it's not that bad thankfully. i hope you're ok.
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
Here's what I eat and do to get enough iron:
- nut butters, especially almond butter
- dark green veggies
- soy meats and tofu
- cook in cast iron
- daily multi vitamin/mineral
- whole grain bread
- add 'dark greens' to my tomato pasta sauce
- beans and lentils
- eat enough food
- limit my caffeine consumption to only one cup of coffee a day, no sodas.
My iron level is normal and I've never been anemic.
"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends". ~ George Bernhard Shaw.
Get well soon Hemlock!
See my local diary ... http://herbwormwood.blogspot.com/
Thanks everyone, I've got to go for more tests because the cause is unknown but luckily have 2 weeks holiday coming up so hopefully can have a rest up then!
Silent but deadly :p
Also try to eat lots of lentils, chick peas, kidney beans, baked beans etc. Dark green veggies are good but I think pulses are an even better source, and are non-fattening.
There is also iron-fortified breakfast cereals.
Glad to hear you are getting it checked out properly.
See my local diary ... http://herbwormwood.blogspot.com/
I saw my GP this morning, he says I have a bleeding stomach ulcer, should be able to control it on medication and I've got to take iron for at least a month three times a day so thankfully it's pretty much a minor problem that will go away.
The rest of my results were fab - he commented on how fantastic my cholesterol and B12 levels were (bloody well should be I eat enough) and no sign at all of diabetes or thyroid problems, folic acid is fine too.
What a relief!
Silent but deadly :p
thats great hemlock.
sounds like a scary situation when u know you're doing everything right.
Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty.
Glad to hear that they found the root of your iron problem Hemlock.
I have problems absorbing iron, I have been taking suplements & eating healthy for years. Last year I was so aneamic that I had to go into hospital and have an iron infusion. It was painless and about a month later I felt fabulous!! Then my iron levels slowly dropped despite me still taking an iron supplement.
My Gp finally reffered me to a gastro enterologist and my blood test suggest I may have coeliac disease which can cause iron & B12 deficency.
I am being admitted to hospital to have a biopsy tomorrow to confirm if it is coeliac disease.
Sorry for waffling on, but just wanted to let people kknow that if you have a chronic iron deficency it is impotant to get it investigated. I've eaten enough iron-rich vegan food to sink a ship but it is obviously a underlying medical problem.
M x
Yes, coeliac disease is very dangerous left undiagnosed!!! let's hope now that you will gradually recover. We've got two staff with it at work and they were both also very ill before diagnosis.
Silent but deadly :p
Good news hemlock. A bleeding ulcer doesnt sound nice though, hope your not in pain.
Thats good news, well the lack of pain thing.
glad to hear you know what the problem is now, Hemlock. hope the meds work. i thought stomach ulcers were always painful but it's good that it's not giving you any pain so far.
good luck Muppet, hope you find out what's wrong and get it sorted very soon!
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
That's good in a way, Hemlock, isn't it? Stomach ulcers seem to be fairly easy to fix these days.
Hope you get to the bottom of your problem too Muppet.
...now what should I make?
A decision on what to cook in it?
I like to pan fry Seitan and a little nutritional yeast and a bit of black pepper. Yummy Works better in a heavy pan
ooh i want cast iron pans, i'm told it might help me with my (monthly!) anaemia, i love them, and copper bottomed pans, just can't afford either!
Before using them don't you need to "season" them? I don't know much about it but my friend Ms Google seems to have lots to say on the matter:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Infor...stIronPans.htm
yep, definitely season the pan and it'll be your friend for decades to come!
I inherited mine (not very vegan... but I cleaned it out and re-seasoned it) and it's nearly 25 years old already.
I don't own any other pans because the one I have is just perfect.
Thanks for that link, I got a new one at Xmas which I haven't got round to seasoning yet since all the instructions I could find were either an all day job, or involved lard/bacon/other fatty meat
I didn't want to make a hash of it and damage the thing either, I'll have to get on and season it - I'm quite excited about the prospect!
...and never wash! scrape and heat to smoking. If you live in a damp environment, bad luck, must re-season more frequently.
Aubergine is brilliant in such a pan. Love it in sandwiches.
An inch thick more or less, brush both sides with olive oil lightly and over medium heat give it 3-5min before turning. (This is trial and error first go) On the flip side I like a sprinkle of coriander seed and salt (mmm garlic salt) then turn down to low for 2 min or so.
A nice cheat is to cover the slices with a lid or plate for the first side to steam a bit; second side let it dry out uncovered.
the only animal ingredient in my food is cat hair
ooh i'm so cross, my mum has been told by a doctor that she should eat meat because her blood test showed that's she's low on iron, grrrr why can't they suggest alternatives like green leafy stuff and pulses etc, straight away they say 'oh dear you're a vegetarian' bla bla bla, they are so narrow minded!!
How annoying. It does vary by doctor though - my mother tends to be anaemic and as far as I know no doctor has ever attempted to tell her to eat meat, and her GP OKd vegetarian iron supplements for her.
I suppose it's true that haem iron (from meat) is more easily absorbed, but if you take the right precautions (like combining iron with vitamin C, and avoiding tea with them) the vegetable sources should do the trick I would have thought.
Has your mum seen these information sheets:
http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutrition/iron.php
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/iron.html
i've just had some blood tests for the fatigue i've been experiencing over the past 6 months or so. i've got to go to the docs next monday as iron is one thing that has come back as being low, not sure about anything else yet.
luckily i'm seeing a doctor who, when i went and was veggie, told me that people don't NEED to eat meat - so i'm hoping he will be as helpful this time if there's anything to deal with.
Hope you get on OK cedar. Loads of women are anaemic so they shouldn't make a big thing of it. Although it's more of an issue in post-menopausal women like my mother, but she's had loads of tests and they can't find any particular reason for it Must check if she's been tested for pernicious anaemia.
thanks harpy for those links, never knew dried apricots were high in iron, i'll tell her as she loves them
I bought these for £7 from a second hand store on Saturday
I love them soooooo much
I was just wondering how many other people cook in cast iron here? I've found that I really don't like using my old stainless steel pans any more. I've also almost totally stopped using my non-stick stuff as I don't really trust the level of toxicity/carcinogens in non-stick coatings.
Quitting something because it's hard is wrong, and quitting something because it's wrong is hard. One takes cowardice, the other bravery.
So can you wash them Ms D? If not how will you manage to use them...sorry not being critical just wondering....meat....
They look nice though, do they work on the same principle as a wok? I always wash mine, I foget so when I get a new one I will try to remember not to.
Well, the looked pretty well scrubbed when bought them, and I gave them a wash over and then re-seasoned them. I've covered the process over on my blog. This pretty much cleaned any residual meat off of them, down to the level I'd probably encounter if I went over to a omni household/restaurant for dinner.
You can wash cast iron, you just need to make sure you really, really dry it after. If you have your own cast iron, it's best it you don't wash it as the longer you have it the more oils/lipids bond to the pan and give it a non-stick effect. It's not as non-stick as teflon now, but enough that I can make pancakes etc in the pan, and I don't really need to add more than a spritz of spray oil.
Quitting something because it's hard is wrong, and quitting something because it's wrong is hard. One takes cowardice, the other bravery.
Buckwheat pancakes
Cast iron frying pans are brilliant for bubble-and-squeak!
Once they're clean and dry, a wipe with a kitchen tissue with a little oil on it keeps it looking good. The kitchen tissue goes in the compost of course.
"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine" - Abraham Lincoln
Thanks Ms D for the advice, can I have a link to your blog for further info.
I think I have the bug now!
http://readyveggiecook.blogspot.com/...on-excuse.html
The exact post. It's really easy to season the pans. I was also in TK Maxx yesterday and they have a load cast iron pans which are externally coated with enamel, which are apparently better for use of ceramic hobs as they are less scratchy, so if you have one near you pop in
Quitting something because it's hard is wrong, and quitting something because it's wrong is hard. One takes cowardice, the other bravery.
OOOh yes I do AND we have a ceramic hob too THANKS!
i've had trouble keeping my iron levels up for quite a few years and recently had blood tests which showed my levels were normal, but on the low side.
thankfully my doctor didn't blame my being vegan as others have in the past! he said i would be ok to take a supplement which i'm doing for now (107% RDA so it shouldn't cause too much of an excess) because i'm still struggling with other issues that make keeping track of my diet quite difficult. if the supplements make a difference i'll hopefully be able to get enough iron from dietary sources eventually.
i'm going to start adding dried parsley to just about everything as apparently it's high in iron
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
How about floradix? It's been shown to be very effective and without the side effects of iron tablets. Sea kelp, seaweed, pulses (especially when sprouted), chard, curly kale, or any very green leafy vegetables (because of the folic acid content in them) black strap molasses, all very good to increase iron.
dietary sources don't seem to help, regardless of how much i try to eat. i don't get any side-effects from iron tablets as i've taken them in the past, i just have trouble remembering to take them regularly.
i haven't tried Floradix yet as it seems very expensive, and i'm guessing it tastes awful which wouldn't exactly help with my motivation to take it!
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
Quitting something because it's hard is wrong, and quitting something because it's wrong is hard. One takes cowardice, the other bravery.
haha, my 'ladycogs' as you put it are already messed up no end!
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
For those who are iron deficient, take a spoonful of molasses every day. (According to Mark Twain, it doesn't help you live longer, it just seems longer!)
leedsveg
My iron levels have always been quite low. The lowest I remember was after one month when I went vegetarian. The doctor then asked me to eat "at least (!!!!) a little bit of read meat, beef for example sometimes..". My mum told her I don't eat meat at all, so she was like "don't complain when you faint..". Then I took some iron and my levels were higher, but I am afraid that if I don't take it they will fall again and I will have to take iron supplements for the rest of my life!
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