[I posted this on another forum, so there is some information which would be obvious on this forum, such as "I am vegan.]
I was eating Master Choice Original instant oatmeal every day for breakfast, for about two months. I recently switched to Quaker Oats (the ones that cook in 3 to 5 minutes.) I always put strawberries or blueberries in with my oatmeal, and my serving sizes consist of 38g of MC oatmeal, or 30g of Quaker Oats. I add a dash of salt to my Quaker Oats, and I'm very careful about sodium intake throughout the day - I don't add table salt to anything else, and I eat mostly fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains, etc. Nothing I regularly eat is very high in sodium, so no worries there.
The concern here is that I don't believe I take in enough iron. I'm vegan, so shellfish, meat, and many other good sources of iron are not acceptable in my diet. I haven't been checked up for anemia, as I'm not having issues at this point, but I want to make sure I get enough iron regardless, before things do get bad.
So, you tell me what YOU think I should do (as far as nutrition goes. I don't really care about the calorie difference). Stick with the Quaker Oats and put a lot of effort into getting more iron into the rest of my food, or go back to eating the instant oatmeal and get 70% of my iron in one meal.
MASTER CHOICE ORIGINAL INSTANT OATMEAL:
Per 1 packet (38g)
Calories: 150
Fat: 2.5g (4%)
Saturated: 0.5g (3%)
Sodium: 220mg (9%)
Carbohydrate: 25g (8%)
Fibre: 4g (16%)
Protein: 5g
Iron: 70%
Thiamine: 100%
Niacin: 20%
Vitamin B6: 20%
Folate: 20%
Pantothenate: 15%
Ingredients: Rolled Oats, Guar Gum, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guar_gum) Salt, Reduced Iron, Vitamins (Niacinamide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridonoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid)
QUAKER OATS (Quick - Cookes in 3 to 5 minutes)
Per 1/3 cup (30g)
Calories: 120
Fat: 2g (3%)
Saturated: 0.4g (2%)
Sodium: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 20g (7%)
Fibre: 3g
Protein: 4g
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 8%
Ingredients: 100% Rolled Oats. Naturally contains oat bran.
Might I add that I do get enough fiber every day. Also, the Quaker Oats seem to fill me up a little bit better. I really do like sticking to food which is as natural as possible, but if eating instant oatmeal for breakfast means I'm not destined to a daily spinach salad, I'll eat the instant.
Compare and contrast, and let me know what you think.
Thanks!
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