Good ideas on getting enough Iron?
Posted by wassernixe on Sep 23, 2008 · Member since Jun 2008 · 1017 posts
Hi!
I just realized that I have no idea how I'm getting my iron or even if I am getting enough.
I'm giving blood on Thursday and they recommend that you eat lots of iron in the time before. Naturally, nearly all the food they recommended I should eat were meat. :-\
The other option was to take a multivitamin, however, my vegan multivitamin is iron free.
Does any one have in ideas what I could do do boost my iron? Hopefully, something cheap and quick I could eat the night before or that morning.
Blackstrap molasses in oatmeal, or make some blackstrap gingerbread. It's high in iron (and calcium). You could also eat a lot of dark leafy greens with something with vitamin C (helps absorption). Dried fruit is also a good source of iron. (A bowl of oatmeal with blackstrap molasses and dried fruit would be a great iron rich meal! Make it with some fortified ~milk and it'll boost it even more!)
Lentils are high in iron. THey key, is def. vitamin C.
Eating vitamin C rich foods with your iron rich foods will enhance your absorption of iron.
Spinach: I think the iron in spinach is much more bioavailable if it's steamed or boiled, so you'd have to cook it.
Hummus: I think both garbanzo beans and tahini are good iron sources.
I'm all for blackstrap molasses gingerbread cookies. I vote for those.
Iron in the Vegan Diet
Thanks for the ideas. :)
I have tons of beans, so I can mix those in with some other foods.
I also saw that Cream of Wheat has tons of iron in it as well. Maybe that with some blackstrap molasses and raisins could be good. I have no clue if CoW is vegan, but I will investigate on my trip to Earthfare in a bit.
Haha. I just noticed what that abbreviation spells, cows definitely not vegan. ;D
Those gingerbread cookies sound great too.
I noticed today that 1 T. of cocoa powder has 4 percent of your daily iron.
Therefore, my course of action would be to make a dark dark dark dark dark chocolate banana smoothie.
And kale chips.
How could you possibly be having a the-entire-world-sucks day AND come up with something as totally brilliant as a dark dark dark dark dark chocolate banana smoothie? You're simply incredible.
HH, I think a DDDDDChoc smoothie is going to be my solution to this day.
Well, actually another one. Since I had one for breakfast too. :D
I noticed today that 1 T. of cocoa powder has 4 percent of your daily iron.
Therefore, my course of action would be to make a dark dark dark dark dark chocolate banana smoothie.
And kale chips.
How much cocoa powder would you use?
Mmmmmm...anything dark dark dark chocolate sounds perfect!
I did find a Cream of Wheat substitute! Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Grain High Fiber Hot Cereal with Flax! 20% iron in one serving plus another 20% iron from blackstrap molasses and 6% from raisins! Almost half my daily iron in one little meal. And for just around 300 calories.
about a month ago i went into the blood center to donate, but my hematocrit count was one point too low. for a week and a half afterwards (until my next appointment, where i was able to donate ;)b ) I took iron-containing multivitamins, ate enriched oatmeal every morning, spinach, dark greens, and lentils. Also, drinking caffeine can negatively affect your hematocrit count (dunno how, but it does, and I skipped the caffeine for that time period). Regular exercise is also supposed to boost it.
Of all those things, I highly recommend lentils. They have tons of iron and are pretty easy to eat (as opposed to dark greens :P ) and made me feel a lot better after donating too.
Also, remember to pair iron foods up with calcium rich foods for better absorption.
Also, remember to pair iron foods up with calcium rich foods for better absorption.
I thought calcium inhibited iron absorbtion ???
Also, remember to pair iron foods up with calcium rich foods for better absorption.
I thought calcium inhibited iron absorbtion ???
Agreed...my doctor told me to avoid having milk products with iron rich foods because the calcium inhibits absorption.
I think it's vitamin C that boosts absorption rather than calcium.
Thanks for all the help guys! My iron was high enough to donate blood yesterday!
Unfortunately, I didn't actually get to donate a whole pint. :( But I got a lumpy purple-blue bruise that looks kinda cool. Haha.