I have had iron deficiency anemia for a while now, but I'm getting tired of
eating meat all the time.  I know that potatoes and leafy greens contain a
lot of iron, but does anyone know of any other foods with high iron content?
I'm trying to lose weight, and eating hamburgers and steak doesn't help with
that.  Salads are great, but the lettuce at NMU is that white/light green
kind that is reserved for schools.  ;)  Any suggestions?

44 responses total.

  Sarah go to the grocery store and buy some of those Slimfast shakes
or Nutrament shakes, those are designed with iron supplements.  Drink
a few of those shakes with your meals instead of coke or whatever.

<shakes head>
Sorry, kerouac, but by drinking Slim Fast *with* a meal, it would be like
eating two to three meals at once.  I do *not* need the fat or calories!  ;)

Sarah, I'm not so sure you'll get all that much in the way of fat and calories
from the diet shakes (I admit, I haven't checked the labels though).  Mostly
you'll get nutrients, and you're supposed to eat a meal a day anyway for the
calories/fat stuff you need.
        You might just want to try a good multivit with iron suppliment, or
a B-Complex with iron.  There are also "health-foods" at some of those stores
which have the iron and B-vits you need.
        What does your doctor say?  Do you have a normal red count?  What about
the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels?  Perhaps mere iron suppliments aren't
what you need at all?  <I need to qualify my responses here, I guess.  What
I'm saying is..."consult your physician before attempting...">

Ja, iron pills tend to have the fewest calories... :-)

i agree iwth Birdlady..a diet meal replacement is just that plus 200-300
calories.
spinach has lots of iron and raw is great as a salad.
but gosh don't remember the other high iron foods
when I find out I will be sure and tell you

it's funny that you should put this in when you did, sarah....i just started
having this problem....:)

the women in my family have an iron deficiancy, but it's not really anemia,
just an iron deficiancy.  (i'm not sure of the diferance...i just know that
i am not anemic, but have problems keeping iron in.  :)  lately, since my
diet has gone to hell, i've been cold/tired, etc.  once i realized it, i
went back to taking iron supps (be careful, they will give you constipation!)
and being more careful of what i eat...(i had a steak for dinner the other 
night)

obviously, red meat and spinach are good.  another idea are cereal....corn
flakes and the like have a lot of iron in them (check the box!!!!!)  what's
fun about those, is that if you take a magnet to them, you will get little
tiny iron filings....:)  then you KNOW you are getting your iron!!!  :)
(yes, they are completely safe.  :)  as for others....(meg pulls out her
rodales natural cookbook...:)
        apricots, blackstrap molasses, brewer's yeast, dark green leafy
        veggies, eggs, legumes (peas, beans, peanuts, and lentils), nuts,
        sunflower seeds, variety meats, wheat germ, and whole grain
        products.

i just copied strait from the book....it's nice because it has a list of
different vitamins and minerals, an what foods to find them in.  :)

I've heard that raw spinach somehow reduces the amount of iron absorbed...
the moral of the story being "cook that spinach!".

but don't cook it into a mush....just blanch it a bit...:)

Ok from a little phamplet called healthy foodsheavy on iron...absorable...
Beef liver   4oz 99%
Beef 4oz cooked  47%
clalms 3oz drained , canned 45%
trout 4oz cooked 38%
turkey 40z dark meat cooked without skin  35%
lentios, 1 cup cooked 29%...shrimp 4oz cooked shelled 24%...navy beans, 1 cup
canned 22 %....turkey, 4oz light meant cooked 18%...chicken, 4oz cooked 18
%...pork 4oz cooked 18 % oncean perch cooked 4oz..18 % pinto beans..17 % black
beans 1 cuop  1d6% baked potato, 5 oz 12...split peas..1 cup cooked 11...past
and bread 9% gren peas..2/3 cooked 7...brussels sprouts 2/3 c cooked 6..and
broccoli 2/3 cup cooked 5%
hope that helps too.:)

Thank you all very much!  It turns out that some of my favorite foods are on
those lists.  =)  In response to rickyb's questions...my hemoglobin level is
around 8 (as of October 17), with the average being 10.5 in adults.  My red
count is slightly low, but I don't know the exact number.  If I'm feeling
tired/cold/shaky during the day, I take a multi-vitamin tab.  Also, if I know
I'm not going to have many chances to eat during the day, especially *good*
food, I eat a bowl of Total cereal in the morning.  It has 100% of the daily
allowance of iron.  My doctor mentioned taking something like iron sulfate
<?> if the vitamins and diet doesn't help.  Do you know anything about this?

i just grabbed a bottle of target-brand iron supps off of the rack...:)
obviously, they probably aren't the highest, but still...:)  they do
me good, esp. with my multi-tab...:)

I take something called "One-A-Day" vitamins.  They have a special formula
for women that contains extra iron and calcium.  So far, they've been working
like a charm, but they make me kind of antsy.  I've learned to take them
*after* classes are done for the day.  ;)

i'm not sure that taking vitamins that make you antsey is a good idea....
(sorry)
(errr...worry....:)

can you cut back to half the dose?

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i can't stand the taste that it adds to food, tho....and it drives me crazy to
have to clean the stupid things!!!!  

you are not susposed to have that much trouble cleaning them..they are
susposed to be "seasoned"..so that they are much like teflon..easy to clean.
to season Ithink you are susposed to grease with  shortening and bake them
and do it agian till they are black and "seasoned"..Has anyone else heard
this?

Slimfast & other diet shakes do have lots of calories 
and carbohydrates.  A friend of mine gained a ton of weight before
he realized they were in lieu of meals, not in addition to.

Cast iron pans don't really add enough iron to your diet.

If you've been seeing a doctor, ask about prenatal vitamins, they
are VERY high in iron and are available over the counter.  The 
prescription ones contain more folic acid or something that  you
don't need.

Also, look for a mild iron supplement called "Slow FE"--it's
time-released tiny tablets & doesn't hurt your stomach or cause
many of the other unpleasant side effects of iron.  Expensive,
but worth it!

The vitamins & minerals in a good vitamin should not make you
jumpy.  I'd guess there is a hidden ingredient such as caffeine.
Try a different brand than on-a-day.  

Also, milk/calcium/dairy products can interfere w/iron absorption,
so a glass of milk with your vitamin or meat can reduce the 
effects of the iron you arae consuming.

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You'd season a cast iron pan just like seasoning a wok, or any other pan I'd
think.  Heat a clean pan, put a small amount of oil in the hot pan and let
it coat the entire surface, then, quickly rinse it with _hot_ water and give
it a wipe.  Dry any excess water off by warming it over a hot burner, you can
even wipe the oily surface once more while it's still hot.

Be sure the pan is then heated _before_ you put any food in it to cook.  If
you're frying or sauteing heat the oil to temp before adding the vegys or
meats.  Rinse and clean the pan _immediately_, while its still hot from
cooking, then re-season it by heating...add a little bit of oil...rinse with
hot water...dry over burner.

Rickyb's method of seasoning a cast iron pan is the same as Mrs McPoz's.  I
might add NEVER use soap.  Use salt for cleaning if necessary.

Heat drying is important, as cast iron rusts easily.

Thanks Marc...I forgot to say you are not susposed to use soap....
but I am pretty sure when you get a new cast iron pan you are susposed to 
repeat seasoning for  some time......:) 

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Don't things stick to the pan?

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(mcpoz admits he has never tried soap because of threats to me if I ever did!
perhaps I'll risk trying it)

Yeah, I use soap too...although I've been told salt works great.  The key is,
immediately after washing with the soap you re-season the pan as valerie said,
and heat-dry it.

Only other way I use soap on an iron pan is rubbing the outside with bar soap
before using it over an open fire.  That helps you clean the char off it when
you're done.

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i always make  homemade cornbread in mine..no ned to grease the pan before
baking.  My mother always  made pineapple upside down cake  in hers..but we
ARE a healt bbs soo.... sorry..for bringing that up..he heheh

Thanks for all of the help.  I had *no* idea that drinking milk reduces iron
absorption...I drink at least one glass with every meal.  Eep!  As for the
multi-vitamins, I take one pill when needed.  That's usually every three days
or when I'm feeling *very* weak.  My hemoglobin's up (as of Dec 16), so I'm
just going to continue eating healthy stuff and eventually wean off of the
pills.

Hi we just got a new book at  the library.." The Home Answer Book"..by Joanna
Wissinger..on seasoning a dutch oven or cast iron pan
" to season new cast Iron cookware, first scrub it thoroughly inside and out
with a dish eanser and a steel scrubbing pad.  rinse well and towel dry.  coat
the entire  inside of the pan lightly with a hig smoke point  cooking oil like
safflower or peanu oil..Place in a 325oF oven for one hour.  when cooled, the
utensil will be  seasoned and ready to use."

(Five points if you can explain, without looking, how this Item got
from Anemia to Dutch Ovens.....)

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Excellent! You now have 5 points.

hey I knew that too..can I have 5 points too..?

There will be another opportunity.....................

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