Iron

enikovaczi

Hi, I'm watching my iron intake as I'm trying to get pregnant. I eat spinach and broccoli almost daily, beans and legumes often but the nutrition page always shows zero or very little iron. Does anybody know how is it counted and whether its right because it doesn't seem so. Thanks Eni

cmriverside

The database is user-created and many of the entries don't have all the nutrients listed due to the way the person entered it. Crowd-sourcing was a genius way to build a huge database but it does have its limits.

You can enter your own foods and use a reputable database to find the nutrients/iron. Try the USDA nutrition database. If you enter your own foods, they'll be available to you in your MY FOODS tab and you'll know they are right/correct.

I track iron too, and it's difficult to get enough for me while on a calorie deficit.

somethingsoright

When you're on the food search page, there's a dialog box that pops up. It's the same box where you put how many servings you're logging for that food. Click on the nutritional info button and check if the iron percentage is correct and even update it if someone put it in wrong. It can be a pain to have to check and compare it with the food label, but worth it once you have your everyday foods in right and can just click them from your recent foods list.

enikovaczi

Thanks guys. It makes sense as yesterday when i scanned the barcode of the veggies I got much higher values compared to the ones I just picked from the list. I will scan everything from now on. Now just need to figure out how cooking them alters the numbers.

enikovaczi

cmriverside wrote: »

I track iron too, and it's difficult to get enough for me while on a calorie deficit.

Try this cmriverside. Low calorie, delicious and an iron bomb. I never tried kale before but its yummy sauteed on garlic.
https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/side-dish/parmesan-spinach-and-kale-quinoa/
I normally get my iron from chicken liver as i love it but now its off limits.

jgnatca

Iron is pretty indestructible. If it’s in the food you’ll get it. Here are some more tips.
- Are you watching Folic Acid? Now is the time to make sure you are getting enough.
- Cook with the Lucky Iron Fish and have iron in every rice and pasta dish.
- Cast Iron adds a small amount of iron to the meal.
- Iron absorbs better with vitamin C.
- Calcium and Iron compete with each other to get absorbed first so take any calcium or dairy at a different time.

enikovaczi

Thanks jgnatca. I'm taking folic acid supplement and try to eat food with it too. I don't eat rice or pasta. My only high carb 'guilty pleasure' is rye bread and potatoes sometimes. I will follow the advice on calcium.