Viewing Iron infomation

sagreenious

Hi, I'm new here and need some help! Hope this is the right forum for it..
How do I set the food diary up to view iron infornation in the foods I'm eating?

Thanks for help!

sagreenious

OK, so I worked out how ti view the iron information. Turns out I'm seriously lacking, probably because I'm vegetarian. Am now chowing down on some pumpkin seeds.

Any ideas on how to get iron into a vegetarian diet would be gratefully received. Otherwise I'm just going to start taking iron tablets.

romyhorse

I'm vegetarian and have been anaemic for 20 years, I only started taking iron tablets regularly last year and they made a huge difference. I feel like a new person and have so much energy now. I don't have time to make separate, high iron meals so I find taking tablets easier. They do have side affects though, lol.

contingencyplan

In the case of iron being a vegetarian usually means having to supplement. While there are many vegetable and fruit foods that are rich in iron, the human body is unable to extract and digest it from these sources (spinach, etc...)

Sorry but the unfortunate truth is that going on a mostly-or-all plant-based diet means having to supplement some things. It's just a fact.

sagreenious

Thanks both. I was under the impression quorn had iron in it but apparently not.

Having just started the food diary thing on here, I think that even if I ate green leafy veg, kidney beans, brown rice, apricots and chili every day I still wouldn't have enough iron. Dammit!

WBB55

If I recall, many vegans should make sure they're getting enough of the following, since they can be tricky to get in whole, unfortified, vegan foods:

Vitamin B12
Vitamin D
Vitamin K
Iron
Calcium
Iodine

entropy83

To avoid the iron side effects try a bisglycinate form like Solgar (you get Whole Foods, Vitamin SHoppe, maybe even GNC) or a liquid form

LoseYouself

I have NO problem getting plenty of iron (and every other nutrient) and I'm vegan. So it's about food selection. Just eat lots of dark leafy greens, beans, lentils and maybe some soy. I typically get 120-200% of my daily needed iron just from my food alone, not including my multivitamin. It's really not hard if you're eating a large variety of foods, including MORE whole foods, and less processed foods. Also.. if you don't mind green smoothies, spirulina is high in iron, B12, and other vitamins. I add 1 tsp to my green smoothies.

If you decide to supplement though, don't get iron tablets. They are kept behind the counter at pharmacies because too much iron is dangerous and they don't like to sell those unless a person is actually anemic. If you want to be on the safe side, just buy a good quality multivitamin that includes a little bit of iron, and get the rest from food. It'll also give you a little boost in vitamins & minerals as well. That should be plenty if you're eating healthy, properly planned vegetarian meals. Good luck figuring it out!

sharonmunday90

I was severly aneamic after having my son and the iron tabs didnt suit. i take spatone everyday

TodayYesterday

Here's information from the VRG about iron rich foods and iron absorbtion: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php

sagreenious

Thanks guys.

jodyw83

Try to saute any veggies you cook in a cast iron skillet. Reduces the need for a lot of oil and really can increase the iron in certain foods like tomatoes and peas. That being said those two have some of the highest iron levels, so get them as much as you can! I'm having the same issue and I do eat red meat, so I can only imagine! Also avoid eating dairy when you are eating iron rich foods, as this can hinder your body's ability to absorb the iron!

GoTeamMeaghan

I've been vegetarian for over 2 years and I have Crohn's disease and used to be severely anemic-to the point where I had to get 6 IV iron infusions. That was definitely a wake up call that I need to pay attention to how much iron I ingest. Oatmeal, kale, snow peas, sugar snap peas, quinoa and blackstrap molasses and most Gardein brand faux meat products are all awesome sources or iron. It's also important to have vitamin C with iron to help you body absorb all of the iron-like adding strawberries to oatmeal.

Back to your original question. If you go to settings, then I thinks it's diary settings and you can choose which macros you want to view. Feel free to look at my diary for ideas.

sagreenious

Thanks again guys.

I try to only eat fresh veg that's in season which means that for about half of the year it's difficult to get green leafy veg. I have no problem trying iron supplements so i'll be buying some later this week.