Im a Vegetarian and I cant seem to get enough iron!!!

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cheshirekat
cheshirekat Posts: 126 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello my name is Kat, I have been doing this for maybe a week, but I have been counting calories on an online journal since last February and lost more than fifty pounds. However, since last February I have become a vegetarian for environmental and health reasons and I can't seem to get enough iron, no matter how hard I try! What can I eat that has a lot of iron, and what will happen to my body if I am iron deficient? Anyone know?

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  • jess8549
    jess8549 Posts: 13
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    Beans have quite a bit of iron in them. Being iron deficient will decrease your body's ability to move oxygen around as you may not produce enough hemoglobin and you could become anemic.
  • jess8549
    jess8549 Posts: 13
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    Also whole wheat grains, broccoli, and soy have quite a bit of iron in them.
  • prayerfulmom
    prayerfulmom Posts: 409
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    former vegetarian here:
    eat citrus with your spinach it will help you absorb it.
    look for iron fortified cereals

    too little iron will cause you to be anemic and very tired. there are some great books for vegetarians out there. one good book is vegetarian with a vengence.
  • laurig125
    laurig125 Posts: 2
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    I recently eliminated meat from my diet as well, and was concerned about getting enough iron. However, as others have posted--fortified cereals are a great source, beans, spinach, etc...but my favorite source--with 50% RDA of iron, and a whole bunch of other vitamins and minerals--Vitalicious vitabrownies, vitamuffins and vitatops. If you like chocolate, they are an awesome 100 calorie treat. If not, they have lots of other flavors too. Most grocers carry them, but you might find a limited selection. Check out: http://www.vitalicious.com.
  • cheshirekat
    cheshirekat Posts: 126 Member
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    thank you everyone:happy:
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,124 Member
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    Supplements are better than sugary substitutes like brownies.

    The brownies are made with supplements added, it isn't a "natural" source. I would think it better to try to eliminate refined sugars and sugary substitutes.
  • FireMonkey
    FireMonkey Posts: 500 Member
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    I'm glad you're thinking about it. My daughter is a vegetarian and was recently found to be quite anemic, so now she has to take supplements.

    I found a booklet that might give you some ideas on your diet - here's the URL: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/1998/vegedge.pdf

    and here's an excerpt:

    PUMP UP THE IRON!

    To get the MAX each day:

    - Eat 2-3 servings of MEAT ALTERNATIVES. Sources of iron: baked beans, lentil or split pea soup, nuts, seeds and egg yolk
    - Eat 5 or more servings of GRAIN PRODUCTS. Sources of iron: whole grains bread, enriched pasta, brown rice, wheat germ and enriched ready-to-eat cereals
    - Eat 5 or more servings of VEGETABLES AND FRUIT. Sources of iron: dark green vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy, kale, okra, collards and other greens (beet, mustard or turnip). Dried fruits (raisins, apricots and prunes) and prune juice
    - Add iron-rich blackstrap molasses to home made muffins or baked beans (in place of sugar)
    - Add nuts and seeds to cereals, salads and hot vegetables
    - Add wheat germ to cereal, baked goods or casseroles

    I was surprised but apparently spinach is not a good source because the oxalic acid it contains interferes with absorption. Sorry Popeye!
  • metalpalace
    metalpalace Posts: 576
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    Sadly most anemics are vegetarians. Mother nature didn't design us to be vegetarians, but omnivorous. Luckily because of technology and supplements vegetarians can live healthy lives. Lacto ovos are ok but vegans would have been dead just a generation ago.

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