It’s another lovely warm day in Melbourne; I just wish I
could be outside enjoying it! A long beachside lunch would be super, but alas
that will have to wait. Le sigh.
Today I will start my ‘series’ on nutrition. Obviously I
want to be as healthy as possible, and ensure I am nourishing my body with the correct
nutrition and the right vitamins, minerals etc. So to start with, Iron.
Iron
If you’re a fan of The Simpsons, then no doubt you will remember
this – it randomly
gets stuck in my head……. Argh!
According to the Victorian Government’s Better Health
Channel website, iron is ‘an
important dietary mineral that is involved in various bodily functions,
including the transport of oxygen in the blood. This is essential in providing
energy for daily life’[1]. So
pretty important really!
We all know we’re meant to get decent amounts of iron;
otherwise we can become anaemic and get very sick.
Anaemia caused by iron deficiency can be a nutritional
problem for vegetarians, especially women.
The major function of iron is to transport oxygen to all of
the organs, muscles and tissues in your body. Symptoms of iron-deficiency
anaemia can include tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, and headache.[2]
The recommended does of iron each day is;
Males - 8mg per day
Females - 18mg per day
The only way to get a proper reading of your iron levels is
by blood test – unfortunately. I am a TOTAL needle-phobe, and it’s almost like
I become irrationally possessed when faced with a blood test. I become
hysterical, start crying and then pass out. Tough cookie, aren’t I?!! I avoid
them at all costs, but now that I am vegan, I am resigning to the fact that I
will probably need to get them semi-regularly to ensure I am being as healthy
as possible.
I know that when I was growing up, I was taught that the
only source of iron came from red meat (and spinach, if you recall that TV ad
several years ago where they compared a small serve of lamb opposite a
ginormous bowl of the good ol’ green leafy stuff!). Luckily, this false
advertising was sponsored by the meat industry, and means that as
vegans/vegetarians, we can get our iron from other sources. And what tasty
sources they are!
There are also vegan iron supplements available – I’m not
familiar with any Australian brands that sell them, however I have just
purchased a Deva multivitamin from iherb.com.
Without wanting to sound sales pitchy, I have found iherb to be excellent as
they offer discounted prices and cheap speedy shipping to Australia (about $4!).
With our strong dollar, it’s a great time to buy!!
When I originally put this list together, it was really only
for L-whack and me. But then I started this blog, and am now sharing it with
you. Unfortunately I got this information from various websites and I cannot
remember which ones, so I cannot credit them where it is due. So apologies!
|
Serving
size
|
(mg) per serve
|
% Daily Value - male
|
% Daily Value - female
|
|
|
Soybeans,
cooked
|
1
cup
|
8.8
|
110
|
49
|
|
Blackstrap
molasses
|
2
Tbsp.
|
7.2
|
90
|
40
|
|
Lentils,
cooked
|
1
cup
|
6.6
|
83
|
37
|
|
Spinach, cooked
|
1
cup
|
6.4
|
80
|
36
|
|
Quinoa,
cooked
|
1
cup
|
6.3
|
79
|
35
|
|
Tofu
|
114g
|
6.0
|
75
|
33
|
|
Bagel,
enriched
|
85g
|
5.2
|
65
|
29
|
|
Tempeh
|
1
cup
|
4.8
|
60
|
27
|
|
Lima
beans, cooked
|
1
cup
|
4.4
|
55
|
24
|
|
Swiss
chard, cooked
|
1
cup
|
4.0
|
50
|
22
|
|
Black
beans, cooked
|
1
cup
|
3.6
|
45
|
20
|
|
Pinto
beans, cooked
|
1
cup
|
3.5
|
44
|
19
|
|
Turnip greens, cooked
|
1
cup
|
3.2
|
40
|
18
|
|
Chickpeas,
cooked
|
1
cup
|
3.2
|
40
|
18
|
|
Potato
|
1
large
|
3.0
|
38
|
17
|
|
Kidney
beans, cooked
|
1
cup
|
3.0
|
38
|
17
|
|
Prune
juice
|
237ml
|
3.0
|
38
|
17
|
|
Beet
greens, cooked
|
1
cup
|
2.7
|
34
|
15
|
|
Tahini
|
2
Tbsp.
|
2.7
|
34
|
15
|
|
Veggie
hot dog
|
per
hot dog
|
2.7
|
34
|
15
|
|
Peas,
cooked
|
1
cup
|
2.5
|
31
|
14
|
|
Black-eyed peas, cooked
|
1
cup
|
2.3
|
29
|
13
|
|
Cashews
|
1/4
cup
|
2.1
|
26
|
12
|
|
Brussels
sprouts, cooked
|
1
cup
|
1.9
|
24
|
11
|
|
Bok choy, cooked
|
1
cup
|
1.8
|
23
|
10
|
|
Bulgur,
cooked
|
1
cup
|
1.7
|
21
|
9
|
|
Raisins
|
1/2
cup
|
1.6
|
20
|
9
|
|
Almonds
|
1/4
cup
|
1.5
|
19
|
8
|
|
Apricots,
dried
|
15
halves
|
1.4
|
18
|
8
|
|
Veggie
burger, commercial
|
per
patty
|
1.4
|
18
|
8
|
|
Watermelon
|
1/8
of medium
|
1.4
|
18
|
8
|
|
Soy
yogurt
|
178g
|
1.1
|
14
|
6
|
|
Tomato
juice
|
237ml
|
1.0
|
13
|
6
|
|
Green
beans, cooked
|
1
cup
|
1.2
|
15
|
7
|
|
Kale,
cooked
|
1
cup
|
1.2
|
15
|
7
|
|
Sunflower
seeds
|
1/4
cup
|
1.2
|
15
|
7
|
|
Broccoli,
cooked
|
1
cup
|
1.1
|
14
|
6
|
|
Millet, cooked
|
1
cup
|
1.1
|
14
|
6
|
|
Sesame
seeds
|
2
Tbsp.
|
1.0
|
13
|
6
|
|
Baked
beans
|
2/3
cup
|
2.9
|
36
|
16
|
|
Lentils/pulses/dried
beans (cooked)
|
2/3
cup
|
2.9
|
36
|
16
|
|
Wholemeal/wholegrain
bread
|
1
slice
|
0.5
|
6
|
3
|
|
Milo
|
2
heaped tsp. (9g)
|
2.2
|
28
|
12
|
|
Muesli
|
1
cup
|
5.0
|
63
|
28
|
|
All-Bran
|
1
cup
|
4.0
|
50
|
22
|
Obviously I am not an expert in this area (I feel faint at
the sight of blood and have to cover my eyes whilst watching Grey’s Anatomy!),
so this is a guide only. I have gathered information from sources that I
believe to be reputable, however take no responsibility if it’s incorrect. It’s
essential to speak to your health professional about your own individual needs
and if you have any concerns or queries. Yada yada yada.
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