|
|
|
Iron Rich Recipes
DO'S AND DON'TS OF ANAEMIA
- Eat iron-rich legumes - Dried beans and peas are the most iron-rich plant sources in our diet. Soya bean is a valuable source of iron, vitamin B12 and protein. To combat anaemia add a quarter cup of soya bean in the form of beans or flour to your diet everyday. The simplest way is to add 100 gms of soya flour to 1 kg of wheat flour to make chapattis.
- Add on Vitamin C - Good news for vegetarians: vitamin C enhances the absorption of non-haeme iron from vegetables, fruits and fortified cereals. A glass of fresh orange juice with breakfast can more than double the amount of iron your body absorbs. Remember however that Vitamin C and iron work only when eaten together.
|
|
-
Combine grains and vegetables with meat - The unidentified animal protein factor found only in meat, poultry and fish enhance the absorption of plant iron when meat and vegetables are eaten together. To boost your iron reserves, add spinach (palak) to parathas, dals, vegetables or soup and serve with lean meat.
- Cook in iron pots - In the old days the iron that leached into food from iron cooking pots and pans was the best unintentional fortification. Although an iron pot can only add non-haeme iron, it can make a big difference to your diet. So try to use iron pots and pans whenever practical.
- Add some fortified foods to your diet - Boost your iron intake by adding iron fortified or enriched breakfast cereals to your diet.
- Try to avoid refined and processed foods - Go easy on maida, pasta, noodles, polished rice, ready-to-eat foods, etc. Try to replace sugar with jaggery, which is a rich source of iron.
- Beware the calcium effect - Don't combine an iron-rich meal with too many cheese sauces and milk shakes. Milk and cheese don't contain the animal protein factor, and can in fact slightly inhibit iron absorption, primarily because of the high calcium and phosphate content.
- Don't go overboard with the fibre - Too much fibre hinders the absorption of iron. Some types of fibre, like bran, bind to non-haeme iron and move through the digestive system quickly, giving the iron little chance to be absorbed.
- Don't drink tea or coffee with your meals - The tannins in these beverages bind with iron, making less of it available to your body. A cup of tea with breakfast can block three-fourths of the iron that you would have otherwise absorbed.
- Take supplements if required - Pregnant women need iron supplements since it's extremely difficult to meet the increased demand for iron through meals. It is advisable to take supplements at night, on an empty stomach, along with some orange juice to avoid a stomach upset and ensure maximum absorption.
Also in this Section
Introduction
What
is Iron?
Functions of Iron in Our Body
Iron
Requirements
Iron
Deficiency Anaemia
Causes
of Iron Deficiency
Symptoms
of Iron Deficiency
Tackling Anaemia
Recipes
|
