Bits & Pieces 2

Are You Getting Enough Iron?

Up to 8 out of every 10 teenage girls and premenopausal women are deficient in iron – the key carrier of oxygen through the body.  The deficiency can result in fatigue, poor concentration and sleep problems.  Most iron deficiencies go undetected because routine blood tests only check for anemia, the final stage of iron deficiency.  If you suspect you might be low in iron, ask your doctor about a serum ferritin test, it’s a more sensitive indicator of iron status than hemoglobin or hematocrit tests.  Also:

• Eat some extra-lean red meat.  The iron in meat (heme iron) is well absorbed; the iron in plant foods is not.  Add meet to a stir-fry, spaghetti sauce or chili, and you boost absorption of the nonheme iron found in beans, pasta and vegetables.
• Cook in a cast-iron skillet.  Your food will absorb iron.
• Eat vitamin C-rich food, such as orange juice, broccoli, or strawberries, at meals.  Vitamin C boosts iron absorption and counteracts some compounds (such as phytates in brown rice) that block iron absorption.
• Select iron-fortified foods.  While their iron isn’t well absorbed, such foods do add some to the diet.
• Drink tea and coffee between meals, not with food.  Both of these beverages contain tannins, compounds that block iron absorption.
• Ask your doctor about supplements.  A moderate iron supplement should be considered if daily caloric intake falls below 2,500 calories and serum ferritin levels below 20mcg/L.

Here is a great vegetarian soup to boost your energy, and increase your iron.  From Paulette Mitchell, author of A Beautiful Bowl of Soup.  “The alliance of tomatoes, lentils, and fresh herbs is very pleasing.  The soup actually improves when made in advance, so that the flavors have a chance to marry.”

Combine this soup with crusty bread and a green salad tossed in a creamy dressing for a casual, hearty vegetarian meal.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable stock

⅔ cup dried brown lentils, rinsed

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried dill

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 teaspoon minced fresh sweet marjoram, or ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

One 28-once can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice

Salt to taste

Sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley or thyme for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the vegetable stock, lentils, carrots, celery and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, stir together tomato paste, parsley, thyme, dill, tarragon, marjoram and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Remove bay leaf from soup.  Stir in the tomatoes with juice.  Add 1 cup of the soup liquid to the tomato paste mixture and stir until smooth; add to the soup and stir gently until heated through.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. Garnish each serving with a sprig of fresh herb.

Advance preparation

This soup will keep for up to 5 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.  When reheating; stir in vegetable stock or water to thin as desired.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving

• Although this soup comes up high in carbohydrates, the source is nutrition-packed beans, so it’s worth the splurge.