Help me fool my body into making more iron using food I dislike:

M

marilynfl

Moderator
Every two months I "try" to donate blood here at work and--for the most part--succeed. I habitually have low iron and have taken to bumping up my iron intake the week before the donation event. Last month I took 85 mg iron pills for 5 days prior, ate spinach and kale salads, ate a boatload of granola (oats), and had a steak the night before.

And yet I STILL failed the iron level test (11.5 with a required minimum of 12.5) and couldn't donate. That was a Wednesday. I took MORE iron pills, DRANK iron liquid fruit drink and had more steak sautéed with spinach. On Friday, I went to another donation site and squeaked by with a 12.6 iron reading. That donation will let me stay in sync with the bus that comes to work every two months.

But...for the love of Iron Man, I have GOT to find an easier way of doing this. The list below shows the highest iron sources (heme being better than non-heme (plant based)

The following foods are good sources of heme iron (from animal sources):

•Chicken liver

•Oysters

•Clams

•Beef liver

•Beef (chuck roast, lean ground beef)

•Turkey leg

•Tuna

•Eggs

•Shrimp

•Leg of lamb

The thing is...I DO NOT LIKE the first four line items--not unless they are disguised in appearance and taste. I'm talking to you, Oysters Bienville and you too, Clams Casino. Beef Liver...I can't even...

However, chicken livers are small and have to potential to pack a lot of iron while being disguised fairly easily.

Give it your best shot:

 
Here's my first idea: Deviled chicken livers on toast from the Guardian

Devilled chicken livers on toast with watercress

Serves 2-4

2 heaped TBL plain flour
1 tsp English mustard powder
A pinch of cayenne pepper
360g chicken livers
1 TBL flavourless oil
½ TBL sherry vinegar
Few splashes Worcestershire sauce
150ml chicken or vegetable stock
30g butter
4 pieces of good bread, eg sourdough
1 bunch watercress, trimmed, washed and dried
Splash of olive oil
½ TBL capers
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

1 Mix the flour, mustard powder, cayenne and salt and pepper. Put into a flat dish and toss the chicken livers in the mixture. Dust off any excess and put them on a plate in one layer.

2 Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan on a high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken livers. When they are all sizzling nicely, turn the heat down a little – you want enough heat to create a crisp coat but not so much that they char. Turn after 2 minutes and cook the other side for 2 minutes.

3. Lift the livers out on to a warm plate and quickly add to the pan the sherry vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Let these bubble for a moment, then add the chicken stock and stir to deglaze the pan and capture all the flavours. Once the stock has reduced a little, add the butter and swirl it into the stock.

4 Toast the bread. Dress the cress with the olive oil, seasoning and capers.

5 Return the livers to the pan and let them bubble for a minute. Throw in the parsley and pile the watercress on to the warm toast and spoon the livers and their liquor on top.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/mar/02/good-for-you-chicken-livers

 
Certain nuts and seeds are packed with iron, and Vitamin C in fruits and

vegetables help with iron assimilation. Years ago when I too was iron deficient my doc encouraged consumption of more Vitamin C and iron rich plant-based foods, in addition to a daily iron supplement.

A few months ago I shared with another iron deficient friend an article online which sounded helpful. Will see if I can put my finger on it for you.

 
Also, green smoothies are great way to get more iron in your diet. For a

couple of years DH and I started our day off with a green smoothie. They are delicious and nutritious and I find I can't even taste the kale or spinach blended in with the yummy fruits. Got out of the habit briefly while waiting for a VitaMix repair but will be getting back on the bandwagon as soon as I pick up more protein powder.

Here is just one of many articles that popped up with a "smoothies to increase iron absorption" Google search.

http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/green-smoothies/how-to-get-more-iron-in-your-green-smoothies/

 
Can you handle pate? Trader Joes sells

a petite one that's verrrry good, I think it's called truffle mousse pate or something like that, if you didn't want to make it yourself. Other groceries carry it too (can't remember if you have a Trader Joes in your area). Headed to TJs today and will snap a photo of it. It's delicious. Well, that is, if you like pate. smileys/wink.gif

(Edited to add.....Let Google be my friend and found it online, at the link)

https://eatingatjoes.com/2013/06/04/trader-joes-truffle-mousse-pate/

 
I'd just try to add more of these to my everyday diet

Here is a list of some healthy iron-rich foods to include as part of a Nutritarian eating pattern:

Leafy green vegetables.
Legumes (particularly soybeans, lentils, and chickpeas)
Quinoa.
Sesame seeds and tahini (sesame seed butter)
Nuts (particularly cashews and almonds)
Dried fruit (particularly prunes and apricots)

Be careful with how much iron you take you can overdose on it and it can actually be fatal. In fact it's a leading cause in children.

 
I made ssag paneer & chana masala for dinner the other night & thought-great dose of iron

Beans, spinach & tomatoes to make the iron more available.

 
I do like a truffled pate, but only when smeared on toasted baguette slices, graced

with a dab of mustard, accompanied with cornichons, grapes, almonds, cheese and Mimosas.

In other words, I'd have to eat a LOT of pate to accrue much iron out of the "pate" portion of the deal.

 
The nausea part is stopping me from over-doing it. That's why I'm hoping to find a HIGH iron

meal that is palatable.

I think I also have to see if the "other' things I eat/drink are canceling it out. My doctors have been checking me for years for blood leaks and I'm fine there...no problem.

It kills me when the guy in front of me at the donation bus gets a 14.8 iron reading and I'm willing to bet my IRA he didn't spend the previous week taking pills and shoveling spinach down his gullet.

 
I bought an excellent chicken pate from the deli section of Raley's several times until I noticed

the amount of fat in it. I think it included wine.

This tread brought back thoughts of a product I used to buy for my husband, which he loved in sandwiches. I wonder if it is still made. Braunschweiger! Will have to look for it again. I liked it with mustard. Funny, how things you like drift in and out of your life for years. until suddenly you think about them again when mentioned in a post.

 
Maya Angelou's Chicken Livers. I haven't tried this yet but you've reminded me I intend to.

from "Hallelujah, the Welcome Table."

Maya writes of her friend Dolly McPhereson:

"Her dining table could have groaned under the weight of her offerings. Parsleyed egg noodles shone under a lathering of butter, and in another dish string beans looked crisp and pert. There was a warm loaf of bread on a cutting board and a lovely platter of sautéed chicken livers and onions. A gravy boat filled with dark brown sauce sat nearby.

It looked good enough to eat. I hoped it was. The livers earned my lifelong respect. They were well done but still soft, and the gravy was delicious without the well-known bitter taste so often found in liver gravy. The beans were tender but still had some crunchy character, and the crust of the bread was crisp while the soft inside was warm enough to make the room-temperature butter submit"

How's that for inspiration?


CHICKEN LIVERS

1 lb. chicken livers
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. diced celery
2 Tbs. minced green onion (white and green parts)
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup good-quality dry sherry

One 1-lb. package egg noodles, boiled and tossed with 2 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. finely chopped parsley


Wash and separate the chicken livers, and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper, and dredge in 1/3 cup flour. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a large skillet, and sauté livers for two minutes on each side. Remove livers from skillet.

Add remaining oil to skillet., and sauté celery and all onions until translucent. Add remaining flour to skillet. When brown, add chicken broth. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Put livers back in skillet, and add sherry. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Serve at once, with buttered egg noodles

 
I tried the spinach smoothie trick a few months ago. Ate FOUR containers

of organic spinach worth of smoothies. Those AND taking iron pills barely got me over the limit. That's why I was wondering if the heme (animal iron) might work better for me. I don't tend to digest meat very well so I don't tend to eat much of it.

Plus, you know, there's that whole "liver" thing going on.

 
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