Iron rich vegetarian recipes?

[OakLeaf]

If it has an acrid smell it definitely needs to be rinsed. Eden brand that we get in the US does. I can't speak to anything else.

[Tuckervill]

Okay, Andrea, does that mean we shouldn't feel symptoms of low iron? I mean, if we have enough RBCs, but high plasma volume--we shouldn't have any symptoms?

I think I've been struggling with low iron related to my cycle for years and maybe decades but I always come up okay on blood tests (except when I try to give blood and they prick my finger). No doctor has ever taken me seriously enough. Today I had a work out and then went shopping, but I was in bed asleep by 4 pm dead to the world. I can't think of what it might be other than low iron.

I just have to get this checked out a little more thoroughly.

Karen

I don't want to get too far off topic, but don't forget that aerobic training (especially in the heat) increases your plasma volume (the volume of the liquid portion of your blood). It can appear to be borderline anemia, even though you may have a sufficient amount of red blood cells.
A LOT of doctors don't know much about exercise physiology- my training partner was told that he was borderline, and when he informed the doctor that he exercised very hard in the heat all summer, the doc had no idea why that would effect his hematocrit.

Just something to think about- I'm vegetarian, also... I can't wait to try the recipes you guys have listed!

[SAMbike]

Thanks for the additional info Andrea. My RBC is 4.09 M/uL (normal 4.2-5.4) and my HCT (hematocrit) is 37.7% (norm: 38.0-47.0). So you think that this might just be low in relation to my plasma level ... I could ask the doctor about that. Thank you.

I don't want to get too far off topic, but don't forget that aerobic training (especially in the heat) increases your plasma volume (the volume of the liquid portion of your blood). It can appear to be borderline anemia, even though you may have a sufficient amount of red blood cells.
A LOT of doctors don't know much about exercise physiology- my training partner was told that he was borderline, and when he informed the doctor that he exercised very hard in the heat all summer, the doc had no idea why that would effect his hematocrit.

Just something to think about- I'm vegetarian, also... I can't wait to try the recipes you guys have listed!

[Andrea]

Karen- if everything looks OK in your bloodwork & you're that tired, it probably is a good idea to get checked out.
If your tests look just a little below normal (like Sam), but you otherwise feel fine, then it's probably just being adapted to aerobic exercise.

You could take advantage of it and request a shot of EPO

[Jolt]

Are you rinsing it very, very thoroughly before cooking??? Probably not the grain to eat during a water shortage, because you really have to run a lot of water through it to get the saponins off, not like rinsing rice.

You can also soak it for a couple hours to get the saponins off, then change water and soak it a little more--that would use less water than just rinsing under running water (but takes more planning).

[Andrea]

I LOVE Quinoa! I make it as a pilaf using veg. stock instead of water.

Also, a Quinoa Veg. Soup Recipe:

3/4 cup dry Quinoa
6 Cups veg stock or water
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup onion
1/2 cup carrot chopped
1/4 cup celery chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms chopped
1/2 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tbs curry powder (optional)

Saute the quinoa, carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, and garlic in oil until golden brown. Add veg. broth, tomatoes, and cabbage and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste. You can add beans too.

I tried it, and it's great! As always, I modified/personalized the recipe to my own liking- I didn't use cabbage (just because I'm not too fond of it), put some bay leaves in while it simmered, used 4 cloves of garlic, and also threw in about 2 tbls of Worcestershire sauce (that technically makes it non-vegetarian, but adds a lot of flavor).