Iron

[Perce]

Hi all

I first tried vegetarianism way back when I was fourteen but sadly didn't stick to it!
I'm vegetarian but wanting to become vegan,
I'm really enjoying plant based foods and I've found it incredibly tasty and less bland making your own meals from start!
However, I'm in remission and a tad worried I'm not getting enough iron! I eat plenty of collard greens, pulses and take an iron supplement and to be honest feel ok however, I'm not too experienced in what's what so any advice most appreciated!
Big Thanks

 

[amberfunk]

Do you eat fruit or drink orange juice? Your body needs vitamin c to help absorb the iron. I've done a lot of trial and error in the last few months being vegan and doing research has helped. The body absorbs iron better from animal products and not so well from plants so it needs the vitamin c to help absorb more. I drink coffee in the morning and that inhibits iron absorption but the vitamin c overpowers the coffee so that my body can absorb the iron. So I added fruit and or orange juice to my breakfast and more fruit around or with other meals to help with the iron. It's working. I don't feel exhausted constantly now.

 

[JoannaM]

Hi

I had a low iron count at my last blood test. I've been vegan for 9 months but vegetarian for 6 years. I regularly gave blood while veggie and I definitely make more effort to eat iron now than I did then. So I find it a bit odd.

Anyway, I've started eating fortified cereal and that gives me a good hit of iron and I record everything I eat on myfitnesspal just so I can see exactly what I'm eating. I'm hovering around 65% of my daily recommended iron intake so to get it up to 100% I've started taking iron rich water sachets in a glass of fresh orange. 35% of the daily. Apparently they are kinder to your stomach. Bring on the next blood test!

Hope you manage the transition. It's not hard once you know what you're doing. You do have to be organised though. Instagram helps, its food to see all the different food everyone eats.

Good luck!

 

[Perce]

Thank you for your replies,
I will try Orange Juice as I don't have fruit everyday!
Joanna I think I should keep a diary of what I'm eating actually to see if I'm getting enough iron in the first place

Thanks again

 

[Christine]

Dark greens such as watercress and spinach in salads are a good source of iron, as well as other nutrients like calcium and Vitamin C.
My body seems prone to iron-deficiency and I've had bouts of anaemia in the past, so I've also had to keep an eye on maintaining adequate iron intake, even when I was still vegetarian. Have to say, even though the body does usually prefer absorbing vitamins through foods as opposed to supplements, I take the latter with added iron anyway to help shore myself up. Good luck!

 

[callador]

Hi Perce,

It's hard to say if you will need an extra iron supplement or not, or even if you will have an iron deficiency. I would suggest getting everything checked out when you do blood work for your doctor visit. In my case, I think my iron was too high before I went vegan. I have pretty high hemoglobin levels. I know high iron can attribute to this. On my new diet, my hemoglobin went from high to about the top of the normal range.

 

[thelivingleancoach]

One way to find out if you would be getting enough iron in would be to jot down what you would be consuming in a day/week. Write yourself a meal plan and test that meal plan out.

I would recommend using an app called CRON-O-Meter. They offer a free web based version. You can input your meals for the day and see if you are skipping on any vitamins/minerals. That way you can make simple swaps and make going vegan a healthier option.

 

[Mars Haven]

Hi all

I first tried vegetarianism way back when I was fourteen but sadly didn't stick to it!
I'm vegetarian but wanting to become vegan,
I'm really enjoying plant based foods and I've found it incredibly tasty and less bland making your own meals from start!
However, I'm in remission and a tad worried I'm not getting enough iron! I eat plenty of collard greens, pulses and take an iron supplement and to be honest feel ok however, I'm not too experienced in what's what so any advice most appreciated!
Big Thanks

Another great dietary source of Iron are seaweeds. They are flavorful and add great texture to meals, you can also add them to a smoothie to make it easier to eat. Also they are a complete protein.