Iron is an absolutely essential mineral when it comes to our body's functioning. Iron helps to regulate cell growth, and it aids in muscle and immune health. Our red blood cells rely on it to carry oxygen through the body. The thing is, our bodies do not produce it.
So where do we get iron? Our food.
Animal based sources like beef, pork, chicken, fish, and eggs contain an easily absorbed type of iron called heme iron. Plant based sources, like beans, lentils, peas, leafy green vegetables, and some seeds have non-heme iron which is more difficult to absorb. However, there is a trick: non-heme iron is more easily absorbed with foods that contain vitamin C, like tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, and citrus fruit or juice.
The recommended daily amount of iron is 18 milligrams. Women are unable to store iron, so they require larger doses than men. Iron deficiency is the most common mineral deficiency throughout the globe! Do not be lax with this mineral! Make sure you are getting enough by checking out the following recipes!
1. Slow Cooker Chickpea and Lentil Chili
Ingredients:
1 cup dried chickpeas
2 quarts boiling water
2 cups chopped sweet potatoes (1/2 in. cubes)
1 cup uncooked lentils
1 cup chopped red onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
11/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained and crushed
Fresh cilantro for topping
Directions:
1. Place chickpeas in a saucepan, and add 2 quarts of boiling water. Cover and let stand for 1 hour; drain.
2. Place cooked chickpeas in slow cooker.
3. Add rest of the ingredients up to raisins. Mix well. Add liquids. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
2. Mini Grass Fed Beef & Quinoa Meatloaves
Ingredients:
3 lbs of lean ground grass fed beef (90% or higher)
11/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sweet basil
Dash of paprika for topping
Directions:
1. Grease 24 muffin tins with olive oil spray and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, using your hands. Don’t be afraid to get messy! You want everything to be well mixed.
3. Fill muffin tins with meat mixture and brush the tops with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.
3. Tuna Spinach Bowl
Ingredients:
8 ounces (225g) baby spinach
1 jar Italian tuna (190g)
1 cup (150g) cherry tomatoes, halved 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
1/4 cup (36g) toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Wash the spinach and while still damp place in pan over medium heat until just wilted.
2. Turn off the heat and toss remaining ingredients into sauté pan. Mix together and serve.
4. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:
For salty
1 cup pumpkin seeds (in shell)
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt
For sweet
1 cup pumpkin seeds (in shell)
2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or a non-stick baking mat.
2. For salty: add pumpkin seeds, oil, and spices in a bowl and mix to combine. For sweet: Add pumpkin seeds, syrup and spice in a bowl and mix to combine.
3. Spread seeds out on pan in a thin layer. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-20 minutes, stir and flip halfway through. Keep an eye on them the second half to prevent burning!
5. Swedish Pea Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound (454g) dried yellow peas
6 cups water
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon reduced sodium vegetable broth base
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (e.g., Swedish, whole grain, or Dijon)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon low-sodium herbal seasoning blend
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon thyme
Directions:
1. Cover the dried yellow peas with water and soak overnight.
2. Drain the peas and place them in a large heavy pot.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender. Add water as needed to replace moisture lost due to evaporation. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
6. Smoky Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can no added sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 red onion, minced
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
Pinch of salt
4 flour tortillas
1 avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 cup each grated or crumbled cheese for sprinkling (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, for garnish
Lime wedges for serving
Directions:
1. Chop half of the red bell pepper into 1/2" pieces and set aside. Mince (fine dice 1/4") the other half of the bell pepper and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, larger, chopped bell pepper, and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened and slightly translucent. Add the black beans, cumin, chipotle powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until most of the liquid is evaporated. Cover and set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine the mango, the minced bell pepper, red onion, serrano pepper, lime zest and juice and pinch of salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
4. Heat tortillas. If you have a gas stove, turn the flame on medium and place the tortilla directly on the grate. Heat the tortilla until it starts to puff and char slightly. Use tongs to flip the tortilla. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
5. To assemble the tacos: Spoon the black beans into the tortilla shell. Tuck in a few slices of optional avocado. Sprinkle with cheeses (if using), top with mango salsa, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy.
7. Vegetarian Bolognese Over Polenta Cakes
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
26-28 ounces crushed tomatoes (preferably no-salt added)
½ cup water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup prepared lentils
For the Polenta Cakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
1 package pre-cooked polenta, cut into 10 slices
Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)
Directions:
For the Sauce
1. Heat oil in a medium-large pot over medium high.
2. Add onions and sauté 1-2 minutes until translucent and starting to soften. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Add mushrooms and sauté about 5 minutes until water from the mushrooms has released and begins to evaporate.
3. Add herbs and tomato paste; stir to combine. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with vinegar.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Lower heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Stir in baby spinach and lentils and simmer 10 minutes more.
For the Polenta Cakes
6. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add oil and polenta cakes, cooking cakes 4-5 minutes on each side.
7. Serve polenta cakes with Vegetarian Bolognese on top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve with side salad to round out the meal.
8. Ground Beef With Kale Stir-Fry
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound lean Ground Beef, 93% lean or leaner
3 cups kale, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, sliced
1 cup carrots, shredded
Directions:
1. Cook rice as directed on package.
2. In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and sugar. Stir to combine.
3. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add Ground Beef; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into small crumbles and stirring occasionally. Pour off drippings.
4. Add stir-fry sauce to ground beef; cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve vegetable mixture over rice.
9. Greens And Goat Cheese Pie With Potato Crust
Ingredients:
8 ounces curly kale
8 ounces Swiss chard
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 yellow or gold potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
8 eggs
4 egg whites
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled or cut into pieces
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Remove the ribs and any tough stems from the kale and Swiss chard. Roughly chop the remaining leafy greens and place in a large bowl. Add parsley and toss until evenly distributed.
3. Keeping the skin on, slice the potatoes into ⅛"-thick rounds. I used a knife, but a mandolin works best if you have one.
4. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Coat the entire bottom and sides of skillet with melted butter. Turn off the heat and arrange the potato slices along the bottom and sides of skillet, overlapping ½ inch, to form the crust. Spread the greens evenly in the potato crust and pack down tightly.
5. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, cream, and salt until uniform in colour. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the greens until it is about ½ inch from the top of the skillet. Top the pie with goat cheese.
6. Bake 30-40 minutes or until the center is set. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
10. Roasted Beet And Pepita Winter Salad
Ingredients:
1/2 of a small head of green cabbage, sliced very thin
1/2 of a small head of green cabbage, sliced very thin
1/2 cup quick pickled sweet onion*
6 beets, cubed and roasted
2 cups large crumbles of ricotta salata cheese, or other nut or dairy cheese of choice
1/2 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Your favourite vinaigrette
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, toss the spinach and green cabbage until evenly mixed. Transfer to a large salad bowl or platter.
2. Sprinkle the pickled onions evenly over the greens.
3. Layer the roasted beets over the top, and finish with pepitas.
4. Toss before serving and dress with your favorite vinaigrette.
*To quick-pickle your onions, slice them very thinly and place in a small bowl. Add enough white or apple cider vinegar to just cover the slices, and let soak for 15 minutes to 8 hours. The vinegar takes the bite out of onion and the longer you soak the onions, the milder they become. Drain thoroughly before using.
No more excuses for missing out on your iron!
With so many great meal ideas, where will you start?
Source: Women's Health
Featured Image: @laurendrainfit, @paigehathaway
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