Every time I look at how the food I eat is prepared and raised, I feel unwell and can't eat it anymore-even things like milk. I can't afford to eat certified organic foods only. I'd go vegetarian, yet, I got told the iron deficiency I had as a child could be a complication by my doctor.
Does anyone have any advice?What options are there for someone who is turned off by meat production, but can't go vegetarian?
You will get plenty of iron on a vegetarian diet as long as you eat the right foods.
Nutrients Present in 100-Calorie Portions (Iron)
* Broccoli: 3.5 mg
* Sirloin Steak: .7 mg
* Romaine Lettuce: 7.7 mg
* Kale: 5.8 mg
Please realize the above figures are based on calorie consumption and not weight.
Vegetables are much more nutrient dense than any animal based food. Sea vegetables are even higher in iron.
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/hea鈥?/a>
Consider this well-documented article:
Iron in the Vegan Diet
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm#ve鈥?/a>
The iron deficiency you had as a child could be a complication only if you didn't eat the most nutrient-dense vegetables. Being a vegetarian is only healthy IF you avoid junk food and there is plenty of junk food that is vegetarian. Better to be a nutritarian than just a vegetarian.
What is a nutritarian?
http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/are-you鈥?/a>
You can still be a vegetarian, you just need to make sure you get enough iron. There are plenty of vegetarian sources of iron, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, chard, collard greens, peanuts, and beans. Your doctor said it could be a complication, so you should be extra careful about your iron intake, but "could" does not mean "definitely will." If you go vegetarian, then you should carefully plan your diet with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Otherwise, if you don't want to support the meat industry, but want to eat meat, then hunt for your own.What options are there for someone who is turned off by meat production, but can't go vegetarian?
No offense to your doctor, but the average MD receives about 4 hours of nutrition education through the entire course of their studies. If you're really interested in going veg I'd talk to a registered dietician.
Iron is not limited to meat, and as long as you know the right foods to eat you can get plenty from a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians are no more likely to be anemic then omnivores. Green vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and molassess are all iron rich, and vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron.
Since it is your doc who said there might be complications, it's him/her you should ask for options. Ask him/her exactly what complications he/she is worried about and why. If possible. ask him/her to set you up with a dietitian who can help you plan meals that meet your medical and preferential needs.
As other posters mentioned, there are many foods that will supply your daily iron requirements such as fortified juices, cereals etc.
FYI- while an organic farmer who took the time and effort to rear his animals without chemicals can be assumed to be more humane in the slaughtering and processing of animals , it is not guaranteed. Many small farmers do not have slaughtering facilities and sell their animals to factory farms for processing. The organic tag will remain as long as the animal is not fed or given chemicals before and after slaughter.What options are there for someone who is turned off by meat production, but can't go vegetarian?
You can eat A LOT of leafy greens, spinach, kale, watercress, etc. They have a lot of iron in them. I would be careful with iron supplements, it is very dangerous if you overdose. I would also consider taking a B12 vitamin supplement once a week. (500mg a week). Many cereals have a bunch of iron in them, and they do not have milk in them. You can always use soy, rice, almond, or coconut milk instead of cow milk. Best of luck to you. =-D
And the thing about organic.. if you can't afford it, buy some organic and some regular. Go to a local farmers market, their prices are generally cheaper. Also try making your own garden.
If it's just iron deficiency, significantly ramp up your plant iron intake and be sure that you get vitamin C with your iron. While non-heme (non-blood) iron isn't as easy to absorb as heme (blood) iron, the difference isn't that significant. Iron's hard for us to absorb no matter what. Of what we eat, we generally only get 15%-35% (heme) and 2%-20% (non-heme).
If you want to go vegetarian, chances are that you can. Most of the iron you eat anyway probably comes from plant sources. Ask your doctor for a reference to a nutritionist who can help you out. If iron is an issue for you, you probably should be seeing one anyway.
You can get iron as a vegetarian. Just make a list of some iron-rich vegetarian foods and eat those every day. Or if you still don't get enough iron, take supplements. I don't quite see what a temporary iron deficiency from a long time ago has to do with anything. Vegetarians are not limited to organic food. I don't buy organic. Doctors aren't the best source of information regarding diet. See a nutritionist or dietician if you want professional advice on your diet.
Check out www.vrg.org. It lists sources of vegetarian iron-rich foods--basically beans and greens. And if you eat foods rich in vitamin C with your beans and greens, that increases absorption.
As others have pointed out, doctors receive almost zero nutritional education. Try to find a veg-friendly nutritionist who can help you out.
you don't have to go organic to go vegetarian.
wikipedia,the free online encyclopedia has information on:
vegetarianism at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetariani鈥?/a>
veganism at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism
raw veganism at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_veganis鈥?/a>
textured vegetable protein at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_ve鈥?/a>
alternatives to animal milks at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_milk
fruits,vegetables and whole grain foods do exist in supermarkets in and around the area where you live and yahoo yellow pages has information on them at http://yp.yahoo.com
happy cow has recipes,information on vegetarian restaurants,vegan restaurants and health food stores worldwide plus additional information at http://www.happycow.net
vegetarian times is one of the best published vegetarian magazines with recipes plus additional information at http://www.vegetariantimes.com
veg web has recipes,as in,vegan plus additional information at http://www.vegweb.com
vegan world oeder has recipes,information on vegetarian restaurants worldwide plus additional information at http://www.veganworldorder.com
hmm, you are in quite a pickle.
have you much land ?, i know you said you cant afford to buy organic, consider growing it,
its hard work, but you get to decide what goes into your meat, how your hens ( for eggs ) are kept and so on.
you can get iron from using an iron pan its true i learned it in nutrition class.
if you are turned off by meat production but still manage to eat it then your not turned OFF.
on/off. get it? ur not on off mode if your eating it.
Dear one, just visit goveg.com, youtube search .. meet yout meat.. its a myth that you have iron deficiency. infact green vegetables, apple, cereals, are rich source of iron. be a vegetarian... i am glad that you are taking the step, dont look back.
Spinach is high in iron that is why popeye was in shape he ate his spinach whereas the bloated wimpy ate hamburgers that he would gladly pay you tuesday for. Just eat lots of green vegetables and iron will take care of itself.
'Vegetarians do not have a higher incidence of iron deficiency than do meat eaters.'
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm
You don't need meat for iron.
Wheats, oats, beans, soy and spinach so I really find no excuse of you not going vegetarian or fully vegan. It's just a matter of self-discipline on your part whether to maintain the certain diet you want to keep.
Your food is prepared in fancy cellophane wrappers. What's wrong with that? Buy from a local farmer if that would ease your mind. Cheaper, not off of a factory farm and better than store bought.
Take a supplement or go hunting.
Go vegan and eat foods high in iron?
I don't really understand the problem...
read about red lentils they have high iron.
Most doctors have only had a few hours of medical training in nutrition so they don't know much more than the general public when it comes to that. If you read The China Study you will know that choosing a plant based, vegan diet is the right thing for you, the animals and the planet.
I have myself, my husband and 4 kids to feed and only 4 of us are vegan so I have to accommodate 2 meat eating men. I make only vegan food so they have to eat what I make but I want them to like it so I try hard. I have a website with my recipes on it that the whole family loves and 89% of them are healthy and full of nutrients including iron.
If you have issues with that you can take a supplement or make sure to add the following foods to your diet to ensure you get what you need. soybeans, Pumpkin seeds, Quinoa (one of my favorites and I have lots of recipes with that in it), most beans but white beans are great, spinach (include in smoothie-see recipe below), lentils and more. I will include some recipes below that have most of this in it. Try them out and look at my 30 day daily food dairy to see if it looks like something you could do and if so dive in.
Lentil Tacos http://www.theveggiegal.com/blog/?p=3082
Pink Bean, Quinoa, %26amp; Spinach Soup http://www.theveggiegal.com/blog/?p=3116
Black Bean Soup http://www.theveggiegal.com/blog/?p=2861
Chili Mac http://www.theveggiegal.com/blog/?p=1218
Mexican Quiona Salad http://www.theveggiegal.com/blog/?p=1039
Oatmeal Waffles http://www.theveggiegal.com/blog/?p=1007
Fruity Smoothie http://www.theveggiegal.com/blog/?p=315
Good luck
Kim
The Veggie Gal
You can take iron supplements.
The only thing stopping you from going vegetarian is you, stop trying to shift the blame.
Plus, there are lots of options
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm
start eating 2 bowls of total a day
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