i've just recently become a veggie and i'm doing fine and loving it! my mum's being really supportive and making all my meals for me and making sure i get all the right stuff. the only problem is it's really hard to get iron and sum1 told me it could make my hair fall out if i don't get enough!! i really don't want 2 go on supplements so if anyone's got any other ways of getting more iron...please tell me!!!
Raisins? I don't know.... it's never a bad idea to take vitamins and stuff, especially when you go veggie. Good luck....
You could try wholegrain cereals/flours, leafy green vegetables (eg. collards, kale, broccoli and other dark greens), blackstrap molasses, legumes (eg. lentils, red beans), apricots and figs as well as seeds and nuts.
Zephyr's list is extensive and accurate. Also, cooking in a cast iron skillet, especially if you are cooking something acidic like marinara sauce, adds iron to your diet. Eating iron rich foods with an acidic drink like orange juice also increases absorption.
maintain a balanced diet and be aware of your bodies own needs. there is a ton of information about consuming a balanced diet and what foods are good sources of different things.
Do you like spicy foods? If so, try this yummy vegan recipe! 1 1/2 lb (700g) potatoes 1lb (450g) fresh spinach (weighed without stalks) or frozen thawed 1 medium onion 1 tsp grated fresh ginger root 2 garlic cloves 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste, and depending on its heat!) 2 medium tomatoes 1. Scrub potatoes and boil them in their skins until almost, but not quite, done. Leave to cool, then cut into small cubes. 2. Meanwhile, if using fresh spinach or kale, remove the coarse stalks then rinse and cook gently for 10 minutes, in just the water clinging to the leaves in a covered pan. Cool and chop (reserve any remaining liquid). For frozen spinach, just defrost and chop. 3. Chop the onion finely, crush or finely chop the garlic and finely chop the tomatoes (keep them all separate). Measure the spices out into a little bowl. 4. Now brown the onion in a little vegetable stock or water until golden brown - about 10 minutes perhaps, topping up with hot water as necessary. Let it stick slightly from time to time to get that fried smell. 5. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and stir for a moment. Add the spices, and a little more water if necessary. Cook for a few minutes, then add the tomato. Cook gently 3-5 minutes. 6. Add the potatoes and spinach, mix well then cover and simmer gently until ready, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking. It's done whenever the potatoes are cooked to your liking and the spices have permeated the vegetables. It was this recipe that got me statrted making curry. As it has alot of spinach in it, it is a good source for iron. If you don't like spicy, you can make it very mild by using a very mild chili powder, or none at all. I made it that way once, and my girls enjoyed it (and my oldest can't handle spicinness). If you like very spicy (like I do), use ground cayenne pepper in place of the chili powder. Another option would be to add 1/2 tsp. garam masala during the last five minutes of cooking. That adds authentic Indian style heat.
spinach!! I can't get enough of the stuff- it's sooo nice if u boil it then drain it as much as possible so it's almost in solid blocks, then mush butter into it....
