What are good vegetarian sources of iron?

CathyMoran

Hi,

was vegetarian for a while but am not at the moment (would be pescetarian sp?)...still, I hope to go back to it when I have my baby. What are good sources of iron...in years past that was why I always went back to meat as I got so anemic. At the moment soy is out as I am not happy with the idea of taking it during pregnany. Would be greatful for any advice.

seamus

http://www.groovyvegetarian.com/2009/05/16/more-vegetarian-iron-sources/

In general, green leafy vegetables have a good iron content, but as a pregnant woman you'll need to consume twice the RDA of iron of a non-pregnant woman. This could lead to lots of salads and piles of spinach

CathyMoran

seamus wrote: »

http://www.groovyvegetarian.com/2009/05/16/more-vegetarian-iron-sources/

In general, green leafy vegetables have a good iron content, but as a pregnant woman you'll need to consume twice the RDA of iron of a non-pregnant woman. This could lead to lots of salads and piles of spinach

Thanks for the link...I'm also very anemic so I probably should be eating iron all the time...jnr starts producing his own blood cells now so it should be fun...

I have always found that in the past I could never get enough iron so all help is greatfully appreciated.

Edit: Just looked at that, thanks again, that is exactly what I have been looking for...am a very fussy eater but there are lots of foods there that I am craving (hmm, I wonder why)...and I love pac choi...thanks again.

seamus

Just be careful going on that link, the link says this itself, but it's easy to miss: The values given there are based on calorific contents. So while cooked spinach is listed as having 31mg of Iron (your full RDA, more-or-less), that's in a 200kcal portion of spinach.

100g of spinach has about 23kcal, so in order to eat 200kcal worth of spinach and get your RDA, you'd need to eat just under a kilo a day. And no matter how much you like spinach....bleugh.

StevoTG

I have to confess that if I'm ever worried that I'm not getting enough iron, I just crack open a couple of cans of kidney beans and grab a fork. They've got plenty of iron (I think the tins say 15% of your RDI per 100g) and I love them.. as does the dog, Holly, which explains why I open two tins

cormie

I posted this before but here it is again

Spirulina:
Nature's richest and most complete source of total organic nutrition. This green superfood containing over 100 synergistic nutrients comes from a microscopic freshwater plant, ecologically grown without chemicals and concentrated by removing nothing but the water. Spirulina is widely used throughout the world as a food supplement for maintaining health, energy and optimum weight.

-Nature's richest source of protein (65% of it's weight), 300% more than fish, meat or poultry (but with zero cholesterol).
-58x richer in iron than spinach. A non-toxic organic source. Taking the maintenance level of Spirulina provides 39% RDA
-Richest wholefood source of anti-oxidants (25x richer in beta carotene than carrot)
-2x richer in chlorophyll than alfalfa, barleygrass or wheatgrass
-Natures richest source of vitamin B12 (often lacking in a vegetarian diet)
-Spirulina assists weight control by curbing the appetite naturally while still supplying a full range of nutrients needed for a balanced diet.
-As an unrefined whole food, Spirulina is absorbed up to 16x more effectively than synthetic multivitamin supplements.


I also heard that the original person who studied spinach put a decimal point in the wrong place and it's actually 10x less than what was originally thought?

Spinach is great anyway, eat it raw in salads or just simply cook it with garlic and it's yum and full of goodness! Crush garlic to release the best nutrients and bacteria fighting thingies.

ContyHooks

I like to mix it up, do you like chickpeas? I eat a lot of humous and chickpea burgers and chickpea currys etc. They have a high iron content. Cabbage, spinach, broccoli etc are good too. Apricots, lentils and beans too and I've noticed most of the breakfast cereals I eat are fortified with iron. I take a multivitamin every day too that has about 90% of your iron RDA.

kraggy

Broccoli is very high in iron.

ContyHooks

cormie wrote: »

I posted this before but here it is again

Spirulina:
Nature's richest and most complete source of total organic nutrition. This green superfood containing over 100 synergistic nutrients comes from a microscopic freshwater plant, ecologically grown without chemicals and concentrated by removing nothing but the water. Spirulina is widely used throughout the world as a food supplement for maintaining health, energy and optimum weight.

-Nature's richest source of protein (65% of it's weight), 300% more than fish, meat or poultry (but with zero cholesterol).
-58x richer in iron than spinach. A non-toxic organic source. Taking the maintenance level of Spirulina provides 39% RDA
-Richest wholefood source of anti-oxidants (25x richer in beta carotene than carrot)
-2x richer in chlorophyll than alfalfa, barleygrass or wheatgrass
-Natures richest source of vitamin B12 (often lacking in a vegetarian diet)
-Spirulina assists weight control by curbing the appetite naturally while still supplying a full range of nutrients needed for a balanced diet.
-As an unrefined whole food, Spirulina is absorbed up to 16x more effectively than synthetic multivitamin supplements.


I also heard that the original person who studied spinach put a decimal point in the wrong place and it's actually 10x less than what was originally thought?

Spinach is great anyway, eat it raw in salads or just simply cook it with garlic and it's yum and full of goodness! Crush garlic to release the best nutrients and bacteria fighting thingies.

Ah spirulina, natures "superfood". I used to take that for a while but the RDA was 9 capsules (500mg I think) so 4.5g of it a day it just became annoying having to take so much lol!

Just something else to remember, theres no point consuming iron if you aren't getting enough vitamin C. Its necessary to absorb iron.

sweet-rasmus

StevoTG wrote: »

I have to confess that if I'm ever worried that I'm not getting enough iron, I just crack open a couple of cans of kidney beans and grab a fork. They've got plenty of iron (I think the tins say 15% of your RDI per 100g) and I love them.. as does the dog, Holly, which explains why I open two tins

Awwww! Adorable I wonder if my cat would give them a shot on my next iron fix...

CathyMoran

ContyHooks wrote: »

I like to mix it up, do you like chickpeas? I eat a lot of humous and chickpea burgers and chickpea currys etc. They have a high iron content. Cabbage, spinach, broccoli etc are good too. Apricots, lentils and beans too and I've noticed most of the breakfast cereals I eat are fortified with iron. I take a multivitamin every day too that has about 90% of your iron RDA.

I hate chickpeas, lentils, brocolli, sorry Beans are not great for me and spirllulla is out as I am pregnant (as are multivits)...

Does anyone know a calorie dense high iron source? Sorry for being so akward.

StevoTG

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

Awwww! Adorable I wonder if my cat would give them a shot on my next iron fix...

Try spitting them up in the air, that's how Holly eats them She catches them in her mouth (well, not always). I know of one other person who does this with their dog. I can't picture a cat doing it, but I'd love to be wrong!

CathyMoran wrote: »

I hate chickpeas, lentils, brocolli, sorry Beans are not great for me and spirllulla is out as I am pregnant (as are multivits)...

Does anyone know a calorie dense high iron source? Sorry for being so akward.

Dry-roasted Macadamia Nuts. They're high in iron and B vitamins. They're calorically dense and full of healthy fats

planetX

Hi, when I was pregnant and living abroad I asked my doctor about getting enough iron. She told me to cook my food in an iron pot. I kid you not...

Thoushaltnot

Not only cook your food in a cast iron pot but make enough of a tomato based dish for 2 days and leave the other half in the pot overnight. The acids in the toms leech small amounts of iron into your food. However, rhubarb and spinach are not good for overnighting in a cast iron pot - I think their acids bind to the iron but in a way that stops it being bioavailable .

Whatever your source of iron, take a source of Vit C with it - easiest being a glass of fresh orange juice with your meal, for example.

Lastly, try not to have a dairy protein meal with an iron rich protein meal, eg. beans, dark green leafys and orange juice for one main meal and cheesey omlette at another rather than a spinach omlette and cheesy beans. AFAIR, calcium/mag tends to get absorbed at the expense of iron.

I know a girl who mainly based her veggie meals on cheese and eggs and became severly anaemic.

Also, avoid tea and coffee with the iron rich meals. Nearly forgot!

gigawatt

thyme apparently! why dont you just take an iron supplement, galfer or the like

CathyMoran

gigawatt wrote: »

thyme apparently! why dont you just take an iron supplement, galfer or the like

I cant take iron supplements as I can not swallow tablets, iron supplements make me sick and I have a history of stomach ulcers My Iron is about 8.9 at the moment and I am wrecked!

Thoushaltnot

The darkest chocolate you can take.

Cocoa/choc is very rich in iron indeed.

With your favourite fruit. (Guavas are particularly rich in the C)

And a dark rich chocolate is more recommended for fondue. Strawberries, dipped in chocolate..fed to you by babydaddy... (see where I'm going with this :-) )



The mexicans stir in some cocoa powder into their chilli dishes, so you might want to experiment with a taespoon of cocoa into chillis/stews/fakemince.

CathyMoran

CathyMoran wrote: »

I cant take iron supplements as I can not swallow tablets, iron supplements make me sick and I have a history of stomach ulcers My Iron is about 8.9 at the moment and I am wrecked!

Spatone is an iron rich water, that is gentle on your stomach.
Tis good, if you fancy giving it a try. In all chemists and healthfood shops.

gigawatt

CathyMoran wrote: »

I cant take iron supplements as I can not swallow tablets, iron supplements make me sick and I have a history of stomach ulcers My Iron is about 8.9 at the moment and I am wrecked!

hi, that is very low and you have my sympathy, to be honest i went to 9 once and was told that id probably be looking at blood tranfusions if it went any lower, its awful. you need to talk to a good pharmacist as iron supplements come in different forms they are types of salts, and i had terrible trouble finding one that didnt make me utterly wretchedly ill. i also have tummy trouble so i know how hard it can be, believe me, it is worth taking them as once the anemia clears up you will feel so much better, no more faintness, lack of enegy cold feet etc, i tried spatone and floradix for ages but they did very little to bring up my levels within 2 months of taking tablets i noticed a big difference. talk to a pharmacist, there will be one thats right for you, its worth the gagging etc lol also take your supplement with your biggest meal of the day, it makes a huge difference.

CathyMoran

gigawatt wrote: »

hi, that is very low and you have my sympathy, to be honest i went to 9 once and was told that id probably be looking at blood tranfusions if it went any lower, its awful. you need to talk to a good pharmacist as iron supplements come in different forms they are types of salts, and i had terrible trouble finding one that didnt make me utterly wretchedly ill. i also have tummy trouble so i know how hard it can be, believe me, it is worth taking them as once the anemia clears up you will feel so much better, no more faintness, lack of enegy cold feet etc, i tried spatone and floradix for ages but they did very little to bring up my levels within 2 months of taking tablets i noticed a big difference. talk to a pharmacist, there will be one thats right for you, its worth the gagging etc lol also take your supplement with your biggest meal of the day, it makes a huge difference.

Thanks, all the iron suplements say that I cant take them, even the spatone which i just googled...am trying everything but i also have a problem getting enough food in as i dont have my oesophagus...blood transfusions are being looked at.

gigawatt

ah right, well thats a different kettle of fish altogether, sounds like you need to be referred to a nutritionist who will help you to develop a plan that will take into account all of your nutritional needs and physical need due to your osophogeal problems. the immediate options id say that are available to you are blood transfusions or iron infusions, though my consultant was very reluctant to opt for the latter and i trust her so iknow there must be a good reason. good luck with sorting things out i hope you feel better soon!

cormie

Cathy can I ask how did you manage to get to such a low level and to have such bad reactions to everything and to be so limited to what you can have? Don't go into too much detail or I might faint though

Thoushaltnot

also excellent but won't be an option for a month or three. Make sure that they are harvested well away from the road and only use the young fresh leaves and tips.

I've never figured out what they're nice with, nor how to harvest without getting the sting and the rash.

CathyMoran

cormie wrote: »

Cathy can I ask how did you manage to get to such a low level and to have such bad reactions to everything and to be so limited to what you can have? Don't go into too much detail or I might faint though

Being honest I was always a fussy eater...first tried being vegetarian/vegan at 12 but got badly anemic so had to go back...eating fish has been giving me enough iron pre-pregnancy but I would like to be vegetarian again. Medically am a type 1 diabetic, had stomach ulcers since my early 20's and got diagnosed with oesophageal cancer 3 years ago at the age of 32...still alive though and trying to eat as well as possible...

I hate meat from an ethical point of view, does not help that we have pet fish that we dote on...

CathyMoran

My hubby has an iron level of 4 so I consider myself lucky...am a food scientist too so I should know better...a lot of the stuff here has been very useful though and I appreciate it.

CathyMoran

CathyMoran wrote: »

My hubby has an iron level of 4 so I consider myself lucky...am a food scientist too so I should know better...a lot of the stuff here has been very useful though and I appreciate it.

4! Jesus....I've been as low as you are now. And it felt awful.
Can't imagine how wiped he must feel.

CathyMoran

Moonbaby wrote: »

4! Jesus....I've been as low as you are now. And it felt awful.
Can't imagine how wiped he must feel.

We are the funny pair...he is far more active than me...he is getting it looked into though. He cant take iron either or even most iron rich foods as he is allergic, at least I can take some...we both look like vampires:D

Have tried eating some of the foods that people suggested and they have helped but I eat a fair bit of dairy at the moment so spacing food is tough but am trying...

Thoushaltnot

CathyMoran wrote: »

Thanks, all the iron suplements say that I cant take them, even the spatone which i just googled...am trying everything but i also have a problem getting enough food in as i dont have my oesophagus...blood transfusions are being looked at.

Why can't you take them? I thought, from an earlier post, that you just couldn't swallow and was going to suggest a mortar and pestle, grind down the tablet and mix it into food. but Spatone? What are you googling for, ie. what's the issue? If you tell us, we might have a workaround.

By the way, am I right in asuming that your food has to be of a liquid consistency - soups, porridges, smoothies, purees?

CathyMoran

Thoushaltnot wrote: »

Why can't you take them? I thought, from an earlier post, that you just couldn't swallow and was going to suggest a mortar and pestle, grind down the tablet and mix it into food. but Spatone? What are you googling for, ie. what's the issue? If you tell us, we might have a workaround.

By the way, am I right in asuming that your food has to be of a liquid consistency - soups, porridges, smoothies, purees?

I cant have large tablets but iron suplements always cause me to vomit severly (and are contraindicated with stomach ulcers) and I struggle to keep up my weight. I can eat regular food, just not large volumes. My iron level went up slighly with the dietary improvements I made but not enough.

Darlughda

I used to be severely anaemic and I was told dried apricots was one of the best sources of iron. But I never got round to researching this as I went onto the heavy duty iron supplements-yes the stomach cramps and other complications were not good.

Sapsorrow

Thoushaltnot wrote: »

Not only cook your food in a cast iron pot but make enough of a tomato based dish for 2 days and leave the other half in the pot overnight. The acids in the toms leech small amounts of iron into your food. However, rhubarb and spinach are not good for overnighting in a cast iron pot - I think their acids bind to the iron but in a way that stops it being bioavailable .

Whatever your source of iron, take a source of Vit C with it - easiest being a glass of fresh orange juice with your meal, for example.

Lastly, try not to have a dairy protein meal with an iron rich protein meal, eg. beans, dark green leafys and orange juice for one main meal and cheesey omlette at another rather than a spinach omlette and cheesy beans. AFAIR, calcium/mag tends to get absorbed at the expense of iron.

I know a girl who mainly based her veggie meals on cheese and eggs and became severly anaemic.

Also, avoid tea and coffee with the iron rich meals. Nearly forgot!

This is the most sensible advice in the thread, for vegetarians the main thing is to make sure you're not inhibiting your ability to absorb the iron in any way seeing as bioavailability is so low from plant sources anyway. Beans and nuts aren't gonna offer much I'm afraid, a mega dose of green leafies twice daily with a dressing based on freshly squeezed lemon, lime and orange juice is yer best bet and avoid tea and coffee like the plague.
Tbh I wouldn't be sure about your switching to a 100% vegetarian diet at least until yer well after the pregnancy and breast feeding stage, but even then I'd think about it carefully first. A little bit of good organic meat is a very important source of nutrition for some people and this might be the case for you if your diet is trstricted in other ways are you're not fond of beans etc..
Like Thoushaltnot mentioned don't use calcium supplements or dairy at the same time as you eat your iron rich meals.

Dubs

Special K, Cornflakes and weetabix have a fair amount of iron in them. Handy things for breakfast

Thoushaltnot

seamus wrote: »

http://www.groovyvegetarian.com/2009/05/16/more-vegetarian-iron-sources/

Good link, seamus but here's the Top 10 from that site, rather than the next 20
http://www.groovyvegetarian.com/2008/08/23/iron-rich-foods-for-vegetarians/

Top 10 Iron Rich Foods For Vegetarians

1.) Soybeans, cooked – 8.8 mg
2.) Blackstrap Molasses
3.) Lentils, cooked
4.) Spinach, cooked
5.) Quinoa, cooked
6.) Tofu
7.) Bagel, enriched
8.) Tempeh
9.) Lima Beans, cooked
10.) Swiss Chard, cooked


cut and pasted from the site as it seemed v.slow to load!

In other lists I've seen, dark red/black pulses also feature prominently (black beans, black/red kidney beans, aduki)

Thoushaltnot

Also, I was on the Quorn/Mycoprotein site;
Mycoprotein - vitamins & minerals

and it seems that Quorn's main constituent, mycoprotein, actually has no iron but a decent amount of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, etc.

so actually fits in with the Calcium protein meals!

Thoushaltnot

Since blackstrap molasses is so high up on the list, I'm gonna give it a lash tomorrow on some pancakes - apparently the flavour works well with nutty flavours (peanut butter, almonds).

Molasses also seems to go well as with baked beans...and sticky ginger cake!

I did find an intriguing recipe for TVP sausages, using molasses - will post it if I can find it again.

***&& found it: added to Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes and Links *****

cuaifeadh

Thoushaltnot wrote: »

Top 10 Iron Rich Foods For Vegetarians

1.) Soybeans, cooked – 8.8 mg
2.) Blackstrap Molasses
3.) Lentils, cooked
4.) Spinach, cooked
5.) Quinoa, cooked
6.) Tofu
7.) Bagel, enriched
8.) Tempeh
9.) Lima Beans, cooked
10.) Swiss Chard, cooked

I love all of these things, and eat most pretty regularly. Haven't cooked with molasses in a while though. Must pick some up, it smells fantastic, reminds me of horse feed! Can never seem to get enough iron from my diet though, I always end up going back on to the ferrograd c.

Tar.Aldarion

cuaifeadh wrote: »

I love all of these things, and eat most pretty regularly. Haven't cooked with molasses in a while though. Must pick some up, it smells fantastic, reminds me of horse feed! Can never seem to get enough iron from my diet though, I always end up going back on to the ferrograd c.

You who I think you are? The sig says yes



Oh just got reminded of quinoas existence on thread, thanks, must pick some up again.

Thoushaltnot

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Oh just got reminded of quinoas existence on thread, thanks, must pick some up again.

Hmmm, a tip I spotted on 101cookbooks - apparently, if you use half-and-half of quinoa and the very similar millet, it's makes for a nicer consistency...or summat.

Molberts

This thread has been super helpful, thanks

How do you guys who have a "number" figure for your iron levels work that out?

I don't know what my number is but when I forget to take iron I get so bad that my vision blurs, I slur my words and can barely stay awake then somewhere in my clouded wooly brain a voice says "ooooh yeah, arent I meant to take iron every day?) then a few days later im flying around full of beans, till I forget to take it again >.<

Tar.Aldarion

Dunno about numbers, I have this thing where I need like no iron so it doesn't affect me but I would say just try and find something you like and work those irony foods into what you normally eat. nomnom. Oh and OJ boosts iron consumption

Sapsorrow

Molberts wrote: »

This thread has been super helpful, thanks

How do you guys who have a "number" figure for your iron levels work that out?

I don't know what my number is but when I forget to take iron I get so bad that my vision blurs, I slur my words and can barely stay awake then somewhere in my clouded wooly brain a voice says "ooooh yeah, arent I meant to take iron every day?) then a few days later im flying around full of beans, till I forget to take it again >.<

You really should go talk to your doctor about that, those symptoms have nothing to do with forgeting to take your iron for a few days, the body has Iron stores that last months so you're not going to show signs of deficiency until they've been depleted and that doesn;t happen quickly if you've been supplementing recently in particular.

Molberts

Molberts wrote: »

This thread has been super helpful, thanks

How do you guys who have a "number" figure for your iron levels work that out?

I don't know what my number is but when I forget to take iron I get so bad that my vision blurs, I slur my words and can barely stay awake then somewhere in my clouded wooly brain a voice says "ooooh yeah, arent I meant to take iron every day?) then a few days later im flying around full of beans, till I forget to take it again >.<

The number is your result from a blood test.
They only really tell you, if you have a problem. Or if you ask.
I get an annual bloodwork, in case anything is going wrong.

My friend has a problem with b12....and your symptons sound similar to hers.
I'd get it checked out if I was you. I haven't heard of vison problems, and foggy minds as a result of Iron deficiency.

Molberts

thanks for that moonbaby, i'll get it checked.

Krystyna just to clarify, it takes a few days to feel better after taking iron again but takes a couple of months after stopping taking it to start feeling shyte

edit - just googled b12 - I eat plenty of eggs so shoud be ok

goldfish6483

There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and nonheme. Heme iron is derived from hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells. Heme iron is found in animal foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as red meats, fish, and poultry. Iron in plant foods such as lentils and beans is arranged in a chemical structure called nonheme iron URL="http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/iron.asp#en9"][COLOR=#0000ff]9[/COLOR][/URL. This is the form of iron added to iron-enriched and iron-fortified foods. Heme iron is absorbed better than nonheme iron, but most dietary iron is nonheme iron URL="http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/iron.asp#en8"][COLOR=#0000ff]8[/COLOR][/URL. A variety of heme and nonheme sources of iron are listed in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1: Selected Food Sources of Heme Iron URL="http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/iron.asp#en10"][COLOR=#0000ff]10[/COLOR][/URL FoodMilligrams
per serving% DV*Chicken liver, cooked, 3½ ounces12.870Oysters, breaded and fried, 6 pieces4.525Beef, chuck, lean only, braised, 3 ounces3.220Clams, breaded, fried, ¾ cup3.015Beef, tenderloin, roasted, 3 ounces 3.015Turkey, dark meat, roasted, 3½ ounces2.310Beef, eye of round, roasted, 3 ounces2.210Turkey, light meat, roasted, 3½ ounces1.68Chicken, leg, meat only, roasted, 3½ ounces1.36Tuna, fresh bluefin, cooked, dry heat, 3 ounces1.16Chicken, breast, roasted, 3 ounces1.16Halibut, cooked, dry heat, 3 ounces0.96Crab, blue crab, cooked, moist heat, 3 ounces0.84Pork, loin, broiled, 3 ounces0.84Tuna, white, canned in water, 3 ounces0.84Shrimp, mixed species, cooked, moist heat, 4 large0.74

Table 2: Selected Food Sources of Nonheme Iron URL="http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/iron.asp#en10"][COLOR=#0000ff]10[/COLOR][/URL FoodMilligrams
per serving% DV*Ready-to-eat cereal, 100% iron fortified, ¾ cup 18.0100Oatmeal, instant, fortified, prepared with water, 1 cup10.060Soybeans, mature, boiled, 1 cup 8.850Lentils, boiled, 1 cup6.635Beans, kidney, mature, boiled, 1 cup5.225Beans, lima, large, mature, boiled, 1 cup4.525Beans, navy, mature, boiled, 1 cup4.525Ready-to-eat cereal, 25% iron fortified, ¾ cup4.525Beans, black, mature, boiled, 1 cup3.620Beans, pinto, mature, boiled, 1 cup 3.620Molasses, blackstrap, 1 tablespoon3.520Tofu, raw, firm, ½ cup3.420Spinach, boiled, drained, ½ cup3.220Spinach, canned, drained solids ½ cup2.510Black-eyed peas (cowpeas), boiled, 1 cup1.810Spinach, frozen, chopped, boiled ½ cup1.910Grits, white, enriched, quick, prepared with water, 1 cup1.58Raisins, seedless, packed, ½ cup1.58Whole wheat bread, 1 slice0.96White bread, enriched, 1 slice0.96



sorry for such a long post but i went thought the very same issues when i was pregnant with my daughter, you dont really have to eat meat to be honest lentils spinach beans etc all are great,

CathyMoran

Am on the iron transfusion a week at this stage but some of the suggestions on this thread delayed it by a few weeks, thanks a million...will help when I am feeding my son too.

karen86

Seaweed is apparently loaded with iron and lots of other essential nutrients. Google it!

I find the roasted ones to be delicious.

DonnieScribbles

These brownies would be pretty good for iron, what with the black beans and the cocoa. They're not quite like the brownies you might be used to but if you can move past the bean-iness they're pretty nice! Very fudgy.

I think the 15oz of black beans in the recipe is actually a regular 15oz can though. I measured out 15oz of cooked black beans which is nearly half a kilo and thought it was a bit much! Just used a cans worth and it was fine.

Tar.Aldarion

Oooh they look so nice! Never had a black bean before, must get on it!

DonnieScribbles

Mine didn't turn out quite like that picture, but it was close enough so I can't complain

Black beans are great. I have about a kilo of them in my freezer now. Black beans in everything!

Tar.Aldarion

I live on these and kidney beans and butter beans:p




Addicted to beans and chickpeas