Plants yield iron and calcium
Sept 2021 – If you’ve seen this sign about calcium decreasing iron absorption on the home page, ignore it if you are using plant sources instead of supplements. The studies have varied results — true for single meals, but false for long-term studies of iron in the blood.
According to the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, the recommended dietary intakes(RDIs) of iron and calcium for healthy people vary by age and sex. The board determines how safe, nutritious and adequate foods are; sets up how much of each mineral is needed daily; announces how that intake interacts with nutrition, and health. The board celebrated its 80th anniversary in August.
Most people need 8 milligrams of iron daily; toddlers need less; infants, primary graders and women from 14-50 years old need more. Instead of animal products, they can eat algae, sweets, greens, seeds, dried fruit, beans, nuts, quinoa and fortified cereals – hot or cold – to meet the requirments. For example, Rice Crispies offer 57 percent of the RDI; lentils 37; molasses 26; dark chocolate, 19; quinoa 16; spinach 15; pumpkin seeds 14; raisins 7; chickpeas 4. However, foods like spinach with oxalates and fortified hot cereals need to be accompanied by sources of Vitamin C like orange juice so the calcium is absorbed better.
Most people need 1000 milligrams of calcium daily; middle schoolers, teens and men older than 70 need more. To avoid animal products, they can eat algae, greens, seeds, dried fruit, beans, nuts, grains, rhubarb, broccoli, cabbages, soy yogurt, nut and seed butters, and fortified juices and milks to meet the daily requirements. A cup of kale provides more of the mineral than a cup of milk. Tofu offers 86 percent of the RDI; fortified orange juice 30; collard greens 25; Goa beans 24; spinach 19; edamame 10; sesame seeds 9; almonds 8; chia seeds 7; dried figs 5.
So to keep those strong bones and vibrant blood, what can we do? I turn to salads, snacks and vegetable stew.
This month we had a death in the family. At the catered repast, there were lots of vegan options along with the animal fare. The biggest hit among carnivores and us herbivores was an out-of-this-world black-eyed pea salad; folks kept going back for more.
Another hit was the Jollof rice. I’ve had it at restaurants before,but it didn’t tantalize my tastebuds like this one. The retired caterer’s secret: Trader Joe’s has Jollof rice mix.:)
My own go-to is vegetarian stew made in a pressure cooker: onion, celery, garlic, ginger or turmeric or cumin, soaked beans, carrots, beets, winter and summer squash, green beans or pea pods, radishes or turnip, a piece of fruit and maybe some cilantro or parsley. Vegetable broth with corn starch provides the thickener; Aldi’s salsa and Indian sauces (plus the water to clean out the jars) create a satisfying meal over hominy or some cooked grain.
In the summer, while farmers markets are rampant, I experiment with veggies I don’t usually have available like watermelon radishes, golden beets and sunflower sprouts in my salads or stew. In the colder months, I reach for canned, jarred and frozen produce to supplement the fresh vegetables I purchase.
How do you utilize calcium and iron plant sources to tantalize your taste buds?