Iron: An Essential Mineral

     So, yesterday, I went to work from 8-4, came home, did two loads of laundry, went for a walk with my mom, then made dinner for the family. Needless to say, I was getting really tired around 9. My dad, who usually gets home pretty late from work, was so confused why I was tired. To be fair, he did not know everything I had done that day. Anyway, this morning, he said to me, "Alexis, you got to eat more red meat. You are not getting enough iron. You are going to be anemic again."
    First things first, I do not think I was ever anemic, at least my blood tests in high school never showed I was. However, I did have a lot of the symptoms, mainly fatigue, not sleeping well, a little pale, always cold, and brittle nails. I started taking some iron supplements, which seemed to be helping, but it really could have been anything. Secondly, only once did I ever go through a red meat phase when I was younger. I remember always wanting steak for dinner. But after high school and my passion for nutrition bloomed, my taste buds changed too and I no longer craved red meat. Furthermore, after I started cooking for the family, I really did not like red meat because I saw all the raw fat and it totally grossed me out. Lastly, at Texas A&M this year, I am pretty sure I did not eat a single piece of red meat. Maybe I had one burger, but that is all I recall.
    Now, to prove to you do not have to eat red meat to get your iron, my dad and I did some research. Here is a great website we found: Top 10 Foods High In Iron. Did you know that mollusks like clams and shrimp have more iron than beef? What about chicken and turkey? Pretty cool, right!

Here is the complete list starting with the foods highest in iron:

1. Mollusks (Clams, Oysters, Shrimp...)
2. Liver (Pork, Chicken, Turkey...)
3. Squash and Pumpkin Seeds
4. Nuts (Cashew, Peanut, Almond, Hazelnut...)
5. Beef and Lamb (Lean Tenderloin)
6. Beans and Pulses (White Beans, Lentils...)
7. Whole Grains, Fortified Cereals, and Bran (Quinoa...)
8. Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach, Swiss Chard...)
9. Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder
10. Tofu

Here are a few of my favorite healthy recipes
to help you consume some iron:

Grilled Shrimp and Quinoa with Avocado-Mango Salsa
-Shrimp, Quinoa, Leafy Greens

Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili
-Chicken, Black Beans, Quinoa
-Easy because you can leave it in your crock pot all day

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread - Vitamix
-Hazelnuts, Cocoa Powder

And, don't forget you can always snack on pumpkin seeds!
Use them to top your cereal and yogurt, throw in a smoothie, or use in baking!