can anyone suggest any high iron snacks or lunches?

[Toowittoowoo]

I'm 31 weeks pregnant and my midwife has told me that my iron levels are dropping and I need more iron rich food.

This is all fair enough and more than happy to do it but I also want to eat all the food in our freezer so that I can defrost it and stock it up before the baby is born! Unfortunately, although the freezer is not full of unhealthy food neither is it packed full of red meat and curly kale.

As I really am keen to clear out this freezer I was just wondering whether any of you clever people could suggest some high iron snacks or lunches so that I could both up my iron intake AND defrost the freezer?

Dried apricots are full of iron IIRC - win win as helps counteract the blocking effects of too much iron

Remember to eat vitamin C rich foods with your iron-rich foods to aid absorption, maybe a glass of orange juice.

Using an old-fashioned cast iron pan adds traces to your food apparently.

Dried apricots and prunes have iron. Beans have iron in so do sardines. Don't know what's in your freezer!

Also tea and coffee interfere with absorption of iron.

Dried apricots absolutely. Squillions of iron. And drinking a glass of pure orange juice with every meal will help you absorb it. Don't drink tea or coffee with meals, or close to meal times, as they inhibit absorption.

I have just repeated funnyossity's post, haven't I?

keep repeating the message! It's surprising how many people with an iron deficiency don't know this ime.

dark chocolate has a fair supply of iron.

This from a NHS leaflet Iron in your diet

Lean red meat, Turkey and chicken

It is well known that liver is rich in iron, but liver is NOT recommended for pregnant women because of its high Vitamin A content

Fish, particularly oily fish which can be frozen or canned (such
as mackerel, sardines and pilchards)

eggs (well cooked)

Breakfast cereals – some cereals have been ‘fortified’ with iron

Pulses and beans - in particular canned baked beans, chickpeas
and lentils

Nuts (including peanut butter) and seeds (especially pumpkin)

Brown rice

Tofu

Bread, especially wholemeal or brown bread

Leafy green vegetables, especially curly kale, watercress, and broccoli (make Italian style soup)

Dried fruit in particular dried apricots, raisins and prunes (make flapjacks with oats and black treacle)

avoid tea and coffee

Years ago when I were a lass, pregnant mothers were recommended to drink Guinness and Mackeson ale for the iron content

Don't forget that folic acid also helps in the absorption of iron, so ensure you are still taking folic acid supplements.

Spatone is a good way of getting iron levels up quickly - you can buy it at large supermarkets or chemists. It seems to have fewer side effects than taking other iron supplements. I used to mix a sachet in with orange juice.

This all looks quite achievable - thank you. I think I can manage a glass of orange juice a day and a handful of dried apricots! I also guess that if beans and pulses are fairly high in iron then hummus shouldn't be too bad. Hummus and carrots sticks are a very good snacking food.

As I said the contents of the freezer is not unhealthy - last time a checked there was quite a few chicken breasts, some Turkey mince, some chorizo sausages, lots of frozen veg, pizza dough, naan bread dough, pitta dough, random bits of unidentifiable pastry - that sort of thing! All these will make decent evening/weekend meals but I just though as I would be buying extra food for lunch and snacks it would be good if they could be iron rich.

Buckwheat, quinoa, green lentils and millet. Someone linked to these tasty snacks, which are delicious! I'm currently modifying the recipe to make them with millet and Moroccan spices.

I'm anaemic and BFing and can't afford lots of red meat both money and weight-wise so grains are working out pretty well for us.

Thank you jamnan - I replied before seeing your response. If brown rice counts then that will be really easy to swap bismati rice for brown rice. Wholemeal bread with peanut butter counts so that'll be an easy weekend breakfast and if I hard boil some eggs then I can take eat one when I get hungry as a snack.

Think I might need the dried apricots and prunes with that diet though!

It does help that, being pregnant, I am always hungry so at least there is plenty of opportunities to eat!

Thanks guys - really helpful.

They used to give Mackeson's stout to new mums in the local hospital years ago! Something to stock up on for afterwards op..

Yes it was recommended for nursing mothers too. Our babies must have been pissed - that's why they slept so well.

Have the OJ with every meal OP, not just once a day. That way every time you eat you are making the most of the iron available in the meal.

Oh, Oj with food every meal might be a bit trickier as my nearly 3 yr will demand it too! Might have to drink it out of a mug so she can't see it.

Not I mind her having juice but if she knows it is in the house she will nag and whine constantly for it and it drives me up the wall so I just opt for never buying it!

Lamb + spinach curry (not really a snack or lunch but full of iron!)

Poppy seed bagel

Spinach omelette

Make flapjacks with apricot and mixed seeds

Fortified cereal

Baked beans on toast

Marmite has loads of iron in. You can use it instead of stock.

It doesn't have to be OJ, it's just that that often is a convenient way to add the vit c. You can have potatoes, a salad, a piece of fruit, a plate of berries whatever suits you and your 3 year old best.

Molasses/ dark treacle is high in iron if you like it.

Thank you for clarifying that funnyossity!

Very good suggestions folks. Thank you all very much.

Thanks for this thread. I was recently diagnosed as v anaemic, so am trying to up my iron levels too. I'm cheating a bit and doing things like making pancakes or French toast with freshly squeezed orange juice in them and berries on the side, as I don't really want to drink more than one glass of juice a day.

I'm also chucking a handful of spinach, or a couple of lumps of frozen spinach, in pretty much everything.

Must buy more dried apricots...

Try Mackeson's, it's lovely!