what is the most iron rich meal you can think of

[jumblies]

I need ideas to get my iron levels up in a week. Does anyone know what the most iron rich vegetable is?

Also any ideas for meals which deliver large amounts of iron in small portions (i seem to have lost my appetite recently so am not eating such large portions of anything)

I have also been prescribed iron tablets but always wonder how well they are absorbed.

TIA

I have low iron as well - and Tesco crunchy nut cornflakes have about 30% of the RDA for non-pregnant people. I scoured the shelves and they were one of the highest.

I haven't bothered trying to eat more stuff like spinach as you require so much of it and it's harder for the body to digest than animal based iron.

I'd be inclined to go for a lot of red meat as this is the easiest for your body to absorb.

thanks guys, lots of good suggestions here. Will do the steak, broccoli thing tonight. Will definitely be stocking up on lots of dark choc too

I wonder if my midwives have set me an impossible task to get my level up in a week...perhaps they are just looking for an excuse not to do a homebirth at christmas

Am off to the supermarket now

What is your level? Is it genuinely low or are you taking their word for it?

If they haven't prescribed iron tablets or advised you to do so, I doubt there is much wrong with your iron levels.

IRRC (which I may not) they need to be 9 or above for a home birth/birth centre birth.

Mine are naturally very high (14!)

Beans on (wholemeal) toast, with a glass of orange juice.

Any dark, green leafy vegetable too.

Yes, your iron levels need to be borderline in order to get them up in a week and to do this a prescribed/bought supplement is the quickest way combined with iron rich foods.

Have fortified cereal or wholemeal toast for breakfast as well as the iron rich dinner and top up with supplement.

You'll be joyously constipated but full of iron before you know it!

colditz yes my iron levels are one point below 10. I have been prescribed iron tablets but it is just only having a week to get them up is a bit stressful as I really want my homebirth and they are not keen unless my iron is above 10.

Have just had steak, broccoli, potatoes and orange juice for dinner and finished it off with 70% choc sauce over icecream and a couple of dried apricots...am stuffed

OP - My HB was 7.9 when i was pg and had surgery and i couldn't stomach iron pills. I was on oxygen and they were talking about giving me a transfusion. In the end i had Spatone everyday (you can have 2 sachets in pregnancy) and my HB got high enough that i could come off oxygen and stopped passing out. I still take it nearly everyday now

My iron levels were low in each pregnancy and iron tablets sorted me out both times with no ill effects (just black poo )

quoting from 'iron deficiency' BUPA page -

Good sources of iron include: liver, meat, beans, nuts, dried fruit, whole grains (such as brown rice), fortified breakfast cereals, and most dark-green leafy vegetables (such as watercress and curly kale).

It's a good idea to eat foods containing vitamin C at the same time as eating sources of iron because this helps with iron absorption. Good sources of vitamin C include peppers, fruit juice, sweet potatoes, oranges and kiwi fruit.

and take the pills!