Popeye to the Rescue

My most recent blood tests show that I'm a little anemic, despite the fact that I'm taking the prescription iron supplement chromagen, a pre-natal vitamin, AND eating a bowl of Special K (which has 45% of my daily iron intake) on a daily basis. I often border on anemia, so it's of no big concern, although I did land myself in the hospital one time partly due to the fact that I was severely anemic. Guess I wasn't eating my spinach.

Which leads me to wonder what I should be eating...since I actually don't care for spinach, broccoli, or beets...the biggies that the doctor suggested. I might switch to Total Raisin cereal (which has 100% of my daily iron) or Quaker Oatmeal Squares (which has 90%), and I can definitely add some red beans to my diet, which was another recommendation. Other than that, I'm up for suggestions from the peanut gallery. Any ideas on how Bun and I can get some more iron?

In my preliminary research (which for me means the 5 minutes I'm going to spend looking into this issue), I found that iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency to occur in the human body. Hmmm, glad to know I'm not alone. Additionally, Vitamin C can help your body absorb iron, so it is a good idea to pair iron rich foods with other foods that have a lot of Vitamin C, including citrus fruits and iron fortified orange juice. And fact number three - it is harder for the body to absorb the nonheme iron that is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains, than the heme iron that is found in animal foods, including red meats, poultry, and fish.

Guess it's back to the meat counter for some lean cuts of meat. I don't mind...I make a pretty mean steak salad. Might as well give you the quick version of the recipe while I'm at it:

Romaine lettuce, chopped
Lean, thinly sliced grilled steak - my cuts of choice: boneless ribeye, t-bone, or filet mignon. Don't skimp on the quality - it makes all the difference.
Handful each of chopped red pepper, diced red onion, and chopped tomatoes. (I recently added chopped mushrooms and avocado, too)
Chopped pecans
A little chopped bacon
Crumbled Feta cheese (or gorgonzola crumbles)

Toss all together. Top with Blue Cheese vinaigrette dressing (or a creamy ranch). Serve with homemade grilled potato wedges tossed in a little olive oil, paprika, garlic salt, and a dash or two of season salt. Enjoy!