iron deficiancy

[xkagomex]

I've noticed an increasing problem with my diet. There is absolutely none, if any meat included in it anymore. Partly it's because I live with someone who is vegetarian and I feel like I should cook things we can both eat, however, it's mostly because it's so expensive. I'm in college and just moved out on my own. I tried to get some chicken

Comments

[greencow]

chicken is expensive. i used to buy the 2 lb bag of breasts at trader joe's for about 6 or 7 bucks.

maybe try making a vegetarian soup or chili. or risotto with veggies. you can make a chicken breast or thigh separate and then mix it in for yourself.

[kathminchin]

First up make sure you include lots of dark green leafy veg; and vitamin C to aid absorption.

Some of the cheapest meat is also a really good source of iron. Offal (kidneys, liver etc) has iron in spades. I was advised to eat a portion of liver a week when I was anaemic, and it sorted my iron count in about a month.

Personally I like it cut into little strips, dipped in flour and fried until it's still just pink. Serve with gravy, mashed potato, fried onions and cabbage - and bacon if you can afford it.

[faoiltiama]

Completely unrelated but . . . OH MY GOOD SWEET LORD YOUR ICON IS ADORABLE!!!!

[stacycat69]

Chicken leg quarters are really cheapp (from .49 to 1.00 a pound). You can also watch for sales on chicken breasts, I have seen them ranging from 1.99 to 2.29 for the boneless skinless, and they go on sale every few weeks for 1.00 per lb for the split breasts (you have to bone and skin them yourself). Boneless skinless thighs are usually 1.99 a lb. (All of these are central texas prices).

Its fairly easy to make a main dish something vegetarian, and add a chicken breast or thigh for you.

If its anemia, try cooking everything in cast iron skillets, they add iron into your food. A tomato sauce cooked in cast iron picks up about 5 micrograms of iron for a 3 oz serving. (Menstrating women need 18 micrograms per day, everyone else about 8.)

[noelleleithe]

Note: I believe Kroger has leg quarters on sale this week for 29 cents a pound (in 10-pound bags). I know I plan to grab a bag for the freezer! :)

[xkagomex]

do these have a fair amount of white meat on them? the reason that i mainly go for chicken breasts, is because i'm not a big fan of the dark, greasy meat. i saw chicken thighs on sale 2 for $7, but i thought i wouldn't like them.

[cabsy]

I won't buy legs because I think they're gross, most of the time. Cheapest way to get breasts is usually to buy a whole small roaster chicken, unless your grocery store is crazy. You can roast the whole thing (you may want to buy your own meat roasting pan) and then shred the breasts, or you can dissect it on your own. You can also roast it, use the bones and skin to make broth, and then mix some dark meat into a chicken noodle soup so that you don't waste the dark meat (one of two ways I'll actually eat dark meat). Soup and broth freezes well, and that way when you feel down and meat-deprived you can just pop a ziploc container of chicken soup or whatever out of the freezer for a lunch.

[a_boleyn]

Check this list of iron rich foods for possible things that you can add to your diet easily. See if you can add one dish to a meal for yourself and one for your friend that service your very differing needs.

http://www.breastflap.com/iron_foods.htm

Good luck.

[tisiphone]

One thing you can do is shop agressively for sales - check out as many grocery stores as you can get to, and find the lowest prices on meat. Also, visit stores at different times so you can find out when they clear out their meat for the day; a lot of grocery stores will put $1-$3 coupons on their meat packets to get rid of them (sometiems more, in the case of a roast or something.) I often find boneless chicken breast for $1.75 a pound or so, steak for $2. When I find a good deal I stock the freezer with it. If you're careful, you don't have to eat less expensive pieces of meat if you don't want to.Stay away from "trash" meat like hot dogs and sandwich meats; they're expensive and you don't get much in the way of nutrition out of them, they're mostly fat

[tisiphone]

And also, I don't think I've ever used the word "meat" so many times in a single comment.

[tytal]

Strangely, now I want a hot dog.