You can also take iron supplements, but they can be hard on some digestive systems. I also like red meat but hardly ever cook it at home. I would recommend thekitchn's posts on broiling steak in the oven, the time I tried it I got excellent results. Good luck!

Doesn't cooking in cast iron increase the iron in your diet, or is that an old wives tale? I thought that was why you chose a photo with a cast iron skillet.

General rule of thumb: If it had blood in it at some point, it's a good source of iron.

The iron in spinach is actually chemically bound, so much of it is not absorbed by the body. Okra is high in iron, or other dark leafy veggies.

http://thesweetest3.com/

Cooking in cast iron adds some dietary iron to food.

http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2009/01/cooking-in-cast.html

Honestly, as someone with anemia, iron supplements are totally worth it unless you happen to "totally dig" a lot of iron rich foods (I don't). I also don't like having to base my diet around a health disorder, so supplements allow me more freedom in my diet.

Cast iron skillet, absolutely.

Before I got my skillet, I was chronically anemic, and you're right-- spinach salads do get old. The doctor suggested eating liver... ugh. Good the first time, slathered in onions, and I highly suggest it, but the third serving of liver in a two-month period is almost un-swallowable.

Then: skillet! I didn't think about the iron content it would contribute to my food until I made a ragout-like stew with canned tomatoes, and the whole thing turned black. Delicious still, but oddly colored. A little research turned up the culprit: iron leached into the food through a poor cast-iron seasoning.

So now I have a good season worked up on the skillet, but by using the occasional acidic food (lemon juice for pan-roasting chicken in; white wine gone off for deglazing) I don't get any weird color. However, my blood iron levels have been totally normal for a year now.

Do keep looking for iron supplements, though, especially multivitamins with folic acid and B vitamins as well. If you can find one that doesn't irritate your stomach, you might find yourself much more energetic. Most women of child-bearing age are at least occasionally iron-deficient, which (as I'm sure you know) makes you feel tired and brain-foggy. B vitamins will help you recover from the fatigue of iron deficiency.

(You can also get B vitamins from meat, leafy greens and other dark-colored veggies, and legumes. Bon appetit!)

If you like liver it's higher in iron than steak. You can grill it up just like steak though I will warn you the smell of cooking liver is very strong so do it with open windows.

You can saute leafy greens in a little olive oil with lemon and garlic. Have that with some steak or grilled chicken.

Beef isn't the only red meat out there nor is steak the only cut. Take this as an opportunity to learn about cooking some new foods. Make a roast, stew, try blood sausage, make lamb, etc.

I am a vegetarian and have to make sure I get enough iron and protein.

Right now I go with whats in season- Kale, swiss chard, beets , red cabbage and grains Quinoa, bulgur, and beans- lentils, lima, black beans.

Here are some easy and healthy ways to get iron-
I make a lot of kale and swiss chard I throw it into soups with broc., onions, and I soak dried mushrooms in hot water and use both the mushrooms and mushroom water into the soup.

I make kale chips, I love these it take care of my potato chip cravings- http://www.shutterbean.com/kalechips/

Chickpeas are great too- here is a chickpea and kale recipe I make all the time-
http://blog.sigsiv.com/2009/02/chickpeas-and-kale-stir-fry.html

I love this chickpea pizza too- I top it with pesto and spinachhttp://blog.sigsiv.com/2009/10/chickpea-flour-pizza-south-beach-diet-friendly.html

Lentils are wonderful for hot soups or in salads with mint, clementines (citrus) in season right now, beets , olive oil, lemon, rock salt..easy you can make a batch or beets and lentils and use them so many ways during the week.
Red cabbage, sliced with mandolin , celantro, tofu, green onions, shredded carrots, seasame seeds, beets and olive oil and braggs.

Black bean and Quinoa burrito is so yummy- see recipe
http://greenurbancoyote.blogspot.com/2009/01/recipe-black-bean-quinoa-burrito.html

Bulgur and Lentil salad-
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/health/nutrition/12recipehealth.html?ref=dining

My new favorite food newsletter/blog lots of great ideas and info here-
http://summertomato.com/healthy-vegetable-sources-of-protein-and-iron/

I hope the Dr gave you a shot of B-12. That's the fastest way to get some iron into you. Sublingual liquid B complex vitamins is good also. You should feel an increased sense of well-being in about a month, if you take it every day.

Lori SF's suggestions are very good. Eat something with iron in it every day. My favorite: fresh sliced okra rolled in corn meal and fried in a cast iron skillet :)

Something to consider is that some of the ingredients in sodas (I think it's the caffeine and/or the phosphoric acid) inhibit the absorbtion of iron. So try to avoid caffeinated & carbonated beverages when eating iron-rich foods.

I'm a regular blood donor and I tend to have a higher hematocrit level if I avoid soda the week prior to donation.

http://www.healthcastle.com/iron.shtml

I forgot to mention red wine.

And chocolate and figs.

I recently had some health issues and was dealing with losing blood & bleeding internally - so I was low on iron.

I've found Floradix to be the BEST supplement. It's liquid so body absorbs it quicker and isn't hard on stomach at all. Taste is not the best - but I tend to take a 'shot' of it then 'chase' it with a small glass of cranberry juice and I've had no problems. I was able to get a month's worth for around $20 at my local natural foods store.

Here is is online:
http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/usa/products/r64771.asp

Also - have you heard of Green Smoothies? This would be a great way to get extra greens (spinach, kale, etc) into your diet as well as extra fruits.

I learned all about it on Happy Foody's blog - Sara is very knowledgeable :)

http://happyfoody.com/?s=green smoothies&searchbutton=Go!

And I second the not drinking soda. Not that I'm perfect, I still slip one in here or there - but from a former Diet Coke junkie who had 5 a day - I try to reduce it to 1 a week.
I would write more, but you can read about it here:
http://happyfoody.com/2010/02/20/confessions-of-a-happy-foody/

Good luck! I'm not anemic but have suffered from low iron (and am a vegetarian) so I'm walkin down the same road while my body heals.

Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from non-meat sources so eat an orange with those dried beans and green leafy vegetables!

Just a thought... have you confirmed that it's actually an iron deficiency causing your anemia? There is more than one type of anemia, and more than one cause. (found this out the hard way)

Rock! Thanks, everyone. I have kale chips in the oven right now.

It's extra-annoying because I'm also training for a marathon, so I've got to get some carbs in as well. But I like what Noadi said -- this is a good excuse to flex some new cooking muscles. Maybe I'll even learn how to grill meat properly!

Kale is definitely a favorite of mine and it's high in iron, calcium and potassium. Here's a super yummy and easy recipe I like to make every so often. It also includes cannellini beans which are also high in iron and fiber. Enjoy!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bean-and-Kale-Ragu/Detail.aspx

Like another poster above, I've taken Floradix and it's great. Expensive, but it doesn't wreak havoc on your digestive system and it raises your iron very quickly if taken regularly. My dr. has said that a good rule of thumb is: once Floradix starts tasting bad/weird, your iron is at a good level.

I believe that cooking in cast iron with acidic foods (like tomatoes) leaches the iron out (but I'm no scientist).

Do get vitamin c with your iron (again, tomatoes a good source of that), and try to avoid caffeine within 2 hours of iron-rich foods (inhibits absorption).

I add spinach to everything! Eggs, soup/stew, pasta sauce, pasta, stir fries, curries, etc.

I read about this in a book on sneaking good food into kids, but it works on me too.. a Tbs. of blackstrap molasses in a serving of cream of wheat. That's 13 mgs of Iron. I also drink hot soy milk with molasses stirred in. Sounds insane but it's pretty tasty.. tastes like gingerbread.

Black strap Molasses is also very high iron (check various brands for the highest percentage daily value). if you can put a tablespoon in a glass of milk and drink it, that's great. Also try on top of oatmeal.

And for the record, a B-12 shot won't help you unless you have something called pernicious anemia; it's a lack of something called intrinsic factor that is excreted in your stomach and binds B-12 in food to allow it to be absorbed in the gut.

Make sure you're getting enough folate/folic acid. If you eat any kind of processed bread or cereal, you probably are because it's added into most commercial grains. This is not just for anemia (although low folate in the diet can contribute to anemia), but is important for any woman, especially of child-bearing age.

Like other people have mentioned, taking vitamin C with the iron will keep the iron in a form that is more readily absorbed by the body.

I'm a blood donor, and they always recommend that you eat clams during the week prior to donating. They've told me it is the best and fastest way to increase your iron count. I make clam chowder or linquine with clams just before donating, and it works well.

I can second the recommendation for Floradix: I used the gluten-free and vegan version Florvital and it brought my iron right up without any bad side effects; I took it with citrus or other vitamin C sources to aid absorption. It even tastes nice. I only needed to go through a bottle or two to correct my iron.

I do want to stress that if you have anemia it is very important to figure out and address the underlying cause. In my case it was celiac disease; also I was on an acid blocker for GERD that was also caused by the celiac disease, which also inhibits iron absorption. Since I healed from the celiac (and consequently the GERD) I have had no iron issues on my ordinary diet (free of gluten and several allergens, but omnivorous and including red meat) without any need for supplementation. I do habitually cook on cast iron which may be part of why I get enough iron without eating lots of organ meats. I tend to crave red meat around my periods, so I usually plan to have some steak then. Maybe next time I'll try clams.

Nettle or alfalfa tea is also a really good, easy to digest form of iron. So are beets. Also, if you do take an iron supplement, take it at a different time than calcium, 'cuz the calcium binds the iron (or maybe it's the other way around... either way, it's a waste of a pill).

@laurenlosefast---re: B-12 shot (meaning a subcutaneous injection). A shot of B-12 bypasses the stomach and hits the blood stream very quickly. And that's why sublingual B Complex vitamins are better than taking a pill---sublingual is absorbed through the thin skin of the mouth (literally---under the tongue) and doesn't go through the stomach either.

You are correct that a lack of the intrinsic factor inhibits or can even prohibit the absorption of B-12, but the intrinsic factor is generally only a problem if you have had stomach or intestinal surgery.

Beets, if you like them, are naturally high in iron. And I tend to notice that I'm low in iron if I start bruising easily all of a sudden. And again on the thumbs up on the Vitamin C (I do chewables) with the iron foods or supplement you're having. If you're anemic, you need more than the typical 18mg, and some iron (ferrous sulfate, ferrous feromate?, etc...you have to ask your Dr.) are better for you than others. Seafood and of course meat and liver. If you make liver into a pate-you can just have a little bit on toast and it's delicious.

Spinach sauteed with garlic (and any other leafy green!) in some olive oil, low sodium soy sauce, vinegar, and a splash of mirin is really VERY good... and it cooks down so much that you can eat a huge amount of veg and not even realize that you're doing it. Besides, it's tasty!

I thought I'd make the case for this amazing Cream of Wheat hack that was posted on here ages ago. As you likely know, Cream of Wheat is iron fortified and this recipe adds an egg yolk:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/breakfast/recipe-enriched-cream-of-wheat-with-egg-and-vanilla-079472

It's a bit decadent. But totally delicious. And once you've made it a couple of times, it's pretty easy to do by memory even when tired.

The recipe calls for nutmeg, which I find kind of amps up the richness of it. So I usually use cinnamon instead. And I usually throw a pile of berries on top when eating.

Also, a dietician recently told me that tea can hinder the absorption of vitamins and minerals. So it was recommended to me to space tea drinking and eating apart by about 30 minutes. Not sure which vitamins and minerals are most affected by tea. Might be a non-issue for iron...don't know.

cast iron!! and no soda!

tea does block absorption of iron, so drink it between meals (at least 2 hours after)

only buy iron fortified cereal, milk, eggs

any dark green leafy veggies - not just spinach - kale, chard, etc will work

also ensure you have enough vitamin c - it helps you absorb iron

liver is gross ><

I'm also anemic and I eat chicken livers fried in butter then sprinkled with Lawry's seasoning salt. It's unbelievably tasty and comforting.

I've been battling anemia for 3 years (ever since the birth of my son), and the only thing that has worked for me has been iron infusions -- i.e., iron solution in an I.V. , straight into a vein. Half an hour, and you're done; over the course of 2 weeks it is absorbed and used by your bone marrow. The difference in energy levels is dramatic!

As others have posted, you will continue to do battle with anemia until you address the underlying cause. I've found it's very difficult to eat your way out of anemia, especially if you have a significant deficit...

I take spirulina or blue-green algae supplements because eating a lot of red meat isn't the healthiest thing. You can get them in powder form too and mix them into smoothies.

And don't drink too much milk. I learned this when my son was born and I was talking to a lady that said her daughter developed anemia from drinking too much milk because calcium prevents the absorption of iron, or something like that.

Sesame!

Also, if you drink tea, coffee and red wine, avoid drinking them with your meals because the tannins contained prevent iron absorption (not the caffeine, as far as I know)

My mom takes a tiny iron tablet each day because of fairly low iron...not enough to be seriously worried, but enough that she gets exhausted easily, etc. I do the same thing, although I think my diet is better than hers. It's easy, cheap, and tiny. The one I take, I think, has several hundred percent of your DV.

I am anemic also. My hemotologist says the best thing is red meat, and specifically recommended bison.

Blackstrap molasses has a high iron level. Try making bran muffins with it or add a swirl into your oatmeal.

Also, clams have high iron levels. Clam chowder is always good...

Coffee can also inhibit iron absorption. I finally had to quit drinking it (except for the VERY occasional cup) to keep my red blood cell count high.

If you found out you were anemic, can I recommend having your thyroid function checked? Thyroid disease is very, very common, associated with anemia, has many of the same symptoms as anemia, and is radically under-screened and under-diagnosed. I struggled with moderate to severe anemia since my teen years before finally being diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis. My body was making so many anti-thyroid antibodies that it was depleting the number of monocytes (a type of white blood cell) I could maintain. The chronic inflammation can deplete a lot of your body's nutrient and mineral reserves (I had to go on prescription vitamin D replacement as well).

The reason I stress this is that if you have thyroid problems, eating too many leafy greens and brassicas can be a minus, not a plus.

does cooking in cast iron really make your food higher in iron? and is it the absorbable kind of iron?

A couple of years ago, I was also diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. I agree with the poster who said to be sure to know exactly what you have and what your blood test numbers show. I can't stand liver; I could eat boatloads of spinach, and it wouldn't do anything; and I do try not to eat too much red meat for other health/dietary reasons.

I actually found a good iron supplement at my local health food store and discovered that my body reacted very well to it, so much so that I'm no longer on daily iron pills. I now just need them every so often when I'm overstressed or overtired. Unfortunately, this is now something I have to be extra cautious of the rest of my life, but when I finally got this diagnosis, it was so helpful as I thought I had something much more serious.

Remember, however, that caffeine and calcium will slow down the absorption of iron by the body (even in pill form) and that iron-rich foods (or pills) taken with Vitamin C-type foods/beverages help with the absorption of the iron. I would take the iron pill in the a.m. with a glass of juice and save the coffee for later.

Ditto the kudos for Floradix, a veg-based liquid supplement. When I was anemic, this brought my levels up in no time.

For ongoing dietary support, I eat tons of mussels and clams (helps to live on Puget Sound), leafy greens, cook in cast iron, and have roasted beets on my spinach salad 2-3 times a week.

tuna sandwiches, spinach salads at every meal, floradix, and kale were how i avoided getting a blood transfusion when i was at the worse of my anemia!

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=FL-1011&sourceType=cs&source=FG&cm_mmc=Shopping%20Engines-_-googleproduct-_-Floradix%20Iron%20%2B%20Herbs%20-%2017%20Fluid%20Ounces%20Liquid%20-%20Iron-_-FL-1011&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=FL-1011