Can you get more iron in your diet by eating canned foods?

Question

I donate a lot of blood, and now that I'm a vegetarian my iron levels might not be where they were. I eat spinach and beans, so that helps, but I was wondering if I get any extra iron from canned foods. The cans are made of steel, which is mostly iron, and then heated to kill germs and what not. Usually when things get heated, it is easier to mix/exchange with other substances. I live out in the middle of nowhere, so most of what I eat is canned, and I don't want to take extra iron if it isn't necessary.

P.S. Don't give me any crap about processed foods not being as healthy. There is no health food store within 40 miles of me, and preservatives are not used in canning since the food is in a vacuum.

UPDATE: Does anyone know where to get cast iron cookware? The only place I ever remember seeing it is with camping supplies (I think the brand name was LODGE). Are these good enough or are they somehow different?

Answer 1

Buy a cast iron frying pan. I think that that would add more iron to your diet than canned. Lots of canned these days are lined. For the health aspects, buy frozen (less sodium, more vitamin retention) and cook in cast iron. Also, lentil soup is great with molasses added for maximum iron. Avoid calcium with high iron meals, because it blocks absorption. Add at least 60mg of vitamin C with high iron meals to maximize absorption.

Answer 2

You could get some from canned (tinned) food, but I doubt it would be significant enough to supplement your diet. Some iron can leach from cookware (especially high acidic foods cooked in cast iron) but you are better off relying on iron rich foods that fit your vegetarian choice of lifestyle to ensure you are getting the nutrition you need.

Some people are very concerned about mineral leaching (like iron and aluminium) from cans and cookware, you are the first person I've heard of looking for it to happen!


Lodge brand is the way to go, especially the pre seasoned stuff (already blackened). You can season it yourself, but it takes a while. You can find it at the Marts and other department stores or online.

Answer 3

I've never heard of that! Canning strips away many of the food's original nutrients, and worse, canned foods tend to be high in salt. Can you buy frozen veggies instead?

The only canned foods I really buy are chick peas (high in iron anyway) and other beans and some Chinese stir-fry veggies.

I'm not familiar with the camping store or brand you mentioned, but I would imagine that cast iron frying pans or loaf pans you use for camping would work just fine in your home. If there's a home supply store near you, you could ask them if they carry cast iron cookware.

Answer 4

So if you want to get iron, here is the things to eat:

Dried apricots, prunes, raisins, winter squashes, brussels sprouts, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, especially spinach, kale, and beet, as well as millet, wheat berries, garbanzos, soybeans, lentils, pumkin seeds, sungloer seeds, almonds and hiziki.

Answer 5

Lodge ware is very good quality. If you can afford it that would be the brand i would buy.