More cookware options. Which one is really best?

I’m so glad so many people enjoyed my last newsletter on safe vs. dangerous cookware options. If you happened to miss that newsletter, you can read it again here:

The Best and Healthiest way to cook your food

There was one very important cookware option that I did leave out and wanted to discuss today:

Cast Iron Cookware

Many people love their cast iron cookware, but unfortunately it may pose potential health dangers. Even if your cast iron pans are very well seasoned, you still run the risk of having high amounts of iron leach into your cooked food (acidic foods more than others).

Isn’t iron supposed to be a good thing?

Yes. Iron is quite necessary for your body to carry life giving oxygen to human blood cells and iron deficiency can lead to anemia and symptoms of fatigue and body weakness. But what many people don’t realize is that TOO much iron is just as dangerous, causing symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea and hemorrhaging (especially in children under the age of 3).

This is not a cause of concern for most people. If you are eating a diet that consists of healthy foods such as red meat, scallops, beans (such as chickpeas) and nuts (such as walnuts and almonds), you are consuming a healthy amount of iron and do not run the risk of consuming too much. But for those people who are heavily relying on their cast iron pans for most of their cooking, you’re increasing your iron intake by a significant amount.

For example, in spaghetti sauce, the iron increased from less than a milligram to nearly 6 mg per serving when cooked in cast iron and the amount of iron in applesauce increased from .35 mg to 7.3 mg in a 100g serving. Yes, acidic foods have been found to absorb the iron much more than other foods, but even scrambling eggs in cast iron caused the iron content to rise from 1.5 mg to almost 5 mg. The upper limit for iron consumption is set at 45 mg a day, compared with the recommended daily intake of 8 mg a day for men, 18 mg a day for pre-menopausal women and 27 mg a day for pregnant women. Now, I don’t think you need to spend your day counting iron milligrams. I just present these numbers to you so you can see how quickly cooking your food can add up to and potentially exceed the 45 mg upper limit.

As I suggested in my last newsletter, I still believe stainless steel cookware is one of the best options for cooking your food safely. I have just recently begun to research ceramic cookware which seems to also be an extremely healthy option and I just ordered my first ceramic pan this morning. I will be sure to let you know exactly how I like it before I make any recommendations on it.

With all this talk about cooking, many readers have written in asking me…

“Isabel, where do you buy most of your organic meat?”

I do occasionally buy some meat and fish products at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s but the bulk of my shopping for the best organic, free range and antibiotic and hormone free meat is online at www.grasslandmeats.com.

I also go on their website a lot for the delicious recipes they have, especially on a day when I’m undecided about what to make for dinner. Their website has a lot of delicious ideas for meals and helps me keep my family’s meals new and creative.

Here’s the one I picked out and will be making tomorrow. I’ve made this one before and can tell you it is super easy to prepare and as delicious as it sounds!

Black Bean Chili
www.grasslandmeats.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 15 1/2-oz. cans black beans, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup thick and chunky salsa
1 15 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes, do not drain
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.

I love recipes that I can set and forget and have dinner prepared when I get home from work. You can even put all the ingredients in the slow cooker at night, put it in the refrigerator and take it out in the morning and set it to cook before you leave for the day.

Let me know how you enjoy this chili!
 

In health and happiness,



Isabel De Los Rios
Certified Nutritionist
Certified Exercise Specialist
Author of TheDietSolutionProgram.com

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