By Dr. Ruth Christie

Are you feeling run down? Having difficulty focusing? Dealing with other strange symptoms like heavy periods or easy bruising? It might be time to check your iron levels! 

UNDERSTANDING IRON DEFICIENCY

Iron is important for everyone, but some populations, especially menstruating and pregnant individuals, children, adolescents, and young athletes need more iron and are at increased risk for deficiency. It can be tough to get enough iron from diet alone, particularly for folks following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Fortunately, this cookie recipe is packed with iron-rich ingredients and each cookie contains 10-30% of your daily iron needs depending on your individual requirement! It's also completely vegan and gluten-free, with options to use egg or all-purpose flour for folks who prefer a more traditional cookie. 

KNOW YOUR IRON NEEDS

Before you commit to dramatically increasing your iron intake, there are a few more pointers to consider:

• Iron is a very good thing, but too much iron is not a good thing. Iron overload can actually leave one feeling fatigued and mentally foggy much like iron deficiency. It can also be hard on the organs and brain over time. Never start an iron supplement before checking in with your healthcare provider.

• It's not all about quantity--iron quality is important too! Heme iron, primarily found in meat and seafood is more easily absorbed compared to non-heme iron which is found in plants. 

• Don't discount plant sources of iron even though they are harder to absorb! You can increase absorption by pairing iron-rich fruits and veggies with Vitamin C.

• Some foods and beverages interfere with iron absorption, especially calcium-rich dairy and tannins found in black tea and wine. If you are low on iron enjoy your wine and cheese away from your carefully planned spinach salad with steak…and skip the glass of milk with your cookie.  

IRON-RICH COOKIE RECIPE

Yield 32 cookies--2.43 mg iron per cookie 

WET INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses--28.8 mg iron

• 1/2 cup sunflower oil--0 mg iron

• 1/2 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato--0.4 mg iron (can use an egg if you prefer)

• 1/4 cup almond butter--2.4 mg iron

• 1/2 cup sugar (use evaporated cane juice for extra minerals)--2 mg iron

• 1 tsp-1Tbsp vanilla extract (I always like extra vanilla!)--0 mg iron

• 1/4 cup milk -1/2 cup (I use almond, any non-dairy milk will do)--0.025 mg iron

DRY INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup teff flour--8 mg iron

• 1 cup GF all-purpose flour (can use 1 1/4 cup all-purpose wheat flour if not gluten free)--0 mg iron

• 1/4 cup tapioca or arrowroot flour (omit if using wheat flour) 

• 1/2 tsp baking soda--0 mg iron

MIX-INS

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips--32 mg iron (may vary by brand)

• 1/2 rolled oats--2 mg iron

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts--0.8 mg iron

• 1/2 cup raisins (packed) --1.5 mg iron

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Combine wet ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then add mix-ins one by one. Form into balls using about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per scoop. Slightly flatten as you press it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 11 minutes--more or less time may be required based on your oven. The dough will be brown due to the molasses and teff flour so you may need to place a toothpick in the center of the cookie to make sure they are done. 

Total iron in recipe: 77.925 mg iron 

For more health-forward nutrition advice, schedule an appointment with our Essential Wellness team today!