I know that I’m preaching to the choir when it comes to maintaining health through healthy eating. That is not to say that we can’t enjoy a dessert treat from time to time.

It’s what we do between the dessert treats that is important! Personally, I have recently adopted the habit of a friend of mine: no sweets until the week-end—then moderately. So far, I’m doing alright. However, I was surprised how often I would “roam” around the kitchen looking for a little sweet something. The challenge of working from home!

Instead of thinking about desserts, I’m focusing more on what my body needs to maintain health, strength, and a good night sleep. Enter Popeye — or the iron he got from eating spinach.

Iron is essential for building healthy muscles and maintaining healthy blood. The problem is getting enough of this essential vitamin into our diets. Women need 18 mg, and men need 8 mg, according the Recommended Dietary Allowance. Knowing what foods contain high sources of iron is helpful to maintaining the basic requirements.

According to the website, The Daily Green, the following foods are highest in iron:

Clams (3 oz), cold cereals, (check labels as the content is anywhere from 1-21 mg of iron), oysters, (3 oz), organ meats, soybeans (1/2 cup cooked), pumpkin seeds, (1 oz), white beans, black strap molasses (1 Tablespoon), lentils, (1/2 cup), spinach, (1/2 cup).

Now admittedly, some of their suggestions make me gag. I’m not a friend of organ meats of any kind—even though my mother ate liver at least once a week. Also, swallowing black strap molasses doesn’t sound that appetizing; but I honestly haven’t tried it—I prefer eating ginger snap cookies! But the rest, I can deal with.

So, let’s all try some of the recipes below and see how we feel. I figure if iron was so good for Popeye, it can also help me in my quest for good health.

Clams

Clams take the top prize for providing the most iron. Three ounces of the shellfish provide 23.8 mg of iron and 126 calories. They are also full of potassium and vitamin B12.

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Linguine and Clam Sauce

From Whole Foods Market
Serves 4 to 6

1 pound fresh linguine
2 cups dry Italian white wine, such as pinot grigio
1 dried bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
32 fresh clams such as littlenecks, scrubbed and rinsed well (about 3 ½ pounds)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Olive oil for garnish (optional)

1. Cook fresh pasta in boiling salted water following package instructions until al dente, about 4 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain pasta.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot bring white wine to a simmer over medium heat. Add bay leaf and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add clams and cover pot. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, shaking pot from time to time, until all or most of the clams open. Taste liquid and season with salt and pepper if needed. Cover to keep warm.

3. Add warm pasta to clams with parsley and toss. Discard any clams that have not opened. If pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water. Drizzle with a little olive oil if desired and serve immediately.

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Pumpkin Seeds

Just in time for the season, an ounce of roasted pumpkin and squash seed kernels contain 4.2 mg of iron and 148 calorie

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Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Pumpkin Seed Stuffing

From Chef Peter Berley
Serves 8

2 cups quinoa
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups diced onion
sea salt or Kosher salt
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped the size of raisins
1/4 cup dried currants
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
freshly ground black pepper
4 medium Delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes removed
extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

1. Adjust a rack to the middle shelf of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. Simmer the quinoa in 4 cups of water until fluffy, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. While the quinoa cooks, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, ginger, and sage.

4. Cover the pan and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes (add a tablespoon of water, if necessary, to prevent scorching.)

5. In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa and vegetables. Stir in the dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, and cinnamon, season with salt and pepper.

6. Brush the skin of the squash lightly with oil. Place the squash, cut side down, in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a snug single layer.

7. Pour 1/2-inch of boiling water into the pan and bake for 20 minutes (you want the squash to have softened slightly, but not completely). Transfer the squash to a plate and let rest until cool enough to handle.

8. Stuff the squash halves with the quinoa mixture, return them, stuffing-up, to the pan, and bake until the flesh can be easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes more.

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White Beans

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Minestrone Soup

Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 leeks, medium-sized, well washed and thinly sliced
4 cups organic chicken broth or stock
1 cup water
1 red potato, large-sized, scrubbed and diced
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup orzo pasta
15 ounces white beans, canned, drained and rinsed
2 zucchini, trimmed, quartered and thinly sliced
1 pound fresh spinach, washed, stems removed
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and water. Add potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

2. Add orzo and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for 5 minutes. Add beans and zucchini and continue to cook, partially covered, until the vegetables and pasta are tender, about 8 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season the soup with vinegar. Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan.

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