Why it works for iron
Mussels are among the richest everyday sources of iron, and most of it is heme, which gets in easily. They are cheap, quick to cook and sold frozen, so this one works from the freezer too.
- Iron from
- Mussels
- Helped by
- Tomato, parsley, lemon juice
- In the way
- Nothing: no dairy, tea or coffee
Heme iron, from meat and fish, gets in on its own and helps the plant iron beside it in too.
Ingredients
- 500 g mussels in their shells, about 150 g meat
- 200 g tomato passata
- 60 g dry pasta, not wholegrain
- A bunch of parsley
- ½ lemon, 2 tsp olive oil
- Garlic, chilli flakes
Method
- 1
Cook the pasta. Warm the garlic and chilli in the oil, add the passata and simmer 5 minutes.
- 2
Add the cleaned mussels, cover and cook 4–5 minutes, until they open. Throw away any that stay shut.
- 3
Toss with the pasta, parsley and lemon.
Drink water with it. Have coffee or tea 1 hour before or 2 hours after, as they hold plant iron back.
