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ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH IRON? Why is iron given so much attention? It's vital to good health. Without enough we feel tired, look pale, aren’t hungry and get irritable. Also. it's hard to find. The list of ironâ€"containing foods is comparatively short. The best sources are liver and kidney. â€" liverwurst sausage and liver Pate only contain half as much as plain liver. Red meats are the next best. but when one compares equal amounts of beef roast, it provides less than half the amount found in liver. If women and teen-agers had to rely on meat alone. they wouldn't get all the iron they need, We then must eat foods that supply small amounts more often. Enriched cereals, both hot and cold. bran muffins. whole wheat and enriched white bread don‘t have very much. but it all adds up, Wheat gerrn is a reasonable source. it can be sprinkled on cereals. added to muffins. biscuits and bread or as a topping for Casseroles. Dried beans are worth considering â€" along with brown barley. If they are combined with meat in dishes like chili. pork and beans. or beef and barley soup. you have a double helping. Iron from any plant source is not as easily absorbed as 'it is from animal foods. So to get the greatest nutritional value, include meat or some form of vitamin C in the same meal â€" and cook in cast iron whenever possible. Some fruits and vegetables such as blueberries. broccoli. green peas and surprisingly tomato juice and vitaminized apple juice have some iron. Guard against iron deficiency. choose the foods contain- ing iron to be included in your daily diet. Try to combine meat plus Vitamin C in the same meal. CHECK THE YOGURT LABEL Yogurt is a good food. Similar to the milk from which it‘s made. yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and ribofla- vin. It also offers high quality protein. but nothing magical. Not all yogurts are low in calories. They can vary with the style, flavoring, and type of milk used. Yogurt, similar to milk. varies in fat content. Look for the letters “BF” (butter fat) or “MF” (milk fat) on the container to check the fat content. The lower the number is. the fewer the calories. Some brands have cream or evapo- rated milk added and the plain varieties can reach as high as b3 percent BF, These rich. creamy kinds sli0u|d be eaten for enjoyment. not calorie control. If fruit. sweeteners or flavorings are added. calories are increased considerably and the total amount of fat in the container is altered. For example. when fruit is added to the 6.9 per cent BF yogurt, the fat declared on the label is 3.9 per cent. The richness of the yogurt has not been reduced. There's just less of it because it‘s diluted by the volume of the fruit and syrup. For flavor and reduced calories, choose a low fat variety and add your own unsweetened fruit. Yogurt can be used in place of sour cream but the flavor isn't as mellow. When cooking with yogurt, the creamier Swiss or stirred style tends to separate and curdle less than the regular or set kind, especially if the temperature is kept below the boiling point. With salad dressings. add yogurt at the last minute and use it up quickly to prevent separation. Yogurt adds good food value to meals and snacks. Since there is a considerable range in calories. check the butter fat level listed on the container to get the type you really want. N0 POT WATCHING WITH A SLOW COOKER A slow cooker offers busy homemakers convenience. economy. and more freedom from the kitchen. Foods can be prepared and refrigerated the night before. put in the pot in the morning and forgotten until dinner time when the meal is cooked. Pot roasts done in a slow cooker do not need pre- browning or added liquid. Since little moisture escapes from this appliance. enough will collect at the bottom around the roast as it cooks. Searing is important for stewing meat but a slow cooker will not get hot enough to do the job. Use a separate. heavy pan and include all the browned bits to give the gravy color and flavor. Don't be a pot watcher. It takes 20 minutes to replace the heat and steam lost each time the lid is lifted. Root vegetables such as carrots and turnips take long. slow cooking. Cut them in 2.5 cubic centimetre pieces and place under the meat when the liquid gathers. Green vegetA ables lose color. texture. flavor and food value if over- cooked. Add them only during the last ID to 20 minutes. Canned or thawed frozen vegetables require only five mi- nutes to heat through. Thicken sauces or gravy at the end of cooking. The quickest. easiest way is in a separate pot on top of the stove. Long cooking and the extra moisture that collects will dilute the strength of herbs and spices. Check for flavoring before serving. lf milk or cheese are called for. add at the end to prevent separation or curdling. Dried beans. a natural for a slow cooker. must be cooked on high heat for two to three hours, No amount of cooking will soften them on just a low setting. When tender. drain, combine them with the other ingredients. and simmer 8 to 12 hours. The long cooking time can reduce the common problem of intestinal gas. To get the best results from a slow cooker. give foods the special attention they need. A booklet put our/1y the Ontario Ministry of Ht’alfll is an excellent guide. There HFL’ quirk “pr alum! .tilflppfng. mt’al planning undfimdfor health and enjoyment. Jim u rump/E, WHAT ABOUT SLIMMING DOWN? That unwelcome bulge is likely due to less activity and the same old eating habits. Carrying more weight than you need is detrimental to your health and it makes getting around more difficult. too. Here are some tips for losing weight: I There is no quick magic way. Avoid crash diets. They may be dangerous and often have no lasting effects. Sensible eating combined with regular enjoyable exercise is more successful in the long term. - Stress more foods like lean. wellAtrimmed meats. plain fresh. frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. enriched or whole grain cereals and bread. two per cent or skim milk. cottage cheese or yogurt. a Watch your method of food preparation. Broil. roast or bake. Frying adds fat and calories. - Cut down on the amount of butter. margarine and sugar you add to foods. a Use milk in your coffee or tea. instead of cream. a Keep in mind that balance is the important thing. Don‘t cut out food groups 7 just eat smaller portions of the nutritious foods you need every day for good health. If you are interested â€" Ministry of Health. Hepburn Block. 80 Grosverior St.. Toronto. Ont. M7A 1R3 l l