Waking up in the mornings have become exponentially more difficult, and now I’ve discovered a direct correlation as to why I’ve been feeling that way. I have iron deficient anemia and I’ve been forgetting to take my supplements. Having iron deficient anemia isn’t anything terrible, but it can cause lethargy. A major part of the reason why I’m iron deficient is because I’m a vegetarian and the best way to obtain iron is through red meats.
Why iron deficiency causes lethargy is because iron is a main component in the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. This hemoglobin in your red blood cells helps transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. If you are low in iron, then your red blood cells may not have enough hemoglobin to transport the oxygen to the many parts of your body, which in turn, an make you feel fatigued (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute).
Since lentils are a good source of iron, I’ve been attempting to incorporate them into my daily diet a bit more to increase the levels of iron in my blood. Although we have lentils and beans in our soups, I figured that this weekend I’d try to roast them to change things up a little.
These roasted garlicky lentils are so tasty and fun to munch on when you’re doing work or hanging out with friends. They’re the perfect healthy replacement for potato chips and are also wonderful sources of protein and fiber.
- ½ cup dried lentils
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp pepper
- water
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Put the dried lentils into a pot and cover them with about an inch of water. Bring the water to a boil before lowering the heat and simmering the lentils covered for about 18 minutes. Drain the water out of the pot.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil with all of the seasoning. Pour the mixture over the lentils and stir so that the lentils are evenly coated. Spread the lentils over a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. Make sure they're spread apart and that none are on top of each other.
- Bake them for about 12 minutes. Stir the lentils around and then bake them for another 12 minutes to make the crunch. Check on your lentils to make sure they don't burn.
- Remove them from the oven, add more salt and pepper if needed, and let them cool on the pan before pouring them into a bowl or airtight container.
Crunchy goodness for your body and taste buds. I adapted this recipe from Food Fitness Fresh Air. Eat up! I hope you’re all ready for Monday and that you make time to roast a batch of these guys sometime this week. Good night!
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