Nutrition for Lead Safety

Nutrition plays a vital role in the prevention of lead poisoning. Our bodies need certain amounts of calcium, iron, and vitamin C in order to function properly. If the body lacks sufficient amounts of these nutrients, it will more easily absorb any lead that has been ingested. A balanced diet rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C is an essential part of keeping you and your children lead safe.

Foods that are high in fat actually increase the body’s lead absorption. Avoid fast food, doughnuts, potato chips, and fried foods. Use less butter, oil, lard, and margarine when cooking.

There are many excellent cookbooks available to help you find healthy, low-fat recipes. Visit the bookshelf at your local library or food cooperative for an introduction to cooking with whole, unprocessed, nutritional ingredients.
Here are some great sources of lead-safe nutrients:

CALCIUM RICH FOODS

_ Low-fat milk
_ Low-fat yogurt
_ Cheese, including low-fat cottage and hard cheeses
_ Green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, collards, and spinach
_ Calcium-enriched products, including soy milk and orange juice

IRON RICH FOODS

_ Lean red meat
_ Chicken and turkey
_ Seafood
_ Tofu
_ Beans, peas, and lentils
_ Iron-fortified breakfast cereals
_ Dark green and leafy vegetables
_ Dried fruit, including raisins
_ Peanut butter
_ Wheat germ

FOODS HIGH IN VITAMIN C

_ Oranges and orange juice
_ Grapefruit and grapefruit juice
_ Potatoes cooked in the skin (baked, sliced thin then grilled in foil, or boiled)
_ Tomatoes
_ Dark green and leafy vegetables

CLEARCorps’ Easy Tips for a Lead-Safe Diet

Yogurt Parfaits make a delicious and pretty snack or dessert for kids and adults, and are easy to make, low in fat, and high in calcium, iron, and vitamin C. In a clear glass or plastic cup, alternate layers of nonfat vanilla or flavored yogurt with iron-fortified crunchy cereal (raisins are a plus!) and sliced fresh or frozen strawberries or canned mandarin oranges.

Improvise salads using bagged salad green mixes, nuts, drained canned beans, shredded or cubed low-fat cheeses, fruit such as oranges, strawberries, or grapefruit, and tomatoes. Top with a fat-free salad dressing, or make one using plain nonfat yogurt, a little lemon juice, garlic, some chopped fresh herbs and salt and pepper.

Make sandwich spreads with canned seafood (salmon or tuna) mixed with nonfat yogurt or sour cream, chopped onion, chopped celery, and a squirt of lemon juice.
Freeze yogurt or orange juice in small paper cups. Add tongue depressors to make popsicles.

Kids love yogurt. Buy plain, nonfat yogurt in large containers, and mix it with fresh, canned, or frozen fruit. For a more expensive treat, purchase pre-packed yogurt in individual squeeze tubes. Freeze them for a summer snack.
Canned salmon is a great source of calcium if you mash the soft, edible bones up and eat them along with the fish. Look for salmon loaf recipes, or low-fat cream of salmon soup. Top a handful of washed spinach with a small can of salmon, add shredded carrots and sliced cucumber. Serve with a teaspoon of your favorite oil-based salad dressing.

Peanut butter spread on sticks of celery and topped with raisins makes a delicious, high-iron snack that kids enjoy making for themselves. Or spread peanut butter on apple halves.

Boxed rice mixes can be served with any kind of canned bean for a hot, satisfying meal. Try spanish rice mix with black beans, rice pilaf with kidney beans, etc. Add a can of stewed tomatoes to increase the lead-safety factor of the dish. Serve with hot sauce or dried-fruit chutney and steamed broccoli. Make enough to pack for the next day’s lunch.

Experiment with cooked, leafy green vegetables. Saute an onion in 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add as much chopped garlic as you wish; two to three cloves at least. Add washed, chopped greens, such as kale, chard, spinach, or collards, and cook until just tender. Finish the dish with a splash of vinegar, soy sauce, or any prepared Asian cooking sauce. For a variation, toss in a can of black-eyed peas or navy beans. Check out your local farmers market in the summer for a wonderful variety of inexpensive greens.