Health Benefits of Cooking with Cast Iron

by Doug M

cast-iron-banner-kitchen-professorLiving a healthier lifestyle has many benefits, both now and into the future; you will feel better now, have more energy, and hopefully enjoy a longer, more active, life.

So what keeps us from being healthier? Two factors are money and time.

Organic groceries cost more, and often it is less expensive to take a quick trip through the fast food restaurant than cooking at home.

Cast Iron Is A Gateway To Healthier Eating

A great way to meet your goal of “being healthier” is to break down that big, hard to define goal into a smaller, easy to attain and measure goal. And I’ve got one for you that should help you get started in the right direction – cook more with cast iron.

If you don’t own cast iron already, it is only a small monetary investment, and cooking with cast iron doesn’t take any more time than cooking in a non-stick pan.

Get More Iron In Your Diet

There are many health benefits to cast iron, but I think the biggest one is getting more iron in your diet. In fact, the CDC states that iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States.

wagner-1056-pre-heatingIron is an important mineral our body needs, to carry oxygen throughout our body and to help our muscles store oxygen. Having too little iron in our diets can cause fatigue, mental issues, and decreased immune function, to name a few. Iron rich foods include red meat, pork, poultry, beans and spinach.

Cast Iron is not just a clever name, it is actually made of iron! When you cook in a cast iron skillet or pot, you can add up to 80% more iron into your food. This is important, because the process of cooking food actually can decrease the amount of iron in it in some cases.

Also, how great is it to get more of a mineral without actually having to pay for the cost of the supplements, as well as the mental energy it requires to remember to take it?! An adequate amount of iron in the diet is important for everyone, but especially for infants and young children, pregnant women, or those on kidney dialysis treatment.

Avoid the Chemicals in Non-Stick Cookware Using Teflon

Cooking with cast iron has another benefit – you are NOT cooking with a “non-stick” skillet. The best known type of coating for a “non-stick” skillet is Teflon.

There have been conflicting studies over whether or not this coating is safe, but webMD reported that when they are overheated, “the coating may begin to break down…and toxic particles and gases” can be released. Also, with these types of pans you have to be careful not to chip or damage the pan, because this makes it more likely that the pan will release toxic chemicals.

If you use cast iron cookware, you don’t have to worry about overheating or chipping. Cast iron is virtually indestructible.

The Seasoning of Cast Iron

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One of the unique features of cast iron is the “seasoning.” There are some great resources out there to learn how to properly season a cast iron pan, but in short this means the pan has a thin coating or layer of fat that becomes the foundation of your cooking surface. It also has the benefit of protecting your pan from rust and extending its life (that is why you can still cook with grandma’s or great-grandma’s cast iron skillet).

Because you have this “seasoning,” you have a non-stick surface and don’t have to use as much oil to cook your food. In fact, if you have a well seasoned skillet, you may not have to use any oil at all.

If you don’t already own cast iron, never fear, it is readily available. A popular modern cast iron brand is “Lodge,” located in South Pittsburgh, TN. You could also browse through garage sales, ebay, or antique shops to try and find a vintage pan manufactured by someone like “Wagner.”

You may be overwhelmed by the large variety of cast iron available as well. There are skillets, dutch ovens, griddles and bakeware to name a few. There is also “enameled” cast iron, which is more expensive, and won’t give you the same health benefits of additional iron as the bare cast iron will.

If you already own cast iron but weren’t using it, start using it today and the benefits are immediate. If you are new to cast iron, buy a skillet (you should be able to find one for under $30, and throw out your old non-stick skillet (trust me – you will never miss it).

You can start using this skillet for every meal (eggs at breakfast, press a sandwich at lunch, cook your lean chicken at dinner), and immediately start enjoying health benefits without an extra pill, extra workout, or changing anything in your routine.

(This post is by Doug who blogs at The Kitchen Professor. He likes to take a practical approach to cooking and tends to geek out on the science of cooking. The tagline is nerdy stuff about food so that should give you an idea about Doug. Learn more about The Kitchen Professor.)

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About Health on a Budget 365 Articles
We provide resources to eat and live healthy on a budget. Health on a budget is a lifestyle that allows you to live a happy healthy life while saving money.

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