I cook with the same cast iron skillet every single day. It sits on my stovetop, ready to go, and if you’re familiar with my recipes, you will notice the very same skillet in almost every single picture.
So what gives, Cristy? Why are you cast iron obsessed?
Let me tell ya – using cast iron has health benefits and packs a Popeye-punch, which is what I always look for in anything I eat. If you can amp your food up, nutritionally, I politely ask, why not dust off that old skillet and put it to use?
Guess who is rolling her eyes? Great grandma (she knew all along).
1.
Cast iron is essentially iron, meaning, a little chemistry is at play when we cook with it. It so happens when we cook with cast iron, it releases iron into the food we eat. Now, there are two components at play here, 1.) how much iron is transmitted, and 2.) how much we actually absorb.
In the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, it compared many foods cooked with cast iron. The results? Well, it can add iron levels anywhere from a conservative 8% to a resounding 2,000%!
2.
This leads me to synergistic food combining, which I teach in my health coaching program, Holistic Healing Solution. By pairing certain foods together you can amplify its mineral and vitamin density. In other words, knowing what foods to pair can have a dramatic impact on the nutritional value you receive. The same is true with cast iron…
In a 1991 article found in The Journal of Food Science found that moist, acidic foods had a greater propensity for transferring iron to foods cooked in cast iron. Think applesauce, eggs, or even spinach with lemon juice and maybe a little olive oil. If we can amplify the nutritional benefit of the food we eat, why not go for it? Instead of cooking with stainless steel, glass, or non-stick (no, don’t do it!), reach for the ole cast iron that has been collecting dust.
3.
Speaking of non-stick pans, you can avoid chemical exposure by using great grandma’s choice… yep, her cast iron skillet instead. Regardless of studies, claims, etc. about non-stick cookware, if it releases fumes, has the possibility of being carcinogenic (linked to cancer), is made with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and great grandma didn’t use it (my rule of thumb)… don’t use it. Let’s avoid using cookware that is still being studied, examined, and is considered “questionable”.
4.
Not only is cast iron going to give your food a much-needed iron boost and is safe to use, it also is easy to use. It is essentially non-stick when seasoned, doesn’t require soap to clean (just hot water and a good scrub brush), and is so strong and sturdy it will outlive any other non-stick skillet in your kitchen. Cast iron was built to last, is environmentally-friendly, is sustainable, all-natural, and an old fashioned answer to your every day kitchen needs.
Don’t let cooking with cast iron intimidate you. It will stand the test of time and I use it for virtually every dish I make. As mentioned, if you scroll through my recipes, you will notice almost everything I have made is with the very same tried-and-true cast iron skillet. Want to know my favorite? It is made by Lodge and is a Dutch oven and skillet (that also is the lid). I love it. I make frittatas, quiches, pizzas, stir fry, chips, and so much more with the same cast iron every day. In a mineral-deficient society, why not add a little extra iron from time to time?
