THE PALAK PANEER STORY
If you thought eating palak paneer is a great source of iron,reading this article might change your thinking.

Palak paneer, a popular Indian dish is made by combining pureed spinach and paneer. Spinach is thought of as a good source of iron and paneer a milk product as a source of calcium. So a combination of both in a single preparation is thought to be a good source of both iron and calcium especially for kids who would normally not eat spinach in any other form. The fact however is something different.

Palak paneer provides calcium and very little iron. You may wonder why and this article tells you the reasons.

Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled.

It is a rich source of vitamin A (and lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach. It is a source of folic acid (Vitamin B9), and this vitamin was first purified from spinach. To benefit from the folate in spinach, it is better to steam it than to boil it. Boiling spinach for four minutes can halve the level of folate.

Spinach is considered to be a rich source of iron. For example, the United States Department of Agriculture states that a 180 g serving of boiled spinach contains 6.43 mg of iron, whereas one 170 g ground hamburger patty contains at most 4.42 mg.
The bioavailability of iron is dependent on its absorption.

This is influenced by a number of factors.

Iron enters the body in two forms: nonheme iron and heme iron. All of the iron in grains and vegetables, and about three fifths of the iron in animal food sources (meats), is nonheme iron. The much smaller remaining portion from meats is heme iron. The iron in spinach is poorly absorbed by the body unless eaten with vitamin C. The type of iron found in spinach is non-blood (non-heme), a plant iron, which the body does not absorb as efficiently as blood (heme) iron, found in meat.The larger portion of dietary iron (nonheme) is absorbed slowly in its many food sources, including spinach. This absorption may vary widely depending on the presence of binders such as fiber or enhancers, such as vitamin C. Therefore, the body's absorption of non-heme iron can be improved by consuming foods that are rich in vitamin C. However, spinach contains iron absorption inhibiting substances, including high levels of oxalate which can bind to the iron to form ferrous oxalate, which renders iron in spinach unusable by the body.
Spinach also has a high calcium content. However, the oxalate content in spinach also binds with calcium decreasing its absorption. Calcium and zinc also limit iron absorption.[9] The calcium in spinach is the least bioavailable of calcium sources.[10] By way of comparison, the body can absorb about half of the calcium present in broccoli, yet only around 5% of the calcium in spinach.

Spinach, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 97 kJ (23 kcal)
Carbohydrates 3.6 g
Sugars 0.4 g
Dietary fiber 2.2 g
Fat 0.4 g
Protein 2.2 g
Vitamin A equiv. 469 μg (52%)
Vitamin A 9400 IU
- beta-carotene 5626 μg (52%)
- lutein and zeaxanthin 12198 μg
Folate (Vit. B9)194 μg (49%)
Vitamin C 28 mg (47%)
Vitamin E 2 mg (13%)
Vitamin K 483 μg (460%)
Calcium 99 mg (10%)
Iron 2.7 mg (22%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.Source: USDA Nutrient database
Paneer is a milk product and contains calcium.Tbe calcium in paneer in fact inhibits the iron absorption in spinach further when combined to make palak paneer.

Thus the spinach in palak paneer provides very little iron. In fact spinach by itself provides very little iron due to its calcium and oxalate content. To improve the iron absorption from spinach adding lemon juice a source of vitamin C helps.

IRON ------
It's all in the diet. Getting the right amount of iron and other nutrients from food is very important. As we grow older we need more iron and nutrients, but tend to pay less and less attention to what we're eating. A little care with diet can help keep anemia at bay.
Iron is found in two different forms in foods. They are called 'Haeme' and 'Non Haeme' iron. Animal foods like meat, fish, poultry, egg etc contain iron in its haeme form while the non-haeme form of iron is found in all plant foods.

Haeme iron is more easily absorbed than non-haeme iron and hence animal foods are considered to be a comparatively better source of iron. But vegetarians need not despair, for there are plenty of iron rich plant sources as is demonstrated

• Eat iron-rich legumes - Dried beans and peas are the most iron-rich plant sources in our diet. Soya bean is a valuable source of iron, vitamin B12 and protein. To combat anaemia add a quarter cup of soya bean in the form of beans or flour to your diet everyday. The simplest way is to add 100 gms of soya flour to 1 kg of wheat flour to make chapattis.
• Add on Vitamin C - Good news for vegetarians: vitamin C enhances the absorption of non-haeme iron from vegetables, fruits and fortified cereals. A glass of fresh orange juice with breakfast can more than double the amount of iron your body absorbs. Remember however that Vitamin C and iron work only when eaten together
• Cook in iron pots - In the old days the iron that leached into food from iron cooking pots and pans was the best unintentional fortification. Although an iron pot can only add non-haeme iron, it can make a big difference to your diet. So try to use iron pots and pans whenever practical.
• Add some fortified foods to your diet - Boost your iron intake by adding iron fortified or enriched breakfast cereals to your diet.
• Try to avoid refined and processed foods - Go easy on maida, pasta, noodles, polished rice, ready-to-eat foods, etc. Try to replace sugar with jaggery, which is a rich source of iron.
• Beware the calcium effect - Don't combine an iron-rich meal with too many cheese sauces and milk shakes. Milk and cheese don't contain the animal protein factor, and can in fact slightly inhibit iron absorption, primarily because of the high calcium and phosphate content.
• Don't drink tea or coffee with your meals - The tannins in these beverages bind with iron, making less of it available to your body. A cup of tea with breakfast can block three-fourths of the iron that you would have otherwise absorbed.
• Take supplements if required - Pregnant women need iron supplements since it's extremely difficult to meet the increased demand for iron through meals.

Calcium Sources
Calcium laden foods….
1.Dairy products like milk, curds, cheese, paneer and buttermilk.
2.Green leafy vegetables like spinach, amaranth. colocasia, fenugreek etc. and other vegetables like broccoli.
3.Whole cereals specially ragi.
4.Pulses like moong, moath beans, chana, rajma etc. Sprouted pulses are a better source of calcium as sprouting increases the calcium content.
5.Soya and its products like soya milk, soyabeans, tofu, soya granules and soya nuggets.
6.Nuts and oilseeds like almonds, walnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds (til) etc.