Haemoglobin rebuilds from your plate. Here is one practical week — regular kitchen, no imported superfoods — designed to refill what you gave.
The rules that run all week
- Vitamin C with every iron meal (lemon, amla, orange, tomato) — it multiplies plant-iron absorption
- Tea/coffee at least an hour away from meals — they are iron’s biggest enemy in an Indian diet
- Cook in a cast-iron kadhai when you can — it genuinely adds iron
The week
Day 1: Breakfast — poha with peanuts + lemon. Lunch — rice, dal palak, aloo bhaji, curd. Dinner — roti, chana masala, salad. Snack — 3 dates + jaggery square.
Day 2: Besan chilla with tomato chutney. Rajma-chawal with cucumber. Roti, egg curry (or paneer bhurji). Snack — orange.
Day 3: Upma with peanuts and veggies. Palak dal + rice + aloo. Roti, dal makhani, amla juice. Snack — til (sesame) laddoo.
Day 4: Idli + sambar ( lentils + veg). Chole + rice + salad. Roti, bhindi, dal. Snack — peanut chikki.
Day 5: Daliya/veg oats. Sambhar rice + beans poriyal. Roti, kala chana, lemon. Snack — dates + milk (milk away from the iron meals).
Day 6: Sprout chaat with lemon + tomato. Fish curry + rice (or dal + baingan). Roti, mixed veg, dal. Snack — jaggery + roasted chana.
Day 7: Masala omelette + toast (or poha). Chicken pulao (or soya pulao) + raita. Khichdi + papad + lemon. Snack — fruit of choice.
The 2-week footnote
Red cells take 2-4 weeks to fully rebuild; keep the rotation running beyond day 7 if you can. And when your next interval clears — the register knows first.