Lentils have lots of nutritional goodies: half a cup cooked contains 8 grams of protein, 2 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 115 calories and no fat.

Add 1/4 cup cooked brown rice, 1/4 (15.5-ounce) can of chickpeas; simmer 5 minutes.

A serving is defined as one cup raw fruits or vegetables or cup cooked.

Vegetarian sources of iron include: 1 cup fortified cereal (Total Raisin Bran) 18 mg 1 cup cooked spinach 6.43 mg 1 cup instant fortified oatmeal 3.96 mg 1 cup cooked Swiss chard 3.95 mg 1 cup dried apricots 3.46 mg Vitamin C helps you absorb iron, so pair it with the foods above.

For the salad: 3 cups cooked wild rice 1/2 cup minced red and/or green bell pepper 3 tablespoons minced shallot Grated zest of two lemons 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 cup peanut oil Coarse and freshly ground black pepper.

Parsley Salad 4 cups Italian parsley leaves, very roughly chopped 1 cup cooked fine bulgur 2 scallions, minced 5 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons kosher salt Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Toss 3/4 cup cooked whole-grain fusilli or radiatore pasta with 1 teaspoon olive oil.

On this particular day in the kitchen, which looks out onto the dining room, Max counts the number of fish cakes already made - 22 - and his partner, Sasha, figures out that she needs 10 cups of water to cook 6 cups of rice.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES - 1/2 cup cooked or cut-up fruits or vegetables, 1 cup salad greens, 1 medium potato, orange, apple or banana, 3/4 cup fruit or vegetable juice.

KOREAN CRAB STEW (GAE-JANG) Time: 30 minutes 8 small or 4 large live blue or rock crabs 2 tablespoons dark miso 2 tablespoons light miso 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon go chu jang (chili bean paste), available in Korean markets 2 cups cooked short-grain white rice.