When your toddler was a baby you probably didn’t worry much about iron intake. Babies are born with a good six months worth of iron stored up in their bodies, and they continue getting iron from breast milk or formula. Once your child makes the transition to a diet consisting of mostly solid foods, it is important to make sure the food you serve has a enough iron to prevent anemia.
Our bodies need iron in order to produce hemoglobin, which helps blood carry oxygen throughout the body. Low iron levels can cause iron-deficiency anemia, which means oxygen is not sufficiently being supplied to body tissues. Among the problems caused by anemia are weakness, fatigue, and possibly more frequent infections in children.
Good Sources of Iron to Include in Your Child’s Diet
Toddlers need about 10 mg of iron per day. So how do you get there?
Meat is a great source of iron, and a smart choice because our bodies absorb more iron from it than other source of iron. If you happen to have one of the few children in the world who enjoy liver, your child can meet their daily iron requirement with one serving. Now, back to reality. Your toddler probably isn’t a big liver fan, so let’s explore other good sources of iron for your child.
A few good sources of iron are: whole grains, iron-fortified cereals, peanut butter (follow your doctor’s recommendation about what age to give peanut butter – it can be a choking or allergy hazard), eggs, oatmeal, cream of wheat, peas, prune juice, beans, potatoes, pumpkin, and raisins.
Iron is best absorbed by the body when consumed along with foods rich in vitamin C. Just because a food contains a decent amount of iron, it doesn’t necessarily mean the body will absorb and use all of the iron ingested. The type of iron, as well as the type of foods consumed along with the iron, determines the final amount of iron absorbed by the body.
Bagels are a pretty good source of iron. Consider serving them for breakfast along with eggs (or egg whites), and fruit (or 100% fruit juice). The vitamin C in the fruit will boost the body’s iron absorption. Oatmeal is another good iron-rich breakfast option, and just three ounces of Cream of Wheat contains 1/4 of the recommended daily intake of iron for a toddler.
If your child enjoys tuna sandwiches they can take in about 2.5 mg of the recommended 10 mg of iron by eating a tuna sandwich on two slices of whole wheat bread. Serve this with orange juice, tomato soup, or another food rich in vitamin C to boost the body’s iron absorption.
Not many toddlers will turn down french fries. Potatoes, especially with the skin on, are a good source of iron. Try baking french fries (with skin attached) for an iron-rich treat. If your toddler will eat sweet potato fries they are even higher in iron, and a good source of vitamin C as well.
Spaghetti with tomato sauce is a favorite of many children, and a good source of iron and vitamin C. Sneak some finely chopped spinach or broccoli into the sauce to add even more iron to the meal. (Read more about sneaking vegetables into your child’s food here.)
There are a lot of foods from the various food groups that are good sources of iron. If you know what your options are, it is not all that hard to create an iron-rich menu that your child will enjoy.
Sources:
Iron. Medline Plus.
Pumping Up Your Iron. Dr. Sears.
Iron deficiency anemia. Medline Plus.
Vitamin C. Yahoo! Food
