Iron Rich Foods for Toddlers

Iron is one of the most important minerals in the human body mainly responsible for the passage of oxygen to all parts and carbon dioxide back to lungs for purification. Hemoglobin is the carrier of iron and thus loss of blood through injuries or low red blood cell count leads to deficiency of this vital mineral. However, the best part is, a good healthy diet incorporating high iron foods can help overcome this deficiency easily. Also, children in their growing stages require iron to keep them fit and strong.

Underweight babies or babies which have been born prematured are at a higher risk of suffering from iron deficiency anemia. One might get confused, what are iron rich foods for babies, since the options are terribly low in their case. However, an anemic baby gets the required amounts of iron from the breast milk itself. Just born babies or less than 4 months old can be fed with mother's milk or by iron fortified baby formulas. Later on, after 6 months, they can be fed with iron fortified baby cereals as well which are available in the market as Instant Oatmeal, Ready-to-eat Cereals, and Grits. Although, you have to make sure that they respond positively to such foods for instance when you are making cereals, make sure you make a very soft paste which is comfortable for them to swallow. Gradually, as the age of your baby increases, it would be easier for you to feed him/her with the above fortified baby foods and foods rich in iron mentioned below. Iron intake not more than 7.8mg per day is considered optimum for babies.

When it comes to toddlers, the iron enriched food options increase. Below is the list of foods rich in iron for toddlers which should be a part of their regular diet to help prevent anemic condition which causes headaches, weakness and mainly fatigue.

• Liver
• Lean red meats, beef, pork and lamb
• Seafoods like oysters, clams, tuna, salmon, shrimp, sardines, mackerel, trout and kippers
• Beans including kidney, lima, navy, black, pinto, soy beans, and lentils
• Breads
• Rice
• Green vegetables including collards, kale, mustard green, spinach and turnip
• Tofu
• Iron rich vegetables like broccoli, swiss chard, asparagus, parsley, watercress, Brussels sprouts
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Pumpkin and Squash seed kernels
• Prune juice
• Tomato puree
• Blackstrap molasses
• Watercress
• Egg yolk
• Fruits like strawberries, bananas, blueberries and raspberries
• Flaxseed
• Wheat germ
• Legumes
• Cornmeal
• Dried fruits like raisins, dates, nuts and apricots

Although the list is quite evident with varied options, many of the above iron rich foods for children are not liked by them. To substitute these, there are many fortified formulas available in market which incorporate iron in them, by processing. Different pastas and breads fortified with iron is a good and a safe option to opt for in this case.

So you have given up since your child is too resistant in eating the above iron rich foods, then a better way to do is to make a recipe which will be healthy and would do the needful as well. Check out the recipe given below.

Iron Rich Veggie Casserole
Ingredients
Mushrooms (sliced), broccoli, asparagus (chopped), baby spinach, cheese (half slice shredded), skimmed milk (one cup), garlic powder (one tablespoon), condensed mushroom soup (one can).

Procedure
Bake mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus and spinach in an oven preheated to 350 degrees°F in a baking tray. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients in a bowl and pour them over the baked vegetables. Sprinkle cheese on top and again bake for 45 minutes. Your iron rich recipe is ready to serve!

Excluding the one above, there are many recipes which you can experiment at home. In any which way, iron consumption is of utmost importance. I hope the above list of iron rich foods for toddlers will help maintain good iron levels. Before feeding iron rich foods to your baby, it's better to consult a dietitian or doctor. Take care.