All toddlers and kids need iron. The vital nutrient is essential for their rapid growth. Moms need to ensure that their child’s intake of this important mineral is adequate. For that, they need to give their toddlers iron-rich foods combined with foods high in vitamin C to guard against iron deficiency.
Most kids are incredibly fussy while having food. You may get worried that your kid may not be having enough nutrition for his overall growth. Your kid may refuse food several times before he eats but do not get discouraged. Try giving food that contains iron and encourage your toddler to eat a wide variety of foods.
Toddlers and kids need iron as it helps to create haemoglobin that carries oxygen to all other cells in the body. If your toddler lacks iron, he is at risk of developing anaemia. Further, your child may develop weakness, fatigue, or have the inability to fight common infections. It may also lead to growth deficiencies, learning problems, and behavioural issues.
Sources of Iron
Iron can be found naturally in animal and plant foods. Heme iron can be consumed from animal products such as red meat, seafood and poultry. Non-heme iron can be found in plant sources. Some of the best non-heme iron-rich foods that could be a part of your toddler’s diet include leafy dark green vegetables like turnip greens, kale, broccoli, tofu, hummus, oatmeal, enriched bread, pastas and cereals, figs, lentils or beans.
However, if your kid is a pure vegan than it is advisable to consume 1.8 times more iron required for their age group. As your child becomes 4-6 months old, you can start giving iron-rich cereals or pureed beans. Your toddler can also have iron sources paired with a vitamin C such as lemon or orange so that the body can absorb the iron well.
Here are 10 interesting iron-rich foods that moms can begin for toddlers and kids:
Iron-fortified Cereals
Several breakfast cereals made for children are fortified with iron. The iron content is sufficient to meet the kid’s requirements.
Cereals can be a great start to the day for kids. They need iron to replenish their energy. For instance, you can supplement to your toddler’s cereal or oatmeal with some blueberries or strawberries for added vitamin C. You can also give some crunchy nut cornflakes or cream of wheat for breakfast.
Non-heme Iron Rich Food With The Vitamin C For Toddlers
You can increase the iron intake of your toddler by pairing non-heme foods with vitamin C rich foods like sweet potatoes, broccoli, citrus fruits, tomatoes and berries. For instance, you can give hummus with chopped tomatoes and red peppers to your toddler.
You can also give iron-enriched pasta with broccoli to your toddler. Your toddler will simply love this tasty snack.
Beans and Pulses For Meals
As a mom, you can encourage your toddler to have beans and pulses in the meals. White beans are one of the richest sources of iron. You can put them in the daily diet of your kids.
For your toddler, you can boil beans and pulses together, puree them and add a tablespoon of butter to it. Your toddler will love to consume it.
Soyabeans, kidney beans, lima beans, lentils and other beans and pulses are iron-rich foods, and also contain fiber and other required vitamins and minerals. For instance, you can give water of the boiled pulses, with butter and cinnamon powder and offer it as a soup to your kid. If your child is a bit older, you can shape the cooked patties and put them in a sandwich or shallow fry it on a pan.
You can also blend chickpeas to make the hummus for your toddler. You can also serve baked beans to your kid. A side of mashed sweet potato adds the vitamin C and enhances the taste of the dish.
Oatmeal is a Nutritious Snack
Most of the toddlers love to have oatmeal as a snack. Nutritious, filling wholesome and iron-rich, they are a perfect breakfast for toddlers.
For instance, you can add some brown sugar to make it more appetizing for your kid. You can also add a handful of raisins to increase levels of iron. You can also give iron-fortified oatmeal with strawberries or kiwi.
Nutritious Eggs for kids
All toddlers love hard-boiled eggs. You can add a pinch of salt and butter and give it as a snack to your kid.
Eggs contain iron and are a healthy nutritious meal for your kid. You can give fried egg sandwiches to your kid. Lightly fry the eggs and put it in a sandwich with mayonnaise sauce in it. The whole wheat bread adds to the iron content.
You can also try scrambled eggs for your kid. You can add chopped spinach to omelets and scrambled eggs or add eggs in rice and noodle dishes.
Nuts and Sandwiches with Peanut Butter
Nuts like cashews and pistachios have all the essential nutrients and are an excellent source of iron. Try to avoid giving whole nuts to toddlers as they may find it difficult to chew. Instead, you can give some crushed nuts on milk or dessert or spread nut butter on crackers or whole grain bread.
Peanut butter is a great option for toddlers who refuses to eat meat. It has protein, iron and healthy fats. For instance, for an ideal breakfast, you can give your kids peanut butter and banana sandwiches of whole wheat bread that can have around 1 mg of iron. You can also give toasted peanut butter and honey for evening snacks.
Encourage Your Toddler to Eat Vegetables
Your toddler may be fussy about eating vegetables. You can make a vegetable puree that is iron rich and nutritious for your kid. For instance, your toddler will love to have pureed spinach mixed in watermelon and a slice of avocado to prepare a smoothie.
You can also boil and puree broccoli and blend it with honey and figs to prepare an appetizing delicacy.
Fruits Contain a Lot of Iron
You can pamper your child with tasty fruit treats. Prepare a fruit smoothie blended with little yoghurt or honey for your toddler.
You can also prepare an iron-rich fruit popsicle for your toddler. For instance, certain fruits such as prunes, watermelon, dried apricots, raisins or cherries contain iron as well as vitamin C. A quarter cup of raisins has about 1 mg of iron.
Chicken
Most of the kids love to gorge on chicken meat. They are tasty and rich in iron. You can cut chicken slices, bake it and fill it in a sandwich or roll out a roti made of wheat flour and stuff it with minced chicken.
You can also make chicken soups for your toddler. Kids also love shredded chicken pieces mixed with rice for lunch or dinner. You can also serve chicken nuggets for your toddler occasionally as they usually contain high levels of sodium and saturated fats.
Fish
Fish is an excellent source of protein. They are highly nutritious and helps in the development of the brain as it contains omega-3 fatty acids.
Try to include fish into your toddler’s diet as it contains iron too. For instance, canned tuna has 1mg of iron per serving. You can serve it in a sandwich or mix tuna with avocado for a creamier dip so that the toddlers can put crackers into it. Other fish that can be included in your kid’s meal are mackerel and salmon.
Your toddler may take time to adjust to healthy eating. But with persistent commitment, your toddler will eventually learn to enjoy a wide variety of iron-rich foods.
Try the above recipes, and your picky toddler will keep asking for more!
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