How Important are these Iron Rich Foods for your Child? Do you really have to Worry about your Child’s Iron Level? The answer would be ‘YES’ because it’s important for Healthy Red Blood Cell development. Your Child Brain Development is also linked with the Iron Intake.
Children who have Iron Deficiency becomes Anemia, and they have Less Energy as compared to other children of their age. Parents must start feeding the Babies with Iron Contain Foods once they are 6 Month Old.
Iron is an important component of hemoglobin, enzymes, and myoglobin which perform vital functions in the human body. And Iron Deficiency can affect your child’s growing organs, tissues, and the whole system in the body. Therefore, every mother must consider adding Iron Rich Foods in their Child Diet.
How Much Iron Does a Child Need?
0 – 6 months = 0.27 milligrams a day
7 – 12 months = 11 milligrams a day
1 – 3 years (Toddlers) = 7 milligrams a day
4 – 8 Years = 10 milligrams a day
General Feeding Tips to Consider for Babies and Toddlers
- Once the Baby is 6 Month Old, start giving him or her Cereals filled with full of Iron.
- Choose the Cereals Brands which emphasize in the Nutrition Facts and that have 45% of the daily value for iron.
- Cook Homemade food for your child and include Eggs, Tofu, Fish, Chicken and beans and other legumes, etc, in his Diet.
- Avoid Adding Sugar and Salt to your Baby Food until they are 1 Year Old.
- Slowly and Slowly add the new dishes in your Baby’s Food.
- If you notice iron deficiency symptoms in your child like pale skin, lack of energy, and breathlessness, immediately contact our child pediatrician.
12 Best Iron Rich Foods for Babies and Toddlers
1# Iron-Fortified Cereal – Whether its a breastfeed or formula feed baby, the don’t get enough Iron. Iron is extremely important for the growth and development of babies. Therefore, Babies are given Iron Drops for their First Year, to maintain the body balance.
2# White Beans – They are loaded with iron, calcium, B vitamins, and fiber that help nourish your baby’s growing body. But, it’s advisable to check whether that your baby doesn’t have a bean or legume allergy.
3 # Dark Chocolate – If your Baby is fond of Chocolate, then you should prefer to give Dark chocolate instead of Milk Chocolate. As they have less sugar as compared to milky chocolates. They are full of minerals like zinc, potassium, iron, and selenium. And, loaded with nutrients, healthy fats, and anti-oxidants.
4 # Beef Liver – Chicken Liver is highly recommended as it contains high amounts of vitamin A and Beef is full of Iron and Zinc. And, Vitamin A is very good for growling babies and helps in developing immune systems.
Parents should consider adding Liver in their Baby’s Food, once they are 6 Month Old. You can start giving them in small and sliced pieces, and sauteed them and give as Finger Food. When you’re cooking the liver, make it sure that it doesn’t get hard or too dry, otherwise it will be very hard for your child to eat them.
5 # Lentils – It Contain Iron, Protein, Fiber, Minerals, and Vitamin B. Babies Parents must include Red Lentils, Green Lentils, and Brown lentils in their Baby Diet. The best part is that its very easy to cook them and if you twist the recipe a little bit your baby will love it.
In Countries like India, Lentils are used in Everyday Cooking and Almost Whole Family loves to have different kinds/types of Lentils.
6 # Spinach – Spinach Puree is the Best Food Recipes for Babies, they are rich in Vitamins A, C, and K, Magnesium, Iron, and Manganese. Spinach is also good for Babies Constipation. It helps in smoothing the Baby’s Tummy and provide them relief. There are many recipes of Spinach Purees online available like Spinach + Apple, Spinach + Carrot, and Spinach Soup, etc.
7 # Tofu – It’s a little bit difficult for vegetarian parents to fulfill their child protein requirements as compared to non-vegetarian parents. But, Tofu is considered to be the Best Replacement for Chicken, Beef, and Meat. They are loaded with lots of protein, iron, calcium, fibre, and various other nutrients.
8 # Kidney Beans – For Babies, they are full of iron, fibre, and protein. You will find Red kidney bean (also known as Rajma), Lightly speckled kidney bean, Red kidney bean, and White kidney bean (known as lobia in India).
9 # Chickpeas – The Best time to introduce your baby to Chickpeas is when he or she is 8 Months Old. Helps in Baby’s Brain Development, Strengthens Bones and Muscles, Prevent Anaemia, and Good for Overall Growth and development of Babies.
10 # Cashew nuts – It helps in preventing anemia and boosts child immunity. Manu children cannot eat the whole cashew nut, therefore you can make the small bites for them.
Some parents add cashew nut and kismis together as a morning or evening snack. Giving 5 to 6 Cashew Nuts every day will be a great idea and it will help in developing the muscle, nerves, and bones.
11 # Almonds – Almonds are extremely healthy for babies and toddlers, they are good for kid’s Brain Development, and bone growth and development. Almonds are rich in phosphorous, vitamins, and minerals.
Add 4 to 5 Almonds to your child’s daily diet and you can try some tasty recipes like badam halwa, Badam burfi, badam katli, etc.
12 # Dates – Good for treating iron-deficiency in kids. They are full of Iron and high in minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. And, Helps in giving the relief during constipation.
Dates must be given during the winter season, as they help alleviate Cold and Cough.
