۹ Iron-Rich Foods Your Toddler Needs

Iron is an essential nutrient that the body uses to produce hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that helps your blood carry oxygen to all the other cells in the body.

Iron is essential for:
• supplying the body with oxygen
• muscle metabolism
• maintaining connective tissue
• physical growth
• nerve development
• cell functioning
• producing some hormones

Breast-fed babies usually get enough iron from their mother’s milk, while infants fed with formula should receive iron-fortified formula.
Iron-deficiency anemia
When your toddler switches to eating regular foods, they might not get enough iron. Rest assured, this isn’t common in the United States; only 8 percentTrusted Source of toddlers have iron deficiency.
However, low iron levels can lead to anemia, where the number of red blood cells in your body are too low, potentially causing problems with oxygen getting to key organs.

If your child has low iron levels, you may notice that they:
• are pale
• appear irritable
• don’t want to eat

Longer term, it can lead to:
• slower growth
• delayed motor skill development
• a higher number of infections, as iron supports the immune system

Symptoms may not appear at first, but in time, your child may experience:
• fatigue
• pale skin
• irritability
• fast or irregular heartbeat
• decreased appetite
• slow weight gain
• dizziness
• headaches
• lightheadedness
• difficulty concentrating

Some studiesTrusted Source have found that children who drank tea were more likely to have iron-deficiency anemia. One reason for this may be that tannin, found in tea, decreases the body’s ability to absorb iron. Another is that children may be too full to eat after drinking tea.
How much iron does my toddler need?
Iron is essential for a rapidly growing toddler. That’s why a lot of cereals and other toddler foods are fortified with iron.

The recommended daily requirements for iron vary by age.
• age 0–۶ months: 0.27 milligrams (mg) per day
• age 6–۱۲ months: 11 mg per day
• ages 1–۳ years: 7 mg per day
• ages 4–۸ years: 10 mg per day

Infants born preterm or with a low birth weight usually need more iron than those born with a healthy weight.
What foods should my toddler eat for iron?
Feeding your toddler iron-rich foods alongside foods high in vitamin C can help decrease their risk of developing iron deficiency.
1. Lean meats
2. Fortified cereals
3. Beans
4. Spinach
5. Raisins and other dried fruit
6. Pumpkin seeds
7. Eggs
8. Green peas
9. Tuna