Iron-enriched foods

[allycat06]

Green vegies and wholemeal grains (bran is a good one). Serve with something high in vitamin C to boost absorption.

[MantaRay]

Meat really is the best food for babies and iron, as this is the only source of iron which is readily absorbed. This is why it is now recommended as one of the first foods to be introduced. Would she eat a pasta bolognaise or something like that? Sometimes mum have luck with scraping meat into things, or with giving their little one some cooked steak to suck or chew on (big enough pieces so they can't choke), or even smooth, strong bones to suck/chew on. Do you think any of these ideas would work?

[~TT40~]

green leafy veggies, like spinach is really really rich. and broccoli.

vit c helps you absorb iron, so if she eats them with with a big glass of OJ or add capsicum to the mix.

and caffeine inhibits absorption, (if she happens to be having caffeine)

[MantaRay]

It's true that vitamin C helps absorption, but you still get way less than from red meat. Humans have a haemo-transporter to get the iron into our blood - but it only works on iron in the form that it's in red meat (and breastmilk!). Spinach (and eggs are the same!) is an interesting one too, as while it is is high in iron, it also contains a substance that reduces iron absoprtion.

[Miss H]

Raisons are a good source of iron as well. As well as Black Strap mollassus (sp?) Don't know how you would give it to her as I think it is horrible but maybe someone else has ideas.

[MantaRay]

Raisins have iron, but even 1/4 cup of them only has 1.1mg - things like kelp, nori (dried seaweed), tofu and soybeans are much higher. Introducing these foods could be helpful, but TBH, I'd still keep trying the meat This summary of the iron values in foods might be helpful - Vegetarian Network Victoria - Complete Nutrient Summary.

[meow]

We're vegetarian so we're raising a fully veggie kid.

He's a fussy eater at the moment but to get his iron in he eats a lot of nut paste (cashew, almond & brazil nut), multigrain bread (not wholemeal), tahini spread under the nut butter, eggs served with strawberries (he used to eat scambled egg with diced tomato in it and quiche with tomato but not at the moment), kids weetbix (has iron in it), heinz rice cakes with added iron and avocado.

He also used to eat a mexibeans mix I made with 4 bean mix, tomatoes, capsicum but he's not eating any beans at the moment. Oh, and he used to eat soup with lentils. I'm hoping we'll be able to reintroduce these foods and more soon but for now he's showing no signs of anemia so all seems to be okay.