What foods can I introduce to boost iron?

DS had his iron levels tested (after having a persistent cold/cough for about 2 months and other things were tested as well - got the all clear for that) and he has low iron levels - 4 when they should be up around 10-15 I think (don't know what measure they're using).

I don't want to do the iron based rice cereals and stuff (I don't have the patience to spoon feed while DH doesn't seem to mind at this stage). What can I offer and really encourage DS to eat to help boost his iron levels? He's still BF or has EBM in his CC bottles and is almost 7 months old.

We have to supplement with an iron liquid stuff that apparently tastes foul and if he won't take it straight we need to give it with juice - whole another post almost. How do I serve juice (diluted etc)?

DD had the iron liquid stuff too - but I didn't have any troubles getting her to take it. We put the dosage in a large syringe, then added juice into the syringe - then she took it no worries.

Hmmm, iron - anything green could be worth a try :lol: - whatever you can puree.

Silverbeet is all I can think of atm sorry.

Apricots have a high iron content.

Hi,

It must be very worrying for you. I was wondering if you had started giving your baby meat. Meat should be an important part of a baby's diet at this age. It provides the most easily accessible form of iron - and babies love it. Mince (ie spag bol) mixed through their vegies. Fingers of steak to suck and chew on and chop bones - they love it. Most of a baby's iron supplies are laid down during pregnancy. Breastmilk is low in iron (that's the design) but what there is in breastmilk is very easily digestable. Often formula is recommended - bad idea! It's high in iron - but almost entirely indigestable for your baby.

Puree spinach or silverbeet and you can mix it into anything. I usually mix some into mince meat with other vegies as a pasta sauce or when DD was little she liked spinach and pumpkin pureed together.

I remember one of my boys being low in Iron...gave him broccoli, spinach and also liver or lambs fry..both high in iron. I would puree it or mix it with something to disguise the taste like liver with apples. Robyn barker has great liver recipes. Iron is best absorbed with Vitamin C.
Other foods high in iron are kidney beans, peas and lentils, dried apricots, dates and wholegrain cereals and pasta.

Good luck

My DD likes eggy bread made with chopped spinach - so I just mix an egg with some milk and then add some defrosted chopped spinach (woolworths own brand works best) soak the bread in it and then grill it and cut into fingers. DD loves it.

thanks for the ideas.

DS's a funny one - takes the liquid iron stuff down easily, holds the syringe that we use while taking it :rofl: doesn't like giving it up though, although will happily settle for being distracted by a BF :p

DH bought some Rafferty's iron boosted cereal (and it's his job to feed it in the morning:lol:) DS's not quite so keen on it yet - need to try and have a bit of EBM for it to mix with which can be a struggle to have some left over once his bottles for the day are done.

And we've been getting a bit more into the meat (been trying but DS is often asleep when we're trying to eat tea naps about 5 / 5:30 pm when he gets home from CC and sleeps for at least an hour then).

Been a little concerned with regard to meat as lately we seem to have had crumbed meat for tea so wasn't too sure about offering that to DS but he liked the curries I've been eating in the last week :) when he's had a taste.

Meat is your most bio-available source of iron. Really iron in cereals and vegetables just don't compare.It should be a part of their diet. Nothing says we have to have cereal for breakfast and meat for dinner. Keep some spag bol and serve it with rice for breakfast - many kids eat so much better when they are fresh in the morning. Or some mince on toast. Sometimes it is worth changing your diet a little to something that suits him and you a bit better. I can't see that there would be a problem with crumbed meat - probably he will just suck the goodness out of it.

I should say it's DH's job to feed DS breakfast, have trouble getting organised for CC and school otherwise and some mornings DS doesn't get solids for breakfast as he's slept in so late but I squeeze in a BF for him. But CC does cook some yummy foods so have asked if DS can start eating that food so I don't have to worry about what I can send with that would seem okay for him to eat. (Dropped off an info sheet about BLS the other day to CC and they hadn't heard about it - were a little concern OHS wise with raw carrot and things like that- but they were quite interested in finding out more and Gil Rapley is out soon in Adelaide for a lecture too!) DS tried their pasta today but didn't really have any apparently but the staff were happy with that as well.

How come people are suggesting pureed stuff? I thought the idea of BLS was no puree - or is that overly simplistic??

Leckert, you are doing really well.

I agree with Barb's suggestion of giving meat for breakfast. We did a similar thing here for a while when DS1 was younger, where DS1 had the previous night's dinner for lunch the next day, as he was always too tired to eat properly at dinner time. This worked really well at improving the variety of his diet.

The iron fortified cereals really won't help as they are the hardest form of iron to absorb. Meat is also a great source of zinc which is very important also, so it's a fantastic early food.

spoke to the GP yesterday - only have to give DS the supplementary iron stuff for 2 months then we'll do another blood test to check his levels.

On a positive BLS note, DS really enjoyed the lasagne sauce at CC last week (wasn't so keen on the pasta :lol:) We've also worked out that DS likes a nap around 5/5:30pm and then is up again for awhile near 6/6:30pm so in time to have tea with us. Got stuck into some thai chilli stirfry beef and a bean last night - ended up with bean fangs!:rofl:and really enjoyed his part of the meal.

(We've temporarily passed on the rice cereal - DS wasn't having a bar of it with or without EBM)