toddler is low iron, what are some foods with Iron she can eat ?

Question

She is 17 months, and is very picky she eats like a bird , so I try to feed every two hours, but needs more food with Iron , Please help I am the grandmother and take care of her every day , I feel so bad that her Iron is low. She is my Sunshine !

Answer 1

You need to talk to her doctor or a nutritionist. Increasing iron can be a very confusing task. I know because I have anemia, plus I'm a nutritional consultant. Go figure! First of all you need to seek out iron rich foods. Someone already posted a fairly good list.

You need to beware of whole grains, dairy and even leafy greens. This is confusing for many because leafy greens are a good source of iron. But at the same time they contain zinc which inhibits iron absorption. Frustrating!! Calcium also inhibits iron absorption as do whole grains. Basically, breakfast is a terrible time to get iron if you're eating cereal with milk. Your body will absorb very little of the iron, even if you are eating iron enriched foods.

The one thing you can do is to combine any iron enriched foods with something high in vitamin c. If she doesn't like orange juice then give her one of the Juicy Juice flavors (or any 100% juice) that contains vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron and it is best if you combine your source of vitamin C with whatever you are eating that contains the iron.

The best thing you can do, if you are serious about getting her levels up, is to do some research and talk to a doctor. Do internet research and please do not rely on all the answers you've gotten here. I read through them and at least half were full of misinformation and bad advice. The good news is that she is young and often times kids' iron levels fluctuate. Both of my boys have had readings that were low but the next time weren't even close to being low. It can be difficult with toddlers because they don't usually eat a huge variety of foods. They often get stuck on one thing and eat that for every meal. But she is still growing so I wouldn't be overly concerned at this point.

As for supplements, I didn't start giving them to my children until they were closer to three. You'd want to talk to your doctor about this. If you do choose to go that route it would be wise to do more research. Many doctors will automatically suggest Flintstone's or another supermarket brand. This is bad advice. Most of those vitamins are loaded with sugar and preservatives. The preservatives keep the body from aborbing the vitamins. So, you're basically paying out a bunch of money for something that is no better than candy. It kills me that people push these vitamins on people. Find a good quality vitamins. We use Nature's Plus--Animals on Parade. If you look around at vitaminshoppe.com you can find other high quality brands. But I'd make sure it is okay for your granddaughter's age first. 17 months seems young to me for a supplement. Remember, iron can also be toxic if given too much and I'm not sure how much she needs at that age.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Clams
Pork Liver
Oysters
Chicken Liver
Mussels
Beef Liver
Beef
Shrimp
Sardines
Turkey
Enriched breakfast cereals
Cooked beans and lentils
Pumpkin seeds
Blackstrap Molasses
Canned beans
Baked potato with skin
Enriched pasta
Canned asparagus


Iron Absorption Enhancers

Meat/fish/poultry
Fruits: Orange, Orange Juice, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapefruit etc
Vegetables: Broccoli, brussels sprouts, tomato, tomato juice, potato, green & red peppers


Iron Absorption Inhibitors

Red Wine, Coffee & Tea
Vegetables: Spinach, chard, beet greens, rhubarb and sweet potato
Whole grains and bran
Soy products

Answer 3

Vitamin supplements are good if the doc ok's it. Also, as far as food goes, try beans. If she won't eat beans, try sprinkling bean powder or ground up beans in her food where she won't notice. You can also try to sneak some iron fortified milk into her diet---flavor it strawberry or chocolate if she likes that with syrup. Many baby cereals are also iron fortified if she likes them--oatmeal cereal, rice cereal and barley cereals are good.

Answer 4

My son is 16 months and I still mix in rice cereal with his applesauce every morning to add a bit of Iron to his diet.

Answer 5

If you can get her to eat liver and spinach great other wise cook acid based food in cast iron( ie: tomato) and give supplement with orange juice to increase the speed and amount that gets in their system.

Answer 6

Have you looked into vitamins? Mt son's Dr. told me to give him a multivitamin for babies and it has iron in it. It's called polyvisol with iron. You can find it most anywhere...I got mine at Target.

P.S. It's liquid

Answer 7

My son is 17 months old, as well. I still give him baby cereal mixed with fruit at bedtime, to keep his tummy full and give him extra iron.
They make formula (I know Enfamil calls theirs Next Step) for babies up to 2 years. Maybe talk to your doctor about that. Or you could check into that PediaSure stuff. They make bars and drinks aimed at kids who need nutritional help.
Good luck :)

Answer 8

Ask her doctor about vitamins with iron hugs & kisses to your Sunshine!

Answer 9

Have you talked to her doctor about iron supplements? Pedisure is great if she likes it. Mine did not, but since she is still so little she may have an aversion to the taste yet. I would really talk to her pediatrician.

Answer 10

My pediatrician told me that cooking in an iron skillet would add iron to my kids diet!! I thought that was interesting!!