Foods High In Iron For Your Baby

So, as with all things, you'll want to speak to your medical team before trying any of these. You and your medical team know what's best for your baby. So, there are a few things. If you are breastfeeding, you will also need more iron. So, not only will your baby benefit from these foods, but you will as well.

Around six months is a really great time to make sure that you and your baby are both getting enough iron. The next thing to note is that many of these foods are high allergen foods. If your baby has had any reflux, eczema, or problems with formula or breast milk, it's important to speak to your medical team before introducing these allergens.

And just as a reminder, the top nine allergens right now are: eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, sesame, fish, and shellfish.

So, now that we have all that out of the way, let me share with you my top 10 favorite foods that are high in iron. Alright,

Number one: Hummus or Chickpeas. This is a great one to include in your diet. You can have it by itself or on whole wheat toast. Your baby might slurp it up on their fingers or on a spoon, and that is a great source of iron for them.

Alright, number two: Eggs. There are so many great ways to introduce eggs, whether that's scrambled or fried or hard-boiled. All of those eggs will have a great source of iron for both you and your baby.

Number three: Black Beans. Not just black beans, but any kind of beans or lentils are really great to have in your baby's diet. They're easy to have in many forms, so you can puree them or put these on toast or squish them up and let them play with them on their tray.

Number four: Spinach. And if you know me, you know that I love smoothies. I love smoothies for babies, and it's such a great way to include so many fruits and vegetables and vitamins in your baby's diet. And you can put spinach in there, and it's a really great flavor to add to everything else you can put in there. A little bit of fruit goes a long way in a smoothie, and we can get lots of good iron in that way.

Number five: Nut Butter on Toast. If you put nut butter on whole wheat toast, that is even a double dose of iron. It's such a great experience for your baby to be able to hold strips of toast and have different flavors on it, and they will feel that they can be independent holding their little piece of toast.

Number six: Prunes. Prunes are great to have for a great source of iron, and a little bit of prune juice can help us in case there's a little bit of constipation. Babies will often start to get a little bit more constipated as we introduce new foods, and prune juice can help us on those days.

Number seven: Salmon. Salmon is a great flavor for babies and a great source of iron. You can smash it up or puree it or squish it with a fork or give them a big piece, and they will be able to try that in many different forms. And you might enjoy it too.

Alright, number eight: Oatmeal. Oatmeal is a great place to start. We don't have to keep it plain, and we can add more flavors in it. We can put peanut butter or cinnamon or even breast milk and formula in there if your baby's young. But we want this to be a starting place. We don't want to stay here for too long because, again, like we talked about, that can cause some constipation. It's good to get some iron in, but we'll keep it moving.

Number nine: Chicken. Chicken is a great source of iron, and there are so many things you can do with it. You can prepare it in different ways depending on where your baby is with their feeding journey. If they're ready for big pieces or small pieces or shredded or crockpot chicken, we will be able to give them a good source of iron that you and the rest of your family will likely eat too.

Alright, number ten: Beef. Beef can sometimes feel intimidating to some families, and I'm here for you. So, if you're interested in puree, you can definitely puree it up, or you can give them a big piece of meat that's really big that they could not even the juices from the meat that they're sucking on or gnawing on if they're not ready for little pieces just yet. They're still getting a lot of that great nutrients in.

And now, a bonus tip. There are so many great foods that have iron in them, and there are a few extra foods that we can use to help your body absorb that great iron.

My five favorite foods for helping with that iron absorption for babies are: kiwi, melons, oranges, tomatoes, and strawberries. If you pair those foods with the foods that are high in iron, we'll be able to make sure that our babies are having a great meal and absorbing all that great nutrients.

I don't want any of this to feel overwhelming for you. You and your baby can eat these foods and get so much out of it. These are great foods. They're real foods that you and your family will enjoy, and you'll also be able to reap the benefits. You'll be able to get that great iron in your diet and know that you're feeding your baby a healthy, varied diet that we can all enjoy together.

You're doing so great. I know this may feel like a lot, and it's hard to remember all the things to include in your baby's diet, but I'm here for you, and we're in this together. So, please reach out if you need anything.

You can leave a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram @littlefoundations or at littlefoundations.org.