written by Cathy B.

Is your child getting enough iron?

Picky eater was an understatement when it came to my two year old. I cooked him everything under the sun but it always boiled down to him grazing on small snacks all day long. He refused to eat iron-rich foods like meat, anything green, eggs and legumes. If I cut out his munchies, he refused to eat anything else. I didn’t know if I should feed into his bad habits or risk him not eating at all?

When he started looking pale and acting a little lethargic, I knew something was up. He ate lots of fruits and veggies but boycotting an entire food group for several months went on way too long. His pediatrician recommended I take him for a blood test and it turned out he was anemic and needed to take iron supplements. Not the end of the world, but if his iron level dropped lower, it could get serious.

Since he hated meat, I had no choice but to get smart about his snacking. Some of you may raise a brow to some of the choices I suggest – but at the end of the day – I had to get nutrients in my son any way I could.

I’m proud to say after a few months, my boy’s iron is right where it should be thanks to the doctor prescribed iron supplements and these 50+ foods! Hope this list helps you as much as it helped me in my time of need.

Here are 50 Ways to Increase Your Child’s Iron

*Please note: These are approximate iron values from specific brands in my pantry. Look at food labels and talk to your doctor for advice.

Meals

Pita Bread: Each pita can have up to 20% daily iron  Tip: Bake for a few minutes to make it crunchy like a chip. Serve with hummus or dip.

Tortillas: Each one has up to 6% daily iron. Tip: Serve raw or bake for a few minutes to make it crunchy like a chip (add oregano, garlic powder and olive oil on top for flavour before baking)

Quesadillas: Nestle small pieces of cooked chicken in the cheese and bake for 7 min.

Italian Wedding Soup: Add tiny meatballs and/or stracciatella for extra protein. Tip: To make stracciatella, beat two eggs as if you are scrambling them, add 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, salt and bread crumbs and add it to the soup in the last 5 min.

Quinoa: ¼ cup can have up to 15% iron. Add peas for extra iron. Tip: Before boiling the quinoa, add butter, salt and ground garlic to boiling water. Drizzling olive oil at the end also gives it an enhanced flavour.

Eggs: If your kids don’t eat eggs, try food colouring the shells (like Easter eggs) and see if it entices them.

Broccoli Fritata/Scrambled Eggs:  If you have leftover cooked broccoli, smash it with a fork and mix it with eggs.

Pasta Bolognese: Add ground meat and pureed veggies in the tomato sauce.

Homemade Pizza:  Add small pieces of salami, pepperoni or cooked chicken WITHIN the dough. If they don’t like regular pizza but like bread, just add olive oil, oregano, (rosemary) and salt overtop and make it a foccaccia.
Tip: On the bottom of the pizza pan, add corn meal/polenta after it’s been buttered – A LOT OF IT. It not only prevents the pizza from sticking, but kids who like crunchy things will feast on the corn meal after its cooked.

Pork Egg Roll: Each one has up to 8% daily iron.

Scallop Noodles (available at Chinese supermarkets): One serving has 10% daily iron.

Chicken Fingers: Instead of using regular flour or breadcrumbs to coat, try using Almond Meal Flour for up to 8% iron for ¼ cup.

Brown Rice: Add bacon and peas for extra iron.

Mini Lentil/Spinach Burgers: Add a handful of cooked lentils or spinach to homemade burgers for extra iron – add ketchup to mask texture.

Macaroni and Cheese: Add tuna for protein power.

Cheerios and other Iron fortified Cereals: ¾ cup has 30% daily iron.

All Bran Cereal: 1/3 cup has up to 30% daily iron. Tip: don’t give too much as it softens stool.

Instant Oatmeal: Each package can have up to 50% daily iron

Granola: Each serving has up to 6% daily iron.

Meatballs: Shape them into snowmen for added fun.

Whole Grain/Iron Fortified Breads

Tofu: Add Tofu to recipes which  can have up to 8% iron.

Lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, shrimp, mussels, salmon, and all red meats contain a good source of iron/protein

Veggie-inspired Snacks

Any bright green fruits/veggies:  Puree these in any recipe any way you can; broccoli, spinach, avocado/guacamole, peas, asparagus, green beans, zucchini/ zucchini muffins etc.

Carrots:  Carrots have up to 6% daily iron.

Kale: To make kale chips, just wash them, pat dry and drizzle olive oil and salt on top and bake for less than 10 minutes or until it’s slightly crunchy.

Snapea Crisps: A crunchy chip that is made from 60% whole peas. These can be found in the canned vegetable aisle at some grocery stores (ie. Longos). Each serving has up to 8% daily iron.

Beanitos Pinto Bean and Flax Chips: (found at Bulk Barn) Chips are made out of bean (instead of corn) and has approx 1% iron for each chip.

Puree your own chickpeas or white kidney beans and use it as a hummus or sneak a small amount into soups and sauces.

Packaged Snacks

Nuts or Raisins: Stock up on unsalted peanuts, sunflower seeds, sliced/slivered almonds, soybeans, baked chickpeas (if your child is not allergic)

Flax Chips:  ¾ cup can have up to 8% daily iron (don’t give too much as it softens stool)

Misura Whole Wheat Crackers:  3 crackers has up to 8% daily iron.

Chow Mein Noodles: 100 grams has 35% iron (it’s high in fat and calories – so don’t feast on this snack yourself).

Grissol Rustic Flatbread Multiseed: 2 crackers has up to 8% daily iron (near breadstick aisle).

Grissol Melba Sesame: 7 crackers have up to 8% daily iron.

Breadsticks with Sesame Seeds: Each breadstick generally has 2% daily iron.

Pretzels: 3/4 cup has up to 8% daily iron.

Bits and Bites: 3/4 cup has up to 10% daily iron.

Regent Tempura Shrimp flavoured Snack Chip: (available at Chinese supermarkets) – 30g has up to 10% daily iron.

Lunch Mates Stackables: Each package has up to 8% daily iron (depending on cold cut).

Ritz Bits Sandwich Snak Pak (Cheese Flavour): Each pack contains up to 6% iron.

Drinks

Make your own smoothies with fruits and veggies.

Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness 100% Fruit Smoothie (in fruits and vegetable refrigerated section) – 250ml glass has 6% iron (*Ask your doctor if this is recommended for the age of your child since it contains a small amount of green tea.)

Orange Juice may not have a high percentage of iron, but Vitamin C absorbs iron best

* If your doctor has prescribed iron supplements, avoid dairy or milk within two hours of taking the medicine. Ask the pharmacist.

Sweets and Treats

President’s Choice The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie: 2 cookies = 10% daily iron

Chocolate Ice Cream or Fudge Popsicles: Up to 6% daily iron

Thinsations 100 Calorie Chips Ahoy: Each bag has up to 6% iron

Add REAL maple syrup to pancakes, waffles or yogurt: Up to 4% daily iron

Tips: Melt chocolate to coat kidney beans (they’ll think it’s candy)

Add bran or ground flax to cereal, homemade cookies or muffins

Bake peanut butter cookies for protein power

Add 1/3 cup of mashed avocado OR oatmeal to homemade chocolate chip cookies

Meal Replacements

Pediasure or Carnation Breakfast Essentials: *Ask your doctor first if this is recommended for your child.