Tuesday, February 3, 2009

How to add iron to babies' (or anyone's) diet

I recently learned that babies start to lose their iron stores after about 6 months of age. This is why baby rice cereal is usually fortified with iron. The problem with this is that the iron is not easily absorbed by babies bodies. Our bodies absorb nutrients much more effectively when they are consumed in their natural state.

Here are some foods rich in iron that are good for babies and adults:
  • apples
  • apricots
  • asparagus
  • bananas
  • broccoli
  • egg yolks
  • leafy greens
  • peas
  • plums
  • prunes
  • whole grains
  • yams
We're planning to introduce egg yolk to Sydney in the next couple of days. I feel good about this because of all the nutrients that are packed into the yolk, plus fat and protein which will hopefully fill her up (so she'll sleep better at night).

1 comment:

lori said...

Nathalie and Matthew loved eggs when they were introduced to their diet. Nat is on the fence with eggs now that she's 9 (but loves spinach) and Matthew is a huge fan of omelets made with eggs and spinach.