35 Iron-Rich Foods for Growing Babies and Toddlers

Contents

• Good Sources of Iron for Babies and Toddlers by Food Group
• High Iron Meals and Snack Ideason Rich Recipes

When I started noticing that all of the baby cereals sold in stores had “iron-fortified” written all over them, I started to wonder what was so important about iron. And whether or not my child was getting enough.

And especially since my son was exclusively breastfed (breast milk is low in iron vs iron-fortified formula), I wanted to make sure he was getting some high-iron solid foods into his diet as he got older. 

Up until 6 months of age, the American Academy of Pediatrics explains that full-term breastfed babies get enough iron from breastmilk. Most full-term babies also have enough iron stores accumulated during the last trimester in utero to draw from for the first 6 months of life.

After 6 months of age though, iron needs increase. And without enough iron, babies are at risk for iron deficiency anemia. Fortunately, most babies are screened for anemia through blood tests to check for hemoglobin levels indicating low iron at their 9-month pediatric well-check appointment.

Iron and Healthy Child Development

As it turns out, iron is an essential nutrient for healthy child development. According to the CDC, sufficient iron intake is important specifically for children’s brain development and hemoglobin production (hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells and delivers oxygen throughout the body). 

How Much Iron Do Babies and Toddlers Need?

The Mayo Clinic states that babies 7-12 months of age need 11 mg of iron daily, and toddlers 1-3 years old need 7 mg of iron daily. And then that number shoots up again as they get older. 

So what are some good sources of iron for young children? And what exactly does 11 or 7 mg of iron look like on a dinner plate or in a snack cup? Let’s find out!

Please note that I am not a nutritionist or medical professional. This post is for informational purposes only and I encourage you to speak with your pediatrician regarding your child’s individual nutritional needs. Additionally, some of the foods listed below are common allergens, so please be aware of any food sensitivities or allergies your child may have.

35 Iron-Rich Foods for Babies and Toddlers

While this is not an exhaustive list of high-iron foods, here are some of my kids’ favorite iron-rich foods. 

In the tables below this list, you can find iron content/serving size as well as meal and snack ideas!

Please note that some of these foods are choking hazards for babies and young children unless cut, cooked/steamed and mashed or pureed as needed.

• Meat, Fish, Poultry & Eggs
  Ground Beef
  Canned Tuna
  Ground Turkey
  Salmon
  Chicken Breast
  Eggs
• Vegetables
  Spinach
  Sweet Potatoes
  Green Peas
  Kale
  Brocolli
• Fruits
  Dried Apricots
  Figs
  Raisins
  Dates
  Prunes
  100% Pumpkin Puree
• Grains
  Iron-Fortified Cereal
  Iron-Fortified Bread
  Oats
  Quinoa
  Iron-Enriched Pancake and Waffle Mixes
  Chia Seeds
• Legumes
  Lentils
  Red Beans
  Navy Beans
  Tofu
  Black Beans
  Garbanzo Beans
• Nuts
  Cashew Butter
  Almond Butter
  Peanut Butter
• Packaged Snacks
  Puffs
  Granola Bars
  Cheerios

Iron Rich Meat, Fish, Poultry & Eggs

Meats and seafood are among the best sources of iron because animal products have “heme iron”. This is compared to “non-heme iron”, which is the form of iron found in plant-based foods. So unlike iron from plants (“nonheme iron”), heme iron is more readily absorbed by the body (CDC). 

Iron Rich Animal Products	Serving Size	Iron (mg)	Informational Source
Egg	1 egg	.9 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Cooked Ground Beef	1 oz	.7 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Light Canned Tuna in Water (drained)	1 oz	.5 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Ground Turkey (93% lean, 7% fat)	1 oz	.3 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Wild Atlantic Salmon	1 oz	.3 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Farmed Atlantic Salmon	1 oz	.1 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Cooked Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless)	1 oz	.1 mg iron	Nutrition Value

While Everyday Health states that red meat, organ meats, and seafood like lamb, liver, and clams are particularly good sources of iron, we aren’t exactly eating plates full of liver and clams in our house.

So to get some iron from animal sources in for my kids, we opt for thinly sliced pieces of chicken (dipped in ketchup of course), salmon, ground beef, and ground turkey in soup or pasta sauce. He also loves canned tuna spread on top of wheat thins with some cream cheese.

Like meats, eggs are also a good source of heme iron and are readily absorbed by the body. Plus, they’re easy to prepare as a scramble, omelet, or hard-boiled for little ones. 

Babies and toddlers can also easily get some eggs into their diet through egg-containing recipes like these Banana Veggie Pancakes.

Veggies with Iron

Iron Rich Vegetables	Serving Size	Iron (mg)	Informational Source
Spinach	1/4 cup cooked spinach	1.6 mg iron	Eat This Much
Sweet Potatoes	1/4 cup mashed sweet potato	.85 mg iron	My Food Data
Peas	1/4 cup frozen peas	.5 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Kale	1/4 cup cooked kale	.3 mg iron	Eat This Much
Broccoli	1/4 cup cooked & chopped	.25 mg iron	My Food Data

As mentioned, iron found in meats is known as “heme iron” and is readily absorbed by the body. Iron found in veggies is “non-heme iron” and is not quite as easily absorbed.

In good news though, to help with iron absorption of plant-based iron, you can pair those veggies with foods high in vitamin C. The vitamin C helps the body absorb the non-heme iron.

The American Academy of Pediatrics lists the following fruits and vegetables as vitamin C-rich foods; pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, raspberries, kiwis, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, cauliflower, potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, leafy green vegetables, and vitamin c fortified juices. 

While my toddler will never pick up plain kale or spinach, he will eat these veggies when they are finely chopped or blended into other foods. For example, my toddler will eat finely chopped kale in pasta or quesadillas.

He also loves smoothies, so that’s another easy way to incorporate dark leafy greens into his diet. Here is a simple spinach-based smoothie we make all the time.

Other veggies like broccoli, peas, and sweet potatoes are easy to steam and puree, mash, or slice into wedges. It took my son a long time to eat plain steamed broccoli florets, but he would eat them when dipped or mashed in with applesauce as a young toddler. 

Engaging in some play with food can also be helpful for picky eaters. For example, my son loved to eat peas by pretending they were balls boinging into his mouth.

Iron Rich Fruits

Iron Rich Fruits	Serving Size	Iron Content	Informational Source
Dried Apricots (unsweetened)	1/4 cup dried	1 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Figs	1/4 cup dried	.75 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Raisins	3 tablespoons	.56 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Dates	1/4 cup dried	.4 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Prunes	1/4 cup dried	.375 mg iron	Nutrition Value
100% Pumpkin Puree (canned, Good & Gather brand)	1/4 cup	1 mg iron	Nutrition Value

Aside from being a good source of iron, dried fruits like apricots, figs, raisins, dates, and prunes are a sweet and tasty treat for toddlers. My toddler loves chopped-up dried apricots, figs, raisins, dates, and prunes mixed into finely chopped salads, oatmeal, cheerios, puffs, or just plain on their own.

Please note that foods like raisins are potential choking hazards for babies and young toddlers, so prepare such foods accordingly by chopping them into small pieces. 

High Iron Grains

Grain-based iron-fortified foods are usually one of the easiest ways to get a boost of iron into kids. My son loves PB&J sandwiches, waffles, pancakes, quick-cook quinoa mixed with applesauce, and cream of wheat. 

Iron Rich Grains	Serving Size	Iron (mg)
Happy Baby Organics Oats & Quinoa Iron-Fortified Cereal	3 tablespoons	5 mg iron
Natural Grocers Whole Wheat Bread	1 slice	.5 mg iron
Quaker Rolled Oats	1/4 cup	.75 mg iron
O Organics Quick Cook Quinoa	1/4 cup dry	1 mg iron
Chosen Foods Organic Chia Seeds	2 teaspoons	.73 mg iron

We regularly make the following easy, grain-based iron iron-rich recipes;

• Banana Chia Seed Pudding
• Banana Veggie Pancakes with egg and iron-fortified cereal ingredients
• Simple Homemade Granola Bars with oats and egg ingredients

1/4 dried oats cooked (.6 mg iron)

Now that my toddler is eating bigger portion sizes and a wider variety of iron-containing foods, he is mostly able to meet his daily iron needs without iron-fortified cereals.

As a side note, Healthline explains that as important as it is that kids are getting enough iron, it’s equally important that they’re not getting too much. This could happen if a child were taking an iron supplement as well as eating a lot of iron-fortified foods.

A Note on Iron-Fortified Infant Cereal Made from Rice
I avoid iron-fortified rice cereal because rice can contain high levels of arsenic. Jessica Huhn from Ready.Set.Food explains that this is because rice absorbs a lot of arsenic from pesticides and fertilizers.

Consumer Reports states that arsenic is a Group 1 carcinogen and can have harmful effects on developing brains.

Iron Rich Legumes

Iron Rich Legumes	Serving Size	Iron (mg)	Informational Source
Lentil Beans (canned, no salt added)	1/4 cup	1.3 mg iron	Westbrae Organic Lentil Beans No Salt Added
Red Beans (canned, no salt added)	1/4 cup	1.1 mg iron	Westbrae Organic Red Beans No Salt Added
Navy Beans (canned, no salt added)	1/4 cup	1.05 mg iron	Eden Organic Navy Beans No Salt Added
Tofu (firm)	1/5 block (79 grams)	1 mg iron	O Organics Firm Tofu
Black Beans (canned, no salt added)	1/4 cup	.95 mg iron	Eden Organic Black Beans No Salt Added
Garbanzo Beans (canned, no salt added)	1/4 cup	.7 mg iron	Eden Organic Garbanzo Beans No Salt Added

Tofu is an easy iron-rich food to offer and comes in different textures ranging from silken tofu to extra firm tofu. You don’t have to cook it and you can simply mash it or slice it into thin strips for babies who have started on solids, or chop it into cubes for older kids.

My toddler loves cubes of soft tofu with some jam spread on top. Tofu can also be blended up with smoothies!

Beans are a harder sell than tofu in my house, but I have had some success blending them up with yogurt and cheese and heating it all to serve as a dip or quesadilla fixing. 

Creamy Nut Butters with Iron

Iron Rich Nut Butters	Serving Size	Iron (mg)	Informational Source
Cashew Butter (unsalted)	1 tablespoon	.9 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Almond Butter	1 tablespoon	.6 mg iron	Nutrition Value
Peanut Butter (unsalted, creamy)	1 tablespoons	.55 mg iron	Nutrition Value

Creamy nut butters are easy to spread onto toast or crackers for a little nutritional boost. And peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are of course a favorite with my 2-year-old. Not to mention easy to pack for a picnic lunch or snack on the go. 

And I always buy the creamy variety of nut butters, as the crunchy kinds pose more of a choking hazard risk. Spreading nut butters relatively thin onto food items also helps prevent any choking hazard risks.  

Iron Rich Snacks

Packaged Snacks	Serving Size	Iron (mg)
Happy Baby Organic Kale & Spinach Puffs	1/4 cup	.45 mg iron
Cheerios	1/4 cup	2.1 mg iron
Happy Tot Organic Apples & Spinach Soft-Baked Oat Bars	1 bar	1 mg iron

Granola bars and puffs with ingredients like kale and spinach are easy on-the-go snacks with iron to have on hand.

My son also loves to have a snack cup with Cheerios and chopped-up dried fruit.

Dried fruits like apricots, figs, and raisins are especially high in iron. Dried cranberries are a hit too, and these have the added benefit of being high in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body absorb non-animal product forms of iron.

Good Sources of Iron for Babies & Toddlers at Mealtimes

Breakfast Foods High in Iron

There are so many great breakfast foods high in iron. Here are some ideas to get started;

• Banana Veggie Pancakes made with iron-fortified cereal
• Pumpkin Yogurt Parfait
• Scrambled eggs with toast and fruit
• Pancakes or a waffle made from Kodiak Cakes buttermilk mix with a side of fruit
• Oatmeal with raisins
• French toast with whole wheat bread and fruit
• Smoothie with banana, berries, a splash of orange juice, tofu, yogurt & spinach or kale

Lunch Foods High in Iron

• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread with a side of peas and fruit
• Tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat bread with a side of sweet potato and fruit
• Turkey or chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread with a side of fruit and sweet potato
• Cheese and bean quesadilla with bean dip, fruit, and avocado on the side
• Wheat thins with cream cheese and canned tuna spread on top

Dinner Foods High in Iron

For a high-iron dinner, my tot loves the following;

• Pasta with ground turkey or chicken and minced cooked kale mixed in
• Cheese quesadilla with bean dip and a side of high-vitamin C fruit
• Salmon or chicken with rice and broccoli
• Quinoa bowl with finely diced chicken/tofu/fish, sweet potato/broccoli/peas, raisins, and a little applesauce to sweeten it!

Iron Rich Snack Ideas for Toddlers

• Cheerios or Happy Baby Organic Kale & Spinach Puffs with chopped dried fruit mixed in (cranberries, apricots, figs, dates, or prunes)
• Banana Chia Seed Pudding
• Simple Homemade Granola Bars
• Happy Tot Organic Apple & Spinach Soft-Baked Bar
• Bean dip with tortilla chips
• Diced steamed sweet potatoes with cinnamon
• Peanut butter or almond butter spread on crackers or toast
• Smoothies with tofu and leafy greens added in

What iron-rich foods does your toddler like? Say hi in a comment below and let me know!