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Sienna was\u00a0also an extremely picky eater<\/a>\u00a0and ate sooooo\u00a0little (I mean a few blueberries would suffice as a meal sometimes). \u00a0So it was a given that\u00a0she wasn’t getting enough iron through her diet.<\/p>\n Thus began the vicious cycle. \u00a0Iron deficiency (among other things) is connected to appetite suppression; with a low appetite she wasn’t getting\u00a0enough of anything, including iron.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It wasn’t until we made some\u00a0critical changes at meals <\/a>that things improved. \u00a0Dramatically. \u00a0They improved so much\u00a0that\u00a0her nutrition status was (and is)\u00a0no longer a concern for her doctors\u00a0or for her nutritionist mom. \u00a0 It was so freeing to be able to sit down at a meal and not\u00a0push\u00a0her to eat.<\/p>\n I share some of these simple yet super important<\/strong>\u00a0strategies\u00a0in my free webinar for parents<\/a>. \u00a0Click below to learn more:<\/p>\n An infant’s\u00a0iron stores decline around 6 months of age<\/strong>\u00a0and studies show that at least\u00a0one in eight toddlers<\/strong>\u00a0is anemic<\/strong> before they are 2 years old. \u00a0 That’s not a small number.\u00a0 That’s why there’s a focus on boosting your child’s iron intake.<\/p>\n While iron\u00a0deficiency\u00a0tends to diminish appetite,\u00a0the risks for our kiddos does not stop there.\u00a0 Iron deficiency\u00a0in the first years of life has also been linked back to\u00a0cognitive, motor, and behavioral deficits (Lozoff et al. 2006<\/span><\/a>). So there’s lots of good reasons to keep an eye on iron.<\/p>\n And finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for. \u00a0How to improve our little one’s intake of iron, with a few simple tricks.<\/p>\n 1 – Add some Vitamin C <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When sources of Vitamin C are paired with iron containing foods, iron absorption improves. \u00a0Some good ones are\u00a0melon, strawberries, kiwi, mango, pineapple, broccoli, tomatoes and leafy greens. \u00a0 So think of things like chili with tomatoes and meat, or mango salsa with chicken, or lentil stew with tomatoes. \u00a0 No shortage of options here!<\/p>\n 2 – Opt for heme iron\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Let me give you some “Nutrition 101” for a moment when looking at boosting your child’s iron intake\u00a0 So, there are two types of iron sources:<\/p>\n Some kids tend to shy away from meat (heme sources of iron) which is totally fine, as long as they are getting adequate amounts through other sources. \u00a0It helps to know that pairing non heme iron<\/em> with other iron foods also improves absorption.<\/p>\n 3 – Cook in cast iron \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ll get best results by cooking moist, acidic foods like applesauce, chili, tomato sauce, stew, and scrambled eggs in the cast iron cookware which essentially ‘leaches’ iron from the pan. \u00a0One study illustrated that the iron in spaghetti sauce increased 2,109 percent (from 0.35\u00a0mg\/100g to 7.38\u00a0mg\/100g), while other foods increased less dramatically. 4 – Limit phytates<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Limit foods rich in\u00a0phytates<\/a>\u00a0which can reduce iron absorption by up to 80% (includes plant-based foods such as nuts, seeds, grains, and some vegetables).\u00a0 Phytates or phytic acid\u00a0can bind to zinc, iron, and other minerals\u00a0decreasing their\u00a0absorption.<\/p>\n Here are two tips:\u00a0 (1)\u00a0soak\u00a0<\/a>nuts, legumes, etc.\u00a0to reduce the amount of phytates consumed with these foods or (2) pair vitamin C with these foods to help counteract the effect. (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n 5 – Avoid dairy products <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The calcium in dairy products including milk, yogurt, and cheese can inhibit the absorption of iron, particularly when iron and calcium food sources are being eaten at the same time. \u00a0All you have to do is space things out and consume\/offer\u00a0dairy a few hours before or after having\u00a0iron-rich foods. \u00a0\u00a0For children between 1 and 5 years old, it also helps to limit their milk intake to no\u00a0more than 24 ounces\u00a0per day.<\/p>\n 6 – Aim for daily intake<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n To ease your mind, try to aim for at least two sources of iron per day (using the tips here\u00a0for an extra boost). \u00a0 Have a look below as well for some of the best iron containing foods.<\/p>\n 7 – Choose dark meat<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Meats are generally great sources of iron, although\u00a0you’ll get an extra bang for your buck if you choose dark meat\u00a0over lighter parts. \u00a0 For instance, a 3-ounce serving of roasted dark meat turkey contains 2 mugs\u00a0of iron, compared to only 1.1 msg\u00a0found in the light-meat variety. \u00a0In my opinion, dark meat tastes so much better too!<\/p>\n You can find a more extensive list here<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering what a\u00a0sample meal<\/strong>\u00a0would look like for your little one, have a look! \u00a0Getting sufficient iron isn’t so tough, unless you have a limited or picky eater.<\/a> \u00a0I’ve also included some examples of how to\u00a0bring\u00a0Vitamin C into the meal to give their iron absorption a nice little boost.<\/p>\n While we have our children’s\u00a0nutrition on our minds (and rightly so!), with\u00a0a selective or limited eater it’s about more than just\u00a0nutrition<\/em>. \u00a0Yes, you just heard me (a Certified Nutritionist) say that out loud. I learned this the harder way.<\/p>\n I know how desperate we are\u00a0to get\u00a0that piece of\u00a0chicken\u00a0or a green veggie into their belly. \u00a0Whether it’s more iron, more protein, or just more food in general.<\/p>\n Although, the priority should really<\/em> be\u00a0to make eating\u00a0fun and enjoyable<\/strong> for our kids. \u00a0 As we do, the nutrition will follow. \u00a0A win-win.<\/p>\n That’s exactly what parents learn in my Free Online Webinar (10 proven strategies to encourage your child to try new foods).<\/a>\u00a0 Save your spot for the next one here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Toddler](\"http:\/\/www.daniellebinns.com\/stagingsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/2.jpg\")
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<\/a><\/p>\nWhy do they need\u00a0iron anyway?<\/span><\/h3>\n
How much iron do kids\u00a0need daily?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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How to boost a\u00a0child’s iron intake:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\u00a0On the flip side, you also don’t want to overdo it and use a\u00a0cast iron pot for every meal of every day.<\/p>\nWhat are some great sources of iron for kids?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Can they\u00a0get enough iron in one day?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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What should the goal be?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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