Babies between 6-12 months require more iron than an adult male.

Most of us have heard that iron is essential for babies. But did you know that by the age of 6 months, breastmilk offers not enough iron to meet baby's nutritional demand? And that iron stores babies built in the utero are no longer sufficient at around 6 months?

Between 6-12 months, a baby requires more daily iron (11mg) than an adult man (8mg). All the developing and growing they are doing at this age that they need more iron than a full-grown adult man is incredible. Iron is required to ensure weight gain, energy levels, and cognitive and behavioral development.

All this information made me realize how important it is that our little ones' first foods are rich in iron. When I started solids with our daughter, I had in mind, to begin with, soft fruits and vegetables, which I still believe is a great start, but they often lack the iron a baby requires. Most pediatricians today still recommend rice cereal as a great source of iron. The reason for this is that rice cereal has been fortified with iron. The term 'fortified' indicates that the food has been processed and synthetic and not occurs naturally. This can result in constipation as the food is not easy to absorb and digest for the little ones. Also, most rice cereals are very plain in taste and will not help set up our babies as adventurous eaters.

Natural sources like heme sources of iron (liver, meat, seafood, poultry) are the easiest absorbable form of iron. Meat is a low-allergen food and can be introduced as soon as baby shows the signs of development readiness (for more information, see former blog post).

If your family and baby follow a plant-based diet, non-heme foods (lentils, quinoa, beans, chickpeas, spinach, asparagus,...) can be a great source of iron. Unfortunately, non-heme iron is not so easily absorbed, so it is a little bit more tricky to make the baby needs. When preparing grains/pseudo-grains, veggies, and beans, it is also helpful for the absorption to soak and sour before cooking. Also, iron-rich foods combined with vitamin C-rich foods (broccoli, sauerkraut, kiwi,...) can increase iron absorption.

I know it is not easy to meet the iron requirements, especially for our little ones with tiny stomachs and tiny bits, so here are tricks to increase the nutrient density of baby's meal. Superfood Sprinkles like liver pills and seaweed powder are excellent sources of iron.

Liver Pills: Liver is a really incredibly nutrient-dense source of heme iron, and as many people don't enjoy cooking liver, this could be a great addition to babies' and your whole family's meals.

Open a dried grass-fed liver pill and sprinkle a little (not more than 1/4 of the cap) on baby's food or mix it into purees. It shouldn't be used more than 2 times a week.

Seaweed Powder: Add seaweed in a food processor until a fine powder. I loved to use Nori for our little daughter because it is also low in sodium (It became one of her favorite snacks :))

If you want more ideas on including iron-rich foods in babies' and families' meals or have questions about essential nutrients for babies overall, don't hesitate to reach out!