Snacks With Iron for Teens

As the parent of a teenager, you̵7;ve probably questioned how it̵7;s possible for one child to eat so much food. A demanding schedule consisting of school, a part-time job, sports and other extracurricular activities means they use up a lot of calories over the course of a day. While plenty of meals and snacks give them the fuel they need, it̵7;s important to choose the right foods to help sustain good overall health. Iron gives your child energy, so iron-rich snacks are an ideal addition to your teen̵7;s diet. Teens needs 11 to 15 milligrams of iron each day.

  1. Dried Fruit

    • Dried fruit is an easy snack for your teen to carry to school or basketball practice without worry that they̵7;ll spoil. Eating it plain is ideal, but your teen can also eat dried fruit with string cheese or crackers to up the nutrient content in his snack. A quarter cup of dried peaches has 1.6 milligrams of iron, four dried apricot halves contain 0.4 milligrams and a 1/2 cup of raisins contains .07 milligrams. Dried fruit is often high in sugar, so balance it with other snacks to prevent overdoing it on the sweet stuff.

    Nuts

    • Portable and easy-to-find snacks are good for busy teens because they can fuel up without too much effort. Nuts are a tasty option and can be tossed into a backpack or picked up at the gas station on the way to a soccer game. The iron in nuts gives your teen an energy boost. A handful of peanuts or cashews is an easy to eat snack. Mix nuts with dried fruit and cereal to make trail mix or spread peanut butter on a bagel. A 1/2 cup of almonds contains 3.1 milligrams of iron and a 1/4 cup cashews has 2.1 milligrams.

    Cereal

    • Cereal doesn̵7;t have to be eaten with milk to make it beneficial. A zip-top bag filled with dry cereal is an easy on-the-go snack for teens. Look for iron-fortified versions, which contribute to the daily intake recommendations for your teen. Read the nutrition labels to determine the amount of iron in your teen̵7;s favorites. Some choices have over 20 milligrams of iron in a single serving, which typically ranges from 3/4 to 1 cup.

    Beans

    • You might not think of beans when you̵7;re planning a snack for your teen, but their iron content makes them something to consider. Wrap beans in a tortilla with cheese and sliced avocado for a quick snack that your teen can eat between classes or in the car. At home, combine mashed beans with cheese for an iron-rich dip that pairs with corn chips, tortillas or sliced bell peppers. A 1/2 cup of white beans contains 2.5 milligrams of iron and 1 cup of kidney or black beans contains nearly 4 milligrams.

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