Foods With Iron for Toddlers

Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters, and for that reason, they sometimes have problems getting enough dietary iron. You can sometimes prevent or correct mildly low iron levels by presenting your child with choices of iron-rich foods. Because vitamin C is known to boost absorption of iron, consider offering your child a glass of orange juice with meals containing these foods. Children between the ages of 1 and 3 need about 7 mg of iron per day.

  1. Meat and Fish

    • Unless your child is one of the rare toddlers willing to eat liver, beef and turkey are your best bets for iron-rich meat that your child might find palatable. These contain 2 to 3 mg of iron per serving. If your toddler is able to chew steak, consider cooking a lean beef steak and cutting it into small bite-sized pieces. You can also offer sliced turkey. Seafood can also be a good iron source -- try offering fish sticks or breaded oysters (oysters are especially iron-rich with 4.5 mg of iron in one serving). Eggs are another option if your child enjoys boiled eggs -- each egg contains about 1 mg of iron.

    Natural Plant-Based Iron Sources

    • Some toddlers don't like to chew meat. If your child falls in that category, try offering beans. Most types of beans contain about 4 to 5 grams of iron per cup, and soybeans contain nearly 9 grams of iron in one cup. If your child isn't interested in plain beans, mash the beans into a paste and turn them into dip for baked corn chips.

      Among vegetables, the best source of iron is spinach, with 1 to 3 grams of iron per serving depending on how it is prepared. Many toddlers will find the texture of cooked spinach too off-putting, but some may eat fresh spinach leaves.
      Raisins contain 1.5 grams of iron in a half cup serving, so consider adding them to your child's cereal or simply as a snack. Black-strap molasses is another longtime mainstay of parents concerned with iron intake -- your child may be willing to simply eat the molasses directly from a spoon for a quick 3.5 grams of iron per tablespoon.

    Iron-Fortified Cereals

    • Because of the problem of iron deficiency in toddlers, many pre-packaged toddler foods have been fortified with iron. If your child eats oatmeal, one cup of iron-fortified oatmeal will give your child 10 mg of iron. And if your child doesn't like the texture of heated cereals, check the cereal aisle in your local grocery store for various fortified dry cereals. Some brands are fortified such that each serving offers the entire adult recommended daily levels of vitamins and minerals, including iron, so offering your child a smaller portion of these cereals may be a quick and easy way to ensure iron intake.

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