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Ironing Out Iron Nutrition
Nicole Meadow, Registered Dietician
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Iron is an essential mineral required for both children and adults.
Iron has many functions in the body. A key attribute is its ability to both take up and release oxygen atoms therefore helping to transport oxygen to tissues all over the body. Children need sufficient iron from their diets to support their rapid rates of growth, to replace the iron that the body uses up when forming new muscle and tissue, and to have enough energy to learn and play. Adults also need sufficient iron from their diets to feel good and to stay healthy, especially women who lose iron stores on a monthly basis. Iron-deficiency anemia is a common nutrition problem for young children, which your pediatrician will check for during their regular physical exams. By including iron-rich foods in your family meals and snacks, you can be a step ahead of the game. Both you and your children will benefit.
Good dietary sources of iron are:
- Lean meat (beef, chicken, turkey, pork)
- Iron-enriched whole grain breads and
cereals - Cooked dried beans (black, navy, lima, kidney, pinto, edamame)
- Greens (collard, spinach, kale, mustard, turnip green)
- Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, prunes)
- Egg yolks
Try to incorporate these foods into your family meals and snacks on a daily basis for optimal iron status. Foods that are good sources of Vitamin C help to the body to better utilize the iron in the foods listed above.
Try combining foods rich in iron with foods rich in Vitamin C.
- Breakfast cereal with berries or juice
- Chili with beans with tomato sauce
- Chicken with an apricot sauce
- Pasta salad with chicken and bell peppers or tomatoes
- Hard-boiled egg with calcium fortified orange juice
- Turkey sandwich with a tangerine
If iron supplements are prescribed by your child’s pediatrician, make sure that they are taken only as prescribed and kept out of reach.
