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Dec 31, 2008 Uncategorized

Iron Rich Baby Food – Does Iron have to come from Baby Cereal?

Dec 31, 2008 Friendly Baby Food Advice, Nutrition

Amanda wrote us awhile ago asking about the large amounts of solid food needed for her daughter to meet iron requirements.  Amanda was not supplementing nor was she using fortified cereal.  She was concerned about adequate iron for her litle one.

“I make my own baby cereal out of bulk organic oat bran at the grocery store, and I breastfeed, so my 8 month old daughter doesn’t get any “fortified” iron anythings.  I am trying to make sure she gets enough iron, but from looking at the charts you have laid out, it looks like she needs to eat TONS of food to get enough iron – she’d need to eat more red meat than all the solids she consumes in a single day (and she eats 3 meals a day).  Beef is one of the highest on your list, but even at that she needs like 10 ounces of beef a day!  She would need something like 30 or 40 ounces of sweet potato.  This is a lot of food!  How will she ever get enough iron?  Do I need to buy supplements?”

We wrote back to Amanda the following:

If you look at the RDI/RDA (recommended daily intake/allowance) for infants between the age of 7 and 12 months, you will see that 11mg of Iron is the recommendation.  Let me give you some examples of iron calculations that hopefully will ease your mind!

If you are formula feeding your little girl, she will receive approximately 1.4 mg with every 2 ounces she drinks.  If you are breastfeeding your little one, she may receive less iron however the iron she does receive will be more readily available to her body as it is natural and better absorbed!

During the day, a 9 month old may drink up to 24-31 ounces.  Let’s assume she drinks 25 ounces.  At 25 ounces, she would receive approximately 18mg of iron!  You have met the 11mg and then some!

Looking at a meal of 3 ounces of beef, 2 ounces of sweet potato and 2 ounces of applesauce, her iron intake would be approximately:

3oz. of beef = 3.2mg
2oz. of sweet potato = .20mg
2oz of applesauce = .12mg

Total Iron for Meal = approx. 3.52mg

Remember that formula and breast milk will always provide your little girl with iron.  As long as you give her iron rich foods, with a serving or 2 of a food rich in vitamin C, she should not be at risk for deficiency.  Of course, you should thoroughly discuss this with your pediatrician as there may be issues that would require her to be on a supplement.  Until your pediatrician recommends a supplement, you should not begin to start her on one.  Too much iron may cause health issues just as too little iron may cause health issues.

And just to give you another level of reassurance, there are many babies who do not eat fortified cereals and are never in need of an iron supplement.  Please be sure to visit our Iron and Your Baby page  for more information.  Also, check out the USDA nutrient database to do searches on the nutrients in a vast array of foods!

Tags: iron, Nutrition

Carrot Pasta – A Unique Baby Food Recipe

Dec 30, 2008 Fruits and Veggies, New Baby Food Recipes, Visitor Tips

We are happy to be able to post this unique recipe from a visitor.  Sarah sent this in yesterday and we thought it was very clever!  I bet it makes a very colorful noodle dish too!

I love your site – it has been a huge help for me and my choosy eater. I wanted to share a recipie with you! My son (18 months) is dairy and egg allergic, so I created this vegan version of “Mac and Cheese” that he has been eating since he was 10 or 12 months.

Carrot pasta:
1 cup carrot juice
~1.5 cup dried pasta shapes (I use the Smat Taste Elbows by Ronzoni because it has added calcium)

Boil the carrot juice and a splash of water in a small sauce pan. Add just enough pasta so they are just covered by the carrot juice. Boil on med-low heat until all of the carrot juice is absorbed by the pasta. I freeze extra single-portions in an ice cube tray for later.

Tags: carrots, New Baby Food Recipes