Once your baby reaches six months old, a really exciting new stage begins: the introduction of solid foods! While breast milk or formula still gives them most of their nutrition at this point, it’s essential to start to include iron rich foods in their diet. Iron is a key nutrient that supports healthy brain development, boosts energy and helps produce red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body and babies need enough iron to grow, learn and generally thrive.
Why is it Important?
Iron is especially important in the early years because your baby’s brain and body are developing rapidly- more rapidly than at any other point in their life! By six months, your baby’s natural iron stores which were built up during pregnancy begin to run low. Breast milk and formula do contain iron, but not enough to meet their increasing needs. Without enough iron, your baby could be at risk of anemia, which can lead to tiredness, irritability and even delayed development. Starting iron rich foods early can help prevent these issues. Introducing iron-rich foods during weaning sets the foundation for a balanced diet later in life. Your baby’s first experiences with food help them develop a taste for different flavours and textures. This is the very best time to establish a positive relationship with food rather than having to undo bad habits later on.
How to Wean With Iron Rich Foods
Weaning is a wonderful opportunity to introduce your baby to foods that are rich in iron. Options like pureed or finely minced meats, lentils, and well cooked green vegetables are ideal. Some parents choose baby led weaning where you offer soft finger foods like steamed broccoli or strips of cooked chicken. Either method works, as long as iron rich foods are included in your baby’s daily diet. Plant-based sources of iron like beans, tofu, and leafy greens are also grear choices. Pairing these with vitamin C-rich foods like tomatoes or citrus fruits can help your baby absorb the iron even more effectively. Encourage your baby to touch, smell, and taste their food. Even if it’s messy, this process is so important for their sensory and motor development.
Recipe Ideas
For purees, try blending cooked lentils with a little breast milk or formula for a creamy texture, or make a spinach and sweet potato mash by steaming the vegetables until soft and blending them together. You can add spinach to sweet purees too without it altering the taste that much. A puree of chicken or beef with cooked carrots is another option. For baby led weaning, you can offer large pieces of meat like steak or chicken drumsticks for baby to gum, it's actually safer offering large pieces of food like this as opposed to small pieces of meat which could get lodged in their throat. If you finely mince some meat and mix it with chopped vegetables you can make meaty 'fingers' which are soft and good for blw too. Simple steamed broccoli florets, or slices of boiled egg, iron-fortified cereals mixed with a splash of formula and a spoonful of mashed fruit are also great too.
