What are the foods with high iron content
Release time : 04/19/2025 09:30:02
Babies often show signs of fatigue, loss of appetite and lack of motivation to eat. What's going on here? Moms, if your baby shows these symptoms, it could be iron deficiency.
How should babies with iron deficiency be supplemented? What foods should they consume? What are some iron-rich diet recipes? Mama.com advises mothers on how to supplement their baby's iron intake.
What foods are high in iron? Mothers often consume the following foods that are rich in iron, which mothers and babies should eat more of.
Liver is the preferred food for preventing iron-deficiency anemia. 1. Liver Liver is rich in various nutrients and is the preferred food for preventing iron-deficiency anemia.
100 grams of pork liver contains 25 mg of iron, and it is also easier to be absorbed by the human body.
The liver can be processed into various forms of pediatric food, such as liver mash which is easier for infants to consume.
2. Various lean meats. Although the iron content in lean meats is not high, their iron absorption rate is almost as good as that of liver, and they are easily available for purchase and processed. Children also like them.
3. Egg yolks: One hundred grams of egg yolks contain 7 milligrams of iron, despite the fact that the absorption rate of iron is only 3%. However, eggs are readily available and convenient to consume and preserve. Additionally, they are rich in other nutrients, making them an excellent supplement for infants and young children in their iron intake.
4. Animal Bloods: Pig blood, chicken blood, duck blood, and other animal bloods contain iron at a rate of 12%. If they are processed into blood tofu and provided to child care institutions, it could be an affordable and convenient food for preventing iron-deficiency anemia in children.
5. Soybeans and Their Products: The importance and status of soybeans in the nutrition and child nutrition of the Chinese people have been mentioned by many nutritional scientists.
100 grams of soybean and soybean powder contain 11mg iron, which is higher than that in rice and wheat by 7%.
6. Sesame paste: Sesame paste is rich in various nutrients and is an excellent nutritional food for infants and young children.
Each 100g of sesame paste contains 58mg iron and it also has a rich content of calcium.
Phosphorus, protein and fat are added in many kinds of infant foods, which are very popular among children.
7. Green vegetables. Although the absorption rate of iron from plant-based foods is not high, children need to eat them every day, so vegetables are also a source of iron supplementation.
8. Mushrooms and Black Fungus: They are rich in iron, particularly black fungus which contains 185mg of iron per 100g. For centuries, they have been considered a good source for blood replenishment. Additionally, seaweed and kelp, as well as other seafood products, are also effective in preventing and treating anemia in children.
Symptoms and consequences of iron deficiency in infants: Iron deficiency in infants is often accompanied by the following symptoms: 1. Frequently, it leads to mental lethargy, pallor of the face, nails, and lips, as well as a pale red or bluish discoloration of the tongue.
2. Frequently feels tired, engages in less activity, experiences fatigue and weakness, with legs feeling weak and lack of strength.
I often lose focus and drift off while listening to stories or engaging in other activities.
3. A reduced appetite, aversion to eating, and frequent thirst during meals, necessitating frequent water intake.
4. Due to decreased immune function, individuals are more susceptible to various infectious diseases.
5. Emotional fluctuations, restlessness, irritability or indifference.
Severe iron deficiency in infants often leads to the following symptoms: 1. Anemia: Due to a lack of iron, the number of red blood cells decreases, and the ability of blood to transport oxygen declines, resulting in anemia. 2. Growth and developmental delays: Iron is an essential element for the synthesis of hemoglobin, and a deficiency in iron directly affects the formation of hemoglobin, thereby affecting the growth and development of the baby. 3. Decreased immune function: Iron is crucial for the normal operation of the immune system; a deficiency in iron can lead to a decreased immune response, making the baby more susceptible to infections. 4. Neural damage: Iron is important for the normal development of the brain and nervous system. A deficiency in iron may lead to neural damage, affecting intellectual development. 5. Dermatological issues: A deficiency in iron can also cause dry skin and itching.
Deficiency of iron leads to insufficient synthesis of hemoglobin, resulting in anemia.
Because the main function of red blood cells is to carry oxygen to various tissues, anemia can cause insufficient oxygen supply to the tissues and cause damage to various tissue systems.
Long-term iron deficiency reduces the cognitive ability of infants and young children, and it is difficult to recover even after iron supplementation.
Iron deficiency can lead to impairment of mental activity and intellectual development, as well as behavioral changes in infants and young children.
Such children tend to cry and be irritable when they grow up, are insensitive to new things, are not excited about the environment, and do not like to pay attention to certain things for a long time.
Due to lack of attention and persistence, it is considered to be personality disorders and emotional disorders, and it is even considered to be ADHD.
These children have lower language and operating abilities than normal children when taking intelligence tests.
Long-term iron deficiency significantly affects physical endurance. This is because iron deficiency damages oxidative metabolism in muscles.
At the same time, immunity and anti-infection ability will also be reduced.
Iron deficiency anemia impairs the body's ability to maintain body temperature in a cold environment, increases the absorption of lead, and increases the probability of lead poisoning.
Daily Iron Needs for Human Body According to the "Daily Nutritional Supplement Values" table, the iron needs of different age groups are different. Let's take a look at how much iron each group needs every day.
People of different age groups have different iron needs. 1. Infants under one year old: The fetus stores a significant amount of iron in the liver, which can be utilized for 6 months after birth. By the fourth month, it is essential to introduce foods that contain iron, as failure to do so may lead to anemia.
Feed the infant an egg yolk or liver soup daily to replenish iron.
The recommended daily intake of iron for infants over the age of 6 months in China is 10mg.
The maximum tolerated dose is 30mg.
2. Children and adolescents: Growth and development of children require increased iodine and iron intake. The recommended daily intake for iron in China is 12mg for children over 4 years old and 12mg for children aged 7-11 years.
3. Pregnant women The recommended iron intake in mid-pregnancy is 25mg, in late pregnancy 35mg, and the tolerable upper intake level is 60mg.
Pregnant women should consume foods rich in iron, preferably the heme iron form, as this is more readily absorbed by the body. Animal liver, seafood, nuts, and legumes are all good sources of iron. In later pregnancy, it may be necessary to supplement with iron supplements, with ferrous sulfate being the most common.
How to Supplement Iron? How should mothers supplement iron? They can refer to the following four methods: 1. Toddlers need to add complementary foods in time: Add egg yolks, fish paste and so on at 4-5 months old.
Start introducing foods such as liver puree, minced meat, blood products, and red dates to infants aged 7 months.
Additionally, for premature infants starting at 2 months and full-term infants starting at 4 months, iron supplementation can be administered under the guidance of a physician to strengthen prevention.
2. Using a cast-iron pan for cooking: Cast-iron pans contain iron, which means that when you cook with them, the iron can be added to your meal through chemical reactions, making it easier for iron absorption.
3. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits contain vitamins like Vitamin C, citric acid, and malic acid. These organic acids can form complexes with iron in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby increasing the solubility of iron in the intestines, which is beneficial for its absorption.
Steel pans contain iron, which can be added to the food. 4. Eat more foods rich in iron. Examples include: egg yolk, seaweed, nori, black fungus, pork liver, longan, and pig blood.
Even in those women with normal hemoglobin levels, iron has a restorative effect.
After dietary iron supplementation, their physical energy, mood, and attention levels all improved.
Here are four iron-rich recipe options for babies that are easy to accept: 1. Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Tofu Cut the tofu and chicken blood into thin strips, finely chop black fungus, cooked lean meat, and carrots into strips. Then add them to a pot of fresh broth and bring to a boil. Add appropriate amounts of soy sauce, salt, and cooking wine. Afterward, use water starch to thicken the soup, drizzle in beaten eggs, add sesame oil, and chopped green onions.
2. Stir-Fried Scallion and Liver Strips Clean and cut the pork liver into strips, then stir-fry them with fresh scallions.
Pig liver strands are mixed with starch and stir-fried in a pan heated to about 40%.
Heat a little oil in the pot, stir-fry the green peppers and ginger, then add in the cooking wine, sugar, salt and a little water. When it boils, thicken with a starch slurry.
Pour in the pork liver shreds, drizzle with a bit of sesame oil and vinegar.
3. Yam and spinach soup Prepare 20 grams of yam and 300 grams of spinach.
Peel the yam, wash it, and slice it.
Wash the spinach and cut it into sections.
Place a pot on high heat, add an adequate amount of water and bring it to a boil. Add the Chinese yam and cook for 20 minutes. Then add the spinach slices and cook until they are tender. Season with salt and MSG, and drizzle in a little oil.
4. Lotus Rolls Mix the flour and soybean meal, add an appropriate amount of water to form a dough and ferment it.
Clean the red fruit, remove the core, steam it until soft, mash it into a paste, add brown sugar and sesame seeds and a little flour to blend well.
Mix the fermented dough, knead it until smooth, roll out into a sheet, spread evenly with filling, and then roll up from one side. Cut into small pieces, three pieces per group, cutting them in such a way that they are facing upwards. Insert chopsticks between the two ends and pinch them together. Then, gently tuck the pinched ends of the wrapped pieces under to form petals. Remove the chopsticks and sprinkle the middle of the dumplings with red dates (or Jinggao) cubes. Finally, arrange the lotus flower dumplings in steamer baskets for 30 minutes before serving.
The medical information presented in this text is for reference only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.
In case of discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on the professional examinations conducted in person by a doctor.