My son has a real distaste for almost any kind of meat. He will try it, and spit it out- he just doesn't like it. I'm fine with that- I was a vegetarian for many years and I totally understand that he just doesn't want to eat it. My concerns are his health. He eats a lot of yogurt, cheese and drinks a lot of milk, so I know that he's getting the protein. I'm worried about the iron. My doc told me once that he needed the iron or he would become anemic. Any ideas on what foods contain iron? AND my other problem is, do I make him a seperate dinner every night? He loves veggies, cheese and bread, but our family dinners are usually chicken of some kind, brocolli or green beans and that's about it. Should I be making him a pasta with cheese and vegetables along with what I make for the rest of the family??
Thanks, everyone for the advice! I plan to continue to offer him what I make for dinner as well as expand our menu to help suit his tastes. He's a big, healthy, strong boy and I know that he'll continue to be.
I know it's for a weight loss site, which can be ignored, but the second part of the list is meatless, and has info about how much iron is in each thing, I hope it helps.
http://www.weightlossforall.com/iron-rich-food.htm
Here is a list of some foods that are good sources of iron:
Fortified cereals
Seeds: flaxseeds or meal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
Soybeans (tofu)
Molasses
Wheatgerm
Legumes: lentils, kidney beans, navy beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, peas
Nuts: almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts
Dried prunes, dried apricots, raisins, dates
Spinach
Whole grains
The key to eating for anyone is to eat a healthy variety of colors and foods and you'll most likely get the nutrients you need. Good luck!
wow, you got a lot of great responses (especially from kristin k) and it seems like you are pretty satisfied with your decisions since you already posted 'so what happened'. from having problems with anemia personally, i was also informed to eat food that had iron together with foods that had vitamin C to increase the absorption of iron.
one suggestion i would make (since someone else mentioned wheat germ which is pretty much tasteless and can be added to peanut butter sandwiches without the consumer none the wiser is ovaltine...kids love chocolate milk, and it has much more iron than regular chocolate syrup. good luck!
Hi L.
Baby spinich leaves have lots of iron and have a nice sweet taste if you dont cook them just make sure you wash them well.Also at dinner try making your side to your chicken his main meal like a pasta and veggie mix and add a little chesse on top and a roll on the side also remember that a child will eat when he is hungry.If you are really concerned about him not eating any meat another idea would be make him a salad or pasta with alot of different things tossed in it then take some grilled chicken and dice or chop very fine and throw it in good luck with everything hope this helps.
Keep offering the meat, but don't force it. Just ask that he allows one piece to remain on his plate, even if he won't eat it. I would give him an age-appropriate multi-vitamin with iron. Be careful about dosage, though. Too much iron can be very bad. You should never prepare a seperate meal for one child. This will just prove frustrating. However, you might consider adding another side dish to your daily meal preparations for the whole family. That way your son will not get the impression that you are a short order cook of some sort, and there will still be an option available that he will be willing to eat.
My Pediatrician is vegan herself and is very into kids being vegetarian. You may want to meet her and talk with her on your situation. She is a great doctor. Her number is ###-###-####, Dr. Mary Sue.
Best of Mothering,
Michelle - Mother of 4
I am not much of a meat-eater myself, and although I normally manage to keep my iron levels at the low end of normal, I always have to supplement during pregnancy. Anyways, here is an article I found with some info for you.
IRON
Iron is an essential mineral in the human body. Since the actual amount of iron required by the body is small, it is called a trace mineral. Iron is found in hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from one tissue to another in the blood. When the iron level is low, the amount of available oxygen declines, thus limiting energy production. Tiredness and fatigue, therefore, are common symptoms of iron deficiency.
Anyone can experience iron deficiency. Conditions that can contribute to deficiency include:
increased iron needs due to growth, pregnancy or illness;
inadequate intake of iron-containing foods due to vegetarianism or other restrictive dietary regimens;
excessive blood loss.
Consumption of iron-containing foods is crucial for maintaining iron stores in the body. There are two types of iron in foods: heme and nonheme. The body absorbs heme iron much easier than nonheme iron. Meat and seafood products provide heme iron; plant products supply nonheme iron.
Recommended Daily Allowance for Adults
GENDER IRON (mg)
Males 10
Females
Up to age 50 15
Over age 50 10
Pregnancy 30
Lactation 15
Tips to Boost Dietary Iron
Consume a variety of foods to meet daily iron requirement (see below table).
Eat more heme iron foods such as egg, red meat, poultry and fish. Include red meat at least once a week.
Enhance nonheme iron absorption by adding foods rich in vitamin C or heme iron to the same meal. If taken alone, without vitamin C or a heme iron source, nonheme iron foods (see table) are absorbed in very small quantities by the body. Good sources of vitamin C are broccoli, tomato, cabbage, potato, green or red pepper, melons and any citrus fruits.
Substances found in foods such as tea, coffee, whole grains, bran, spinach, chocolate and soy products can block the absorption of dietary iron. Consume these foods with heme iron and/or vitamin C sources to improve dietary iron absorption.
Check with your healthcare provider before taking an iron supplement. Excessive intake of iron can be toxic to the body.
Iron Content of Foods
FOOD ITEM AMOUNT IRON (mg)
Heme
Beef, ground 3½ oz 2.4
Beef liver 3 oz 6.2
Chicken without skin 3½ oz 1.2
Egg 1 whole 0.7
Ham 3½ oz 0.7
Lamb, leg 3½ oz 2.0
Pork, center loin 3½ oz 0.8
Shrimp 12 large 2.1
Turkey without skin 3½ oz 1.8
Nonheme
Apple with skin 1 whole 0.3
Bread, whole wheat 1 slice 0.9
Corn flakes 1 cup 1.8
Corn tortilla, enriched 1 tortilla 1.4
Cream of wheat, instant ¾ cup 9.0
Grapenuts ¼ cup 8.1
Hummus ½ cup 1.9
Kidney beans ½ cup 2.6
Lentils ½ cup 3.3
Peanut butter 2 tablespoons 0.5
Peas ½ cup 1.2
Pistachios 25 1.0
Raisins 2/3 cup 2.1
Soy milk 1 cup 1.4
Spaghetti, enriched ½ cup 1.0
Spinach ½ cup 3.2
Tofu ½ x 2¾ x 1 inch 2.3
White rice, enriched ½ cup 1.1
Ó 2001, University of Chicago Student Care Center.
I really don't think that you need to worry about it. you mentioned that your family meals usually consist of chicken of some kind and veggies. Chicken really doesn't have much iron in it anyway, red meats have more iron. I saw someone else posted a list of foods that are high in iron, they are all good options, especially the green leafy vegetables like spinach.
I saw someone mentioned a multivitamin containing iron, as far as I know the multivitamins made for this age group do not contain iron, mainly due to the fact that overdosing on iron can be fatal.
I would just offer him a variety of foods. My son didn't eat meat for the longest time either, I think that he didn't like the texture. He is 3 now and starting to come around. My pediatrician was never concerned about it, and my son has never had any problems.
anything green has iron he dont need meats anywaz he will be ok bread cheese an veggies iz all good an fruits
Until my son was about 2 he did the same thing. Now he eats pretty much everything. I would keep offering it to him-- but don't push it. My son loved meatballs (I would use turkey or very lean beef and make them myself so that they weren't processed) at that age. It took a lot longer to get him to eat chicken. If you are concerned he is not getting enough Iron, talk to you doctor. Broccoli is high in iron, but a lot of kids won't eat it. There may be other foods you could supplement, or maybe he will need a vitamin (which I would consult your Doctor about-- mine told me no).
Good luck-- he might outgrown it.
