According to American Pediatrics Academy, “Iron is an essential nutrient that energizes children by helping to transport oxygen around the body", so it’s crucial that your child gets enough.

This is because iron is an essential nutrient for making hemoglobin, which is a key component of red blood cells. Red blood cells, in turn, carry oxygen throughout our body. A sufficient intake of iron for your child ensures that his or her tissues, muscles and organs can get adequate oxygen. Thus, an iron-rich diet is necessary for your child's growth and development.

Low iron levels also cause fatigue and difficulty with concentration, the solution might be as simple as getting more iron-rich foods for kids into his diet. Iron deficiency is common among children, and low iron levels can have a long-lasting impact on childhood development and behavior.

Iron-rich foods are an effective way to ensure that children get the 7 to 10 milligrams they need each day.

Symptoms of iron deficiency

Iron deficiency can cause stunted growth and behavioral issues such as feeling dizzy, pale skin, peeling nails, loss of appetite, staying inactive, headache, shortness of breath, poor concentration, and hair loss.

Let us look at how much Iron a child requires according to his/her age:

Babies in the age range of 0-6 months need 0.27 mg/day

Children who are in the age bracket of 7-12 months need 11 mg/day.

Toddlers between 1-3 years require 7 mg/day.

Kids who are 4-8 years old need 10 mg/day and so on.

High sources of iron are:

1.Eggs

Eggs make a quick and nutritious meal option for growing children, One whole egg supplies almost 1 milligram of iron, as well as protein and vitamin B12. Scrambled, fried or hard-boiled — it doesn’t matter how your child eats them, they’re a good dose of iron.

2. Nuts

A trail mix or a handful of dry fruits(almonds, raisins, dates, figs, walnuts etc) can provide the adequate iron required for a child. You can also use it powdered to be mixed in the milk for babies. Another way is to make trail mix by adding some sunflower seeds to this. (Btw, sunflower seeds are good sources of Iron too!)

3. Green Leafy Vegetables

Vegetables are a hard sell for many children, but incorporating leafy greens is a good way to add more iron to your child’s diet. A cup of spinach, for example, supplies almost 1 milligram of iron. If your child isn’t too keen on salads, shred the greens and add them to soup, stew or porridge, or puree them into his favorite fruit smoothie.

4. Amaranth Seeds

An excellent source of the adequate iron required for a human body. Amaranth energy bites are an excellent way of providing iron to your babies and toddlers.

5. Tofu

Tofu isn’t a top favorite food for most kids, but the nice thing about it is that it tends to take on the flavors of the foods it’s prepared with, which means your child might not even notice it. It also contains about 2 milligrams of iron per serving. Add it to smoothies or porridge as a simple way to include it in your child’s diet.

6. Pumpkin Seeds

A handful of pumpkin seeds, or an ounce, contains about one milligram of iron. That’s about 5% of the recommended daily value. Pumpkin seeds provide the most benefit when eaten raw, but they still pack an iron punch when roasted for no more than 15-20 minutes.

7. Chicken

With between 1 and 2 milligrams of iron per serving, chicken and red meat are kid-friendly sources of iron. Add shredded poultry to vegetable soup or stuff it into pasta and top with your child’s favorite veggies.

8. Raisins

Raisins are nutrient-dense treats that contain large amounts of iron. It’s easy to add a handful of these subtly sweet treats to your baby's cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, or salads as part of a balanced diet.

9. Sesame Seeds

Sesame butter, also known as tahini, can provide your child's body with a tremendous amount of iron. If he or she is already eating plenty of iron-rich fruits and vegetables, tahini can be an excellent addition that will help your child reach his or her daily iron needs. Tahini can be eaten as it is, but you can also use it to add some flavor to your child's favorite vegetables, bread, or to dress up a cherry tomato salad.

10. Beans

Beans are a great vegetarian source of iron. They contain several milligrams of iron per serving, depending on the type. Add cooked beans (like black beans or kidney beans) to your child’s favorite soup recipes or mash cooked beans and top them with shredded cheese.

All in all, make sure you are adding iron daily to your child’s plate so that he or she can grow up stronger and healthily.