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Top 25 Iron-Rich Foods for Babies & Toddlers

A pile of pumpkin seeds before they have been prepared for a baby starting solid foods

You are going to hear a lot about iron in baby's first few years. This is because iron is a crucial micronutrient that helps form hemoglobin, which delivers oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body. Iron also plays a big role in neurodevelopment. And many babies and toddlers aren’t getting enough.

So to make things easier for you, we analyzed foods highest in iron and then whittled down the list to those most easily adapted for babies.

For more on the specific nutrients babies need, see our Nutrient Cheat Sheet for Babies or our First Foods Essentials bundle.

Have a toddler? Check out our guides for Toddlers at the Table.

Top 25 Iron-Rich Foods for Babies

  1. Chicken liver

  2. Venison

  3. Lentils

  4. Cannellini beans

  5. Fortified infant cereals

  6. Navy beans

  7. Black beans

  8. Pumpkin seed butter

  9. Tahini (sesame seed paste)

  10. Goat meat

  11. Hemp seeds

  12. Black-eyed peas

  13. Beef liver

  14. Bison

  15. Kidney, lima and pinto beans

  16. Edamame

  17. Sardines

  18. Cashew butter

  19. Tofu

  20. Pine nuts

  21. Garbanzo beans

  22. Buffalo

  23. Beef

  24. Lamb 

  25. Mackerel

Here’s the catch: not all iron is equal. Iron from animal sources such as chicken liver, is much more easily absorbed in the body than iron from plant-based foods like lentils and beans. To help baby’s body absorb iron from beans, nuts and other plant-based foods, serve foods high in vitamin C along with them. Red bell peppers and lentils, anyone?

Reviewed by:

Venus Kalami, MNSP, RD. Pediatric dietitian.

The content offered on SolidStarts.com is for informational purposes only. Solidstarts is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or your medical or health professional, nutritionist, or expert in pediatric feeding and eating. By accessing the content on SolidStarts.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with an array of content “baby-led weaning” information, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on SolidStarts.com.

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