Very low iron with a toddler.

[Misschief]

My 20 month old son was diagnosed with severe anemia at 16 months old. He was licking everything and anything he got his hands on. His iron level was only 7 when normally it should be above 11 (or so I was told).
He had to have an iron supplement for 3 months and then we did another bloodtest which showed that his iron level was ok.
Now he's been off the iron for 2 months and he's started to lick everything again. He never really stopped, but its become worse in the last 2 weeks.
He needs to get another bloodtest in 2 weeks time, but Im really worried.

When he gets out of bed in the morning, he starts with a glass of milo mixed with water. Then an hour later he gets a big bowl of weetbix with 2 pieces of fresh fruit. I need to add that he doesn't get milk with his Weetbix. The juice of the fruit makes it soggy enough.
For snack he gets a bit more fruit, or some rice crackers with extra iron (the Heinz Baby ones).

For lunch he gets wholemeal bread with cheese, Vegemite or this super expensive " 100% all natural" almond spread ($6,- for a small jar in the healthfood section at Woolies). I was told by the dietitian that this has a lot of iron in it.
He also gets a small cup of yoghurt when he goes to daycare twice a week.

Afternoon tea is some plain Jatz crackers.

For dinner it's fresh veggies, potatoes and meat (pork, fish and steak twice a week.) Once a week he gets baked beans with eggs for dinner.

I was told Chia seeds and Spirulina had lots of iron in it. But then some dietitian said that you need to eat a kilo of Chia seeds to get the same amount of iron similar to a normal sized piece of steak.

So how else can I get more iron in him without using the supplement?

[Misschief]

P.S. I read the guidelines, but if this post is somehow irrelevant to the thread, than please delete. If not, I'll be keeping an eye on any replies. Thanks :)

[KarenInge]

HI Misschief, Without doubt the best sources of absorbable iron come from haem sources or animal foods such as offal ( including pate) red meat , dark meat of chicken and fish. Other non haem sources of iron from plant foods are not as well absorbed but adding foods high in Vitamin C such as citrus fruits, berries,kiwi fruit, red and green capsicum and tomato will increase iron absorption.Non haem sources include iron fortified breakfast cereals, wholegrain breads and other grains, baked beans, lentils and legumes, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, peanut butter or other nut spreads, milo/ovaltine. I think it's good to try an iron fortified breakfast cereal with orange juice or choose another high Vitamin C juice, Add peanut butter or pate or fish paste to toast or wholegrain crackers as a snack, continue the use of milo, thicken soups with legumes and offer cold meat or dreid fruit at snack times.Chia seeds and spirulina are non haem sources of iron and so are poorly absorbed. Try to increase your son's intake of iron through haem sources.Just a word about milk intake. it's best ti limit milk to no more than 600ml /day as excessive milk intake caa suppress appetite ate meal times.

[Misschief]

Thanks for your reply. My son gets about 400-500ml of milk each day. Other than that he drinks water. He has a condition called 'geographic tongue'. Eating acid food like citrus or raw tomatoes will burn and sting :( I do give his Kids Weetbix with fresh mashed fruit like banana, pear, kiwi, mango etc.
He had a bloodtest yesterday, so I'll know tomorrow if I am giving him enough iron or not. The peadiatrician told me to do a 2 week food diary and said that it looks like his intake is sufficient. But he also said that he could have a medical problem with iron not being absorbed or that his body needs more iron than other children. That is why I am seeking advice on how to bump up his iron intake.

I thought white meat like chicken and fish, did not have a lot of iron. I do give him steak twice a week and other beef products.
I'll have a look if he will eat some cold meat for snack. I cook roasts and always have a lot left over. I could give it to him as a snack.

Again, thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate your input. It's given me lots to think about

[KarenInge]

You are right red meat is higher in iron than chicken or fish but for variety you may want to offer other meats . The darker meat of the chicken such as leg and thigh is higher in iron then the breast. Good luck with the results