3 Best Iron Sources for Your Vegan Baby (plus an iron-rich baby food recipe)

May 25, 2020 Heidi Masanga RN, BSN

I’m a primary care pediatric nurse, and in this article, I share the best sources of iron for vegan babies.

Is it safe to feed your baby a vegan diet? Do babies need meat and eggs to get iron?

Many pediatricians recommend pureed meat as the first food source of iron. But vegan or plant-based families don’t want to feed their baby meat, eggs, or dairy.

Fortunately, your baby can get her iron from plant sources.

Discover the 3 best sources of iron for your vegan baby, plus an iron-rich baby food recipe your baby will love.

Did you know babies are born with a “saving’s account” of iron that lasts the first 6 months of their life?

This correlates perfectly with the time most babies begin eating solid foods...around 6 months of age.

So, when your baby’s iron “savings account” starts getting low, around 6 months of age, she’ll need to start eating iron-rich foods so she can make deposits into her iron “savings account” and avoid iron deficiency anemia.

GRAB YOUR EBOOK FOR $7.99—WRITTEN BY A PEDIATRIC NURSE

What are the best plant sources of iron for a vegan or vegetarian baby?

These 3 plant foods are perfect iron-rich first foods for your baby:

Whole Grain Iron-Fortified Infant Cereal like Gerber or Earths Best Baby Cereal.
Leafy Greens…cooked, pureed spinach is a mild flavor to start with.
Lentils or beans...pureed and thinned with water, breast milk or formula. Beans and lentils are iron-rich and have another magical trick up their sleeve. Beans and lentils help baby develop healthy gut bacteria (probiotics) right from the beginning. Lentils and beans are superior to any probiotic supplements that you can buy.

Eventually, your baby should eat a variety of iron-rich plant foods. But to start with the above plant-based foods are the best iron-rich First Foods for your baby.

See below to make an iron-rich baby food puree at home.

IMPORTANT

By making this plant-based recipe, you are decreasing your child’s risk for chronic disease, saving animals from suffering, and improving the health of our planet 🌎 for future generations. Thank you for making a difference!

RECIPE:

Iron-Rich Baby Food (plant-based)

Ingredients

☑️ ½ cup red lentils (rinsed well)—iron source

☑️ 1 orange sweet potato cut into large cubes —vitamin C source

☑️ 1 apple, quartered (peeled or not—either is ok) vitamin C source

☑️ fresh spinach, 2 handfuls—iron source

☑️ water

Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron. Always try to do a vitamin C-rich food with an iron-rich food if possible. It’s a perfect combo. Citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, red bell pepper, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are all good sources of vitamin C.

Directions for Instant Pot

Step 1

Add lentils to the Instant Pot first. Then add sweet potatoes and apples. Add water to Instant Pot until about 1/3 the way full.

Step 2

Pressure cook in Instant Pot for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Let pressure release naturally—less messy. But if you’re in a hurry, you can release it manually after cooking time is done.

Step 4

Take the top off and remove the insert from Instant Pot to let it cool down. (Make sure you use potholders so you don’t burn your hands!)

Step 5

After it cools for about 10 minutes, stir the 2 handfuls of spinach into the pot.

Step 6

Add contents of Instant Pot to blender. Blend until smooth.

Step 7

Pour into small 4 oz mason jars to store in the fridge. This iron-rich baby food recipe is also perfect for homemade squeeze pouches.

How to freeze your iron-rich baby food

Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for later. Once your iron-rich baby food is frozen solid, remove the cubes from the tray and store in a freezer-safe container.

Keeps well in the freezer for 1-2 months.

Nutrition Info

This recipe is a good source of:

Iron
Antioxidants
Potassium
Magnesium
Vitamin A
Folate
Vitamin C
Calcium
Protein
Fiber

So now you know your sweet baby does not need to eat pureed meat to get the iron she needs. Aren’t you glad?

~Heidi