Iron and weaning?!

[reren]

I'm confused about iron levels - i am doing a combination of baby led weaning and some purees for my 7 month old- can anyone suggest how best to get iron into them? He is also having quite a bit of breastmilk (no formula)? I have given him meat which he sort of sucks on - but i'd saying his diet is primarily vegetable and fruit at the moment - he has broccoli and greenbeans and other green veg which i think have a good level of iron - but how do you know how much is enough? He loves ellas and petit fillou both of which are more successful than anything i lovingly create (humph)? Anyone know how much to worry about iron / how to measure? He is very happy feeding himself but not that much seems to actually go down just yet?

[womanofdulwich]

when you are weaning aren't you still meant to give baby rice which is rich in iron? ( mixed with milk)

[Fuschia]

I wouldn't worry

I think a 7m old human has evolved to be getting along on breastmilk and the first smatterings of solids

The follow on formula ad that got banned has s lit to answer for for inducing mummy paranoia

Chances are he is just getting to the end of his birth stores of iron and breastmilk is an excellent source of bio available iron

[Knomester]

You probably don't need to worry, but then that's what we do don't we, worry...!

You can incorporate some plant based foods into purees and finger foods if you're concerned and aren't offering red meat or other meat sources of iron yet. Some dried fruits (raisins, apricots, etc) have good levels of iron as do some dried pulses, like lentils, chickpeas, etc which can be incorporated into soups, casseroles, finger foods... Quinoa is also quite high - I add to stews and mini fritters which Baby Knomester has been munching on since about 7 months. A nice one is saut?ed grated carrot mixed with cooked quinoa, wilted spinach, ground cumin, an egg, 2 tbsp flour and a dash of milk.

Combine with vitamin c to increase iron absorption.

[Saffron]

Just sucking on meat is ok too. Your LO will still get lots of iron and amino acids even if he doesn't actually swallow a lump of meat. At that age, Little Saff loved nothing better than to gum to a whitish soggy pulp a nice strip of beef or lamb. Then she would gleefully spit the soggy mess back and request a fresh piece.