Food	Milligrams per serving	% Of requirements of adult
Chicken liver, cooked, 100g	12.8	70
Baked beans, 3 tablespoons	1.7	8
Beef, tenderloin, roasted, 100 g	3.0	15
Turkey, roasted, 100g	1.6	8
Chicken leg, roasted, 100g	1.3	6
Chicken breast, roasted, 100g	1.1	6
Halibut, cooked, 100g	0.9	6
Pork, loin, 100g	0.8	4
Tuna, canned, 100g	0.8	4
2 Weetabix	4.5	25
Lentils, 1 cup, boiled	6.6	35
Beans, pinto, 1 cup, boiled	3.6	20
Tofu, raw, ½ cup	3.4	20
Spinach, ½ cup, boiled	3.2	20
Raisins, seedliess, ½ cup	1.5	8
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice	0.9	6
Cashew nuts, 30 g	2	10
Sesame seeds, 20 g	2	10
Dried figs, 4	3.4	20
1 boiled egg	1 mg	6

Boosting Iron in Your Child's Diet

Iron is a very important mineral. Unfortunately, many young children don't get enough iron in their diet. Iron deficiency can cause many problems, including poor weight gain, loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, and decreased attention span. This makes it hard for children to play, and to learn.

You can prevent iron deficiency by focusing on ways to boost iron in the diet of toddlers and preschoolers. Children aged 1 to 3 years need 6 milligrams (mg) of iron a day, while 4 to 6 year-olds need 8 mg. Here are some tips for you to try:

• Offer meat, fish, or poultry along with vegetable sources of iron.
• Introduce your child to legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, soybeans and white pea beans.
• Serve enriched or whole wheat bread, cereals and pasta.
• Try different ways of cooking liver, and include it in your meals once in a while.
• Serve Vitamin C-rich fruit or vegetables (or their juices) at meals.
• Use an iron skillet for cooking.
• Use prune juice in desserts or cereals instead of other liquids.
• Add blackstrap molasses as the sweetener in muffins, gingerbread, or baked beans.

IRON-RICH RECIPES

Infant Cereal Cookies

¼ cup (60 mL) blackstrap molasses ¼ cup (60 mL) margarine 1 egg 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla

¾ cup (180 mL) all-purpose flour ½ tsp. (2 mL) baking powder 2 cups (500 mL) infant cereal, dry 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheet.
2. Lightly cream margarine and molasses together. Mix in egg and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and cereal together, and blend into margarine mixture. Mix in whole milk. Combine thoroughly.
4. Drop onto greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.
Iron Content: 2½ mg. per cookie

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Raisins in the Sun ( High In Iron)

½ cup (125 mL) peanut butter 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) blackstrap molasses 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) orange juice

½ cup (125 mL) cream cheese ¼ cup (60 mL) raisins

1. Using a fork, mash together the peanut butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the molasses, raisins, and orange juice. Mix well.
3. Spread on bread or toast.

Iron Content: 9 mg. (whole recipe)

Liver and Vegetables

2 oz. (60 grams ) liver, cut into small pieces (eg. pork, chicken, beef, veal) 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) milk (eg. breast, whole, or formula) 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) vegetables (eg. broccoli, peas or beans)

1. In a small, tightly-covered pot, poach the liver in milk until tender (about 6 minutes).
2. Remove and pureé with a little more milk.
3. Boil or steam the vegetables.
4. Pureé the vegetables with a little of the water used to boil or steam them.
5. Serve the vegetables with the liver paste, or mix the liver paste together with the vegetables.

Iron Content: 10 mg. (whole recipe)

Granola

2 cups (500 mL) rolled oats ½ cup (125 mL) wheat germ ½ cup (125 mL) blackstrap molasses 1 tsp.(5 mL) cinnamon ¼ tsp. (1 mL) nutmeg 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla

½ cup (125 mL) shredded coconut ½ cup (125 mL) chopped nuts ¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable oil ¼ cup (60 mL) sesame seeds ¼ cup (60 mL) sunflower seeds ½ cup (125 mL) dried fruit

1. Mix together all of the ingredients, except the dried fruit, in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix well until the oil and molasses coat the rest of the ingredients.
3. Pour mixture into a large skillet and place over medium heat.
4. Stir mixture constantly for about 5 minutes, or until oats turn golden brown.
5. Remove skillet from heat, and stir in dried fruit.
6. Cool the granola and store it in a can or jar with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator.
7. Serve with or without milk, or serve it topped with yogurt.

Iron Content: 46 mg. (whole recipe)

Liver Meatloaf

1 lb. (500 grams) lean ground beef 1 egg 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) wheat germ 3 Tbsp. prepared mustard

3 oz. (100 grams) liver 1 small potato, raw ½ medium onion, chopped 1 tsp. (5 mL) salt Pinch pepper 1 tsp. (5 mL) worcestershire sauce

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
3. Mold into loaf pan.
4. Serve with tomato sauce if desired.

Iron Content: 24 mg. (whole recipe)

Produced from material developed by The Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, Department of Public Health Services, 1992, and adapted by the Nutrition Promotion Program of The Waterloo Regional Health Unit. Revised Oct. 1999. For more information, contact Healthy Living Service of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit

Cream of Wheat Muffins

¾ cup (185 ml) all purpose flour
¾ cup (185 ml) cream of wheat
½ cup (125 ml) infant cereal (dry)
½ cup (125 ml) white sugar
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) baking powder
½ tsp. (2 ml) salt
2 eggs *
½ cup (125 ml) oil
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1 tsp. (5 ml) vanilla
¼ cup (60 ml) jam* of your choice to top each muffin before baking.

1. In large bowl, combine flour, cream of wheat, infant cereal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. In small bowl, combine eggs, oil and milk and vanilla.
3. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and blend until just mixed.
4. Fill greased muffin tin ¾ full, top each muffin with a teaspoon of jam (not jelly). Bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

* For babies under 12 months substitute the egg with 1tbsp. vinegar and avoid using strawberry or raspberry jam.