Iron Foods

Iron Boosting Smoothie (6 months or older)

Recipe modified from: http://holisticsaffron.com

Photo by Neeta Lind

Ingredients

• ½ cup breast milk or formula
• Small bunch of spinach
• ¼ beet, peeled and chopped
• 1 date
• ½ kiwi
• ½ tsp. blackstrap molasses
• ½ tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
• crushed ice (optional)

Place everything in blender. Blend to smooth, runny consistency. May modify for 4 month – 6 months of age by placing smoothing into baby food jars or ice cube trays and freeze. Use as a meal and serve using a spoon.

Crockpot Sweet Potato Lentils (6 months or older)

Recipe modified from: http://pinchofyum.com

Photo by Foodmoods

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potato
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. garam masala
• 2 tsp. Chili powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ cups uncooked red lentils
• 1 ½ cups breast milk or formula
• 1 cup water

Place sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, and spices in crockpot. Cook on high for 3 hours, until vegetables are soft. Add the lentils and stir once. Replace the lid and cook on high for an additional 1 ½ hours. Stir in breast milk and as much water as needed to get the right consistency.

Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Spinach Puree (6 months or older)

Recipe modified from: http://projectnursery.com

Photo by Scott Veg

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato (cut in half lengthwise)
• 1 can of chickpeas (rinse well)
• 2 cups spinach

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place sweet potato on sheet cut side down. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes. Pour water into pot (about 1 inch deep) and bring to a boil over high heat. Place spinach into a steamer basket and steam for 5 minutes with lid on. After sweet potato is cool, peel off skin. Place sweet potato, spinach, and chickpeas into a food processor and pulse until smooth and has a soft, chunky, consistency. Store for 3 days in refrigerator or up to 3 months in freezer. Can be modified for at 4 – 6 months of age. Use breast milk and blend until it is a smooth, runny, consistency.

Whole grain cereal with blackstrap molasses (4 months and older)

Recipe modified from: http://blog.homemade-babyfood-recipes.com

Photo by Daniella Segura

Ingredients

• Whole grain cereal of choice (Iron Rich: oats, barely, or quinoa)
• 1 tsp. black strap molasses
• Breast milk or formula

Add blackstrap molasses to whole grain cereal. Use breast milk to bring cereal to desired consistency.

Meatballs with plum sauce (12 months or older)

Recipe modified from: http://blog.homemade-babyfood-recipes.com

Photo by Benedicto de Jesus

Ingredients

• Ground beef
• Mashed potatoes
• Plum
• Apple juice

Mix enough mashed potato with ground beef to bind and roll into small, bite sized balls. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Simmer a chopped plum in a little apple juice until tender, then puree in blender. Pour over meatballs and use as a dipping sauce. This recipe can be modified for 6 months and up if meat balls are mashed used with spoon.

Papaya and tuna salad (12 months or older)

Recipe modified from: http://blog.homemade-babyfood-recipes.com

Photo by sneakerdog

Ingredients

• ½ avocado, peeled
• 1 tbsp. canned light tuna (packed in water)
• 1 tbsp. diced papaya

Mash the avocado with the papaya, then stir in the tuna.

Whole grain pita with hummus (12 months or older)

Recipe modified from: http://blog.homemade-babyfood-recipes.com

Photo by takaokun

Ingredients

• Whole grain pita
• Hummus

Recipe for hummus:

(recipe from Piper Basckai)

• 2 parts Olive oil
• 1 can Garbanzo beans (strain water out of can)
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt to taste
• 1 part Lemon juice

Blend ingredients together for a smooth consistency. Spread hummus over the pita and enjoy.

Creamy Egg Puree with White Beans (4 months or older)

Recipe modified from: http://blog.homemade-babyfood-recipes.com

Photo by F Delventhal

Ingredients

• 1 cooked egg yolk
• 1 tbsp white beans
• 2 tsp breast milk or formula

Puree all three ingredients together, adding more milk for thinner consistency.

Green Eggs and Iron (4 months or older)

Recipe modified from: Karen Klemp, RN

Photo by Rain Rabbit

Ingredients

• 2 cups spinach
• 2 fresh eggs
• Optional: Cheddar cheese, herb and garlic goat cheese, shredded parmesan

Blend until spinach and eggs are well blended and smooth without lumps and place in a well sprayed frying pan.

Baby Cereal Pancakes (9 months or older)

Recipe modified from: http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com

Photo by Alpha

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup uncooked commercial baby barely cereal (or rice cereal)
• ½ cup uncooked commercial baby oatmeal cereal
• ½ cup mashed banana
• 1 tbsp melted butter or margarine
• 3 egg yolks
• ½ cup apple juice, water, breast milk, or formula (use more or less; depending on consistency desired of pancakes)
• Optional: Cinnamon, nutmeg, dash or vanilla. Can substitute banana for mashed pumpkin. Option to spread yogurt or peanut butter on top of pancake if desired.

Mix ingredients together. Cook on frying plan or griddle. Serve cool.