How to make sure your baby is getting enough iron
Making your own baby food is one of the most rewarding ways to introduce the wonder of grub to your baby. However, some parents are concerned that their babies won’t be getting as much iron as they might with jarred foods or cereal.

Iron produces hemoglobin, the red pigment in blood that carries oxygen to tissues in the body. Iron consumption is especially important for babies to avoid anemia (a condition where blood cell production falls, and the ability to fight infection increases), and for brain development.

It’s important to know that babies who eat homemade food are no more at risk for iron deficiency as those who are fed store-bought foods. Jarred baby food cannot be fortified with iron any more than homemade baby food can --" you’ll still need to feed your child baby staples like cereal, formula and breast milk to keep the iron coming in.

There are two types of iron in food:

Heme iron is found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs and breastmilk. This type of iron is easily absorbed into the body.

Non-heme iron is found in fruits, vegetables and grains. This type isn’t as easily absorbed into the body.

To help the iron absorption process along, many fruits and veggies that make great first foods also contain a healthy dose of Vitamin C that will help your baby absorb the iron they consume more efficiently.

Herego the reason experts recommend balanced meals. By combining fruits and veggies with cereal, babies get the iron they need and the means to absorb it.

Once your baby moves on to solid food meals from breast milk or formula, do your best to serve your infant at least 2 of these foods a day to keep their iron intake on the up and up. Be sure to find out which foods are age appropriate and only introduce one new food at a time. 

  Iron clad foods
•   Breastmilk & iron-fortified infant formula
•   Winter squash
•   Sweet Potato
•   Broccoli
•   Poultry
•   Meat
•   Greens (spinach, broccoli, beet, tomato )  
•   Grains (farina, iron fortified cereals)     

   Foods Rich in Vitamin C
•   Citrus fruits
•   Berries
•   Green vegetables
•   Peaches
•   Apples
•   Bananas