If we are reducing the amount of red meat we eat, how do I make sure my kids are getting enough iron? #Netzero
Red meat is a rich source of iron, so with the change this Jan to swapping our beef intake to other options I need to take a look at whether we are still getting enough iron.
Australia's Health Direct website recommends 8-10mg of iron per day for kids in Primary school. For me, I need around 18mg a day.
Iron is important because it helps red blood cells carry oxygen around your body to lungs and other organs and tissues. I'm no dietician (or scientist but you can learn more about the function of iron here). If we have too little iron (depleted or anemic) we can feel tired, short of breath, trouble focusing and irritable.
Our bodies don't make iron (only store it) so we have to get it from our food. Iron comes in two forms - haem iron (iron from animal products) and non-haem iron (plant-based). Haem iron is more easily absorbed than non-haem iron, which is why most people think of red meat (like beef) when they think of foods high in iron.
Actually, most Australian's get the majority of their iron intake from grains and vegetables, even if they're meat-eaters (like us). Vitamin C (think citrus fruits, capsicum, tomatoes, berries and green leafy veges) help your body absorb iron, while calcium (think dairy, tofu and canned fish) can reduce iron absorption so are best eaten (or drunk) separately to your iron-rich meal.
With loads of capsicum (to aid absorption) in our chilli recipe and kidney beans (3.1mg in every cup), even replacing beef with pork or chicken mince we are still eating a good iron-laden meal.
Foods surprisingly high in Iron
Whilst we weren't huge beef eaters at MidGreenFamily (remember our estimate, around 20kg a year all up as a household), it's worth a think about some iron-rich foods we can make sure are on regular rotation in out diet.
What's topping the charts (per 100g) for Haem iron?
Chicken or lamb liver 11mg (generally all offal)
Beef 3.5mg (yep, we knew this one would be high)
Kangaroo 3.2mg (pretty on par with beef) or 4.1mg (for grilled loin fillet)
Oysters 3.5mg or Mussels 3.0mg (mmm shellfish... ok not for every day)
Animal livers have three times the iron content of beef. So, while Miss 10 would love a jar of pate in her lunchbox every day, I'm not sure that's a viable substitute in the spag bol! It does make me think about adding the occasional lamb & kidney pie back into rotation, maybe for winter. Next time we could also try some kangaroo mince and see how that goes.
What's topping the charts (per 100g) for Non-haem iron?
Red lentils (dried) 9.1mg
Cashews (unsalted) 5mg
Rolled oats (uncooked) 3.5mg
Dried Apricots 3.1mg
Spinach (raw) 3.0mg
Poached egg 2.0mg
We could also chuck in a cup of red lentils to our spag bol. Lentils (red or brown) would be a nice addition to lessen the meat content, whilst maintaining iron levels, in a cottage or shepherd's pie, depending on where you hail from.
What we might try and introduce
A couple of poached eggs for breakfast (I will have to master the whirlpool! Two eggs = 4mg) will get the kids almost half their iron intake. Or some oats will also see the day started off right (one sachet of porridge = 1.9mg). There are also iron fortified cereals like weetbix (4.2mg) which are a regular for Mr 8.
Lunchbox additions of a few apricots (about 30g or five apricots) will get close to 1mg into snacks. Most schools don't allow them 🙁 but if yours does, a few cashews or almonds would be a super healthy, filling and iron-rich snack. A tuna sandwich - mine won't eat them but surprisingly love stuffed potatoes with tuna which are also good cold, and lunchbox suitable.
My kids will gladly eat lentils (red, brown, green) as part of casseroles or soups in winter, it's going to be harder getting these into salads or summer-time foods. I'll try some veg patties, crack out the hummus for the vege crudites (chickpeas = 1.8mg) and our next spag bol in a couple of weeks will be kangaroo, stay tuned!
Let me know what iron-rich foods you can get your kids to eat!
Comments