My younger son had a very poor diet previously but after the doctor said he was anemic, we've been more successful in getting him to eat veggies, foods high in iron, etc. He eats broccoli, steak, shrimp...other than making sure he eats better and takes supplements with iron, is there something else I should be doing?
You should be careful with iron supplements as they can cause constipation so just keep an eye on that. You could get him to take vitamin C tablets as well as it will help his body to absorb the iron. If he is willingly eating veges like spinach, watercress, brussel sprouts then that's a great start. If not, you could try sneaking it into his foods. Some examples could be: Make your own 'burgers'. With burger buns, lettuce, tomato etc, and make your own patties using spinach, egg, breadcrumbs, and kidney beans (which are also high in iron). You could also make the patties out of meat (lean red meats are high in protein) and add some spinach to them before you fry them. You can buy iron rich cereals. We have 'Nurti grain', I'm not sure if you'll have it in the US but it's a great iron cereal for breakfast or even a snack. Dried fruits are supposed to be good too. I had a friend who was pregnant and her doctor told her to be careful as she had low iron. She was trying hard not to have an anemic pregnancy and she was always eating dried apricots and prunes. Too much dried fruits can cause diarrhea though so eat them in moderation, they are good snacks for his lunch box at school. Try and cut back on his intake of milk and dairy products if he has a lot of them. Calcium can make it hard for your body to absorb things. I'm vegetarian and a bit of a health freak so I'm pretty much a supplement guru. Haha.
I actually was diagnosed as anemic when I was 14 or 15 years old. Depending on the level of anemia, it's pretty easy to deal with. Just take some iron vitamins and/or eat foods that higher in iron....and eat maybe a bit more often. Caramel apple dip and apples are a great and delicious source of iron. If they start to feel weak, dizzy, or lightheaded, have them sit down and eat something. Drinking water...and drinking it slowly in smaller sips is good too. Honestly, it's a pretty good health issue to have. It makes you eat healthier and take better care of yourself.
My friend who is a nutritionist recommends eating fruit high in vitamin C BEFORE eating food with iron in it. Also, there is a big difference in haem iron and non haem iron. Haem iron which you get from red meat is more biologically available and therefore more readily absorbed than iron you get from vegetables. Organs which process blood have the highest levels of haem iron, but getting kids to eat liver, kidney and heart can be a challenge...
I think that making sure he's improved on his diet and is taking supplements is the best thing for him - it's a good idea to take the supplements with orange juice, since Vitamin C helps iron absorption. Also, reduce the milk just a little...it's been known to cause anemia.
In addition to what Colleen said which I totally agree with,you should incorporate some dark green leafy vegetables,and boiled green bananas if u have easy access,also chicken liver as gross as it sounds. I myself have suffered from this.
Sorry, juust saw this comment. Actually, saying she was a nutritionist was a bit inaccurate. She studied human nutrition then went on to do postgraduate dietitics, and she works as a clinical dietician.
Danielle....what exactly does your nutritionist friend do for a job? I just started going to school for that myself, and I'm curious what I can all do with such a major in the long run.
Ok, that's awesome - similar to what we read already (eg, drink OJ before or with iron rich foods)...but more specific. Thanks! We'll also do some of those things.
When I was anemic my mother always bought me raisons to eat. It has a large iron content.
Sorry can't b of more help, between u and Colleen looks like u have it covered
How bout spinach
