What can I feed my anemic 4-year-old who doesn't like meat?

Iron carries oxygen to cells, and plays a particularly vital role in brain development and function by promoting communication among nerve cells, and by ensuring the quality of the central nervous system. The most notable consequence of dietary iron deficiency is anemia (anemia can be caused by a number of other factors, too).

In spite of the wide array of iron-rich foods available, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional shortfall amongst American children. Why? Kids under the age of 3 are at risk because they grow so quickly. When a child's iron dietary intake does not match his needs, the result is iron deficiency. More often than not, a faulty diet is to blame, although there are other reasons for low body iron stores. Premature babies; infants who did not grow properly during pregnancy; and those children of moms with diabetes are at greater risk for an iron deficiency because of their lower-than-normal iron reserves at birth.

Food iron comes in two forms: heme and nonheme. Heme iron is best absorbed by the body. It's found in varying amounts in animal foods. Nonheme iron is the only type of iron in plant foods. Most processed grains also contain added nonheme iron. Sources include:

Heme Iron

• Clams
• Oysters
• Beef and other meats
• Poultry
• Pork
• Egg yolk

Nonheme Iron

• Iron-fortified infant cereal
• Iron-fortified infant formula
• Spinach
• Potatoes
• Raisins
• Legumes
• Fortified bread, cereal, rice, pasta, and other grains

It's tough providing non meat-eaters with iron, but fortified grains are excellent choices. Try serving fortified cereals for breakfast and snacks; search out bread, rice and pasta with added iron; and disguise meat, poultry and seafood in dishes such as meatloaf, or add to pasta sauce.