It is very important to give proper nutrition to children for their proper development and all this is possible with the right diet. Unless you give your child the right diet, he/she will not be able to develop properly. Due to lack of nutritious food, children often suffer from iron deficiency, which increases the risk of anemia in them.
In India, the risk of anemia in children is very high, so it is very important for parents to include as many iron-rich foods as possible in their children’s diet. Dr. Ankita Bansal has shared a video on her Instagram and told about those foods that can increase the amount of iron in children.
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Dry fruits and green leafy vegetables
The doctor has advised to include green leafy vegetables in the diet of children to fulfill the iron requirement. Among dry fruits, he/she has advised to feed apricot, prunes and raisins. All these things have high amount of iron, which increases the production of hemoglobin in the child and the risk of anemia is averted.
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What to eat to increase iron
You can also feed your child ragi, peas and jaggery for iron. Ragi is very high in iron. It contains about 3.9 mg of iron per 100 grams, making it an ideal food to fight anemia and iron deficiency.
Peas are high in iron, which helps to increase iron levels in the body. Regular consumption improves hemoglobin and prevents iron deficiency. Along with this, peas also contain vitamin C which aids in the absorption of iron.
Eat Legumes for Iron
Feed your child legumes like kidney beans, chickpeas and soybeans. Toor dal and masoor dal also provide iron. Legumes like chana, masoor and moong contain a good amount of iron. Their regular intake increases the iron levels in the body. The vitamin C and protein present in them help in the absorption of iron, which increases the level of hemoglobin and prevents iron deficiency.
Foods that increase iron
The doctor has also included tofu, sweet potato and dark chocolate in this list. Tofu contains a good amount of iron, which helps in increasing the iron level in the body. Along with this, the protein present in tofu promotes the absorption of iron. Sweet potato also contains vitamin C, which helps in the absorption of iron.
Eating seeds increases iron
Include a variety of seeds in your child’s diet, such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower are high in iron, which increases iron levels in the body. They also contain fiber and antioxidants, which promote iron absorption.
