Your Guide to Iron: Introducing This to Your Baby’s Diet

4 min

Your little one is growing, their body and brain are developing, their senses are becoming keen, and their bones and muscles are getting stronger! And that’s why they need some key nutrients at this age.

Let’s start with a key nutrient: iron. Iron is especially essential for breastfed babies, as breast milk has a low quantity of this nutrient.

Why & When Do Infants Need Iron?

When babies are born, they have a store of iron in their body, but it starts to deplete by the time they are 4-6 months old. That's why iron needs increase at 6 months. While formula-fed babies get iron through fortified formula, breastfed babies may not get enough iron from breast milk alone.

According to the National Institute of Nutrition, infants from 6 to 12 months of age require about 5 mg of iron. Iron is crucial for transporting oxygen in the body and supporting cognitive and physical development in babies. Lack of iron can cause anemia, which can affect the baby’s brain and cognitive growth.

Types & Sources of Iron in Daily Food

There are two types of iron found in food.

Select Iron Type

Heme Iron

Only found in animal flesh like meat, poultry, and seafood
This type of iron is the best absorbed source of iron in the body.

Sources of Heme Iron:

Poultry & Red Meat

Chicken

Mutton

Liver

Egg Yolk

Seafood

Pomfret, Rahu, Hilsa

Clams, oysters

Crab, prawns, shrimp

Non-Heme Iron

Found in plant foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, pulses and leafy greens
This type of iron is not as efficiently absorbed in the body as heme iron. To help boost the absorption of non-heme iron, combine these foods with Vitamin C-rich foods. [Later, we will look at Vitamin C rich food.

Sources of Heme Iron:

Whole grains and cereals

Oats

Brown Rice

Red Rice

Bajra

Jawar

amaranth(rajgira)

Cooked beans and legumes:

Chana
(Chickpeas)

Chana Dal
(Roasted Bengal Gram)

Tur Dal
(Split Peas)

Masoor
(Brown Lentils)

Whole Moong
(Green Lentils)

Rajma
(Kidney Beans)

White Rajma
(Navy Beans)

Lobia
(Brown Eyed Peas)

Dry fruits and nuts

Cashew

Raisins

Munakka

Sultanas

Apricots

Leafy Greens

Leaves of moringa
(drumstick)

cauliflower
greens

Download Tips PDF

Heme Iron	Non-Heme Iron
Only found in animal flesh like meat, poultry, and seafood	Found in plant foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, pulses and leafy greens
This type of iron is the best absorbed source of iron in the body.	This type of iron is not as efficiently absorbed in the body as heme iron. To help boost the absorption of non-heme iron, combine these foods with Vitamin C-rich foods. [Later, we will look at Vitamin C rich food.
Sources of heme iron: Chicken Mutton Egg yolk liver Fish like Pomfret, Rohu, Hilsa Clams, oysters Crab, prawns, shrimp	Sources of non-heme iron: Iron-fortified infant cereals Whole grains and cereals: oats, brown rice, red rice, bajra, jowar Cooked beans and legumes: chana (chickpeas), chana dal (roasted Bengal gram), tur dal (split peas), masoor (brown lentils), whole moong (green lentils), rajma (kidney beans), white rajma (navy beans), lobia (black eyed peas), baakla or kala mattar (broad beans), paapdi (lima beans), printed rajma (pinto beans), matki (moth bean), kulith (horse gram) Tofu, soya chunks Dry fruits and nuts: cashews, raisins, munakka, sultanas, apricots, fig, dates, pistachio, peanuts Leaves of moringa (drumstick), amaranth (rajgira), methi (fenugreek), chawli (cow pea) Shaljam (turnip) and cauliflower greens Seeds: Pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, watermelon Dry coconut, coconut meal, dry kamal kakdi (lotus stem)), dry karonda or karvand (black currant), sundakkai (Turkey berry) Beetroot, sweet potato, ginger Bay leaf, spirulina, dill, parsley, fresh turmeric

Did You Know

Interacting with food (playing, spilling, touching, prodding) allows babies to understand the textures and colors of food, leading to better acceptance of the food they’re eating.

We Suggest

Don't worry if your little one isn't quite there yet; we're here to help you navigate this exciting milestone with confidence and support.

Heme Iron Sources

Non-Heme Iron Sources

Last Tip!

Don’t worry if your little one does not eat every spoonful; babies have a small appetite as they are just getting used to solids. Breastmilk/formula continues to be the major source of nutrition that your baby needs.