Hi friends!
I opened up on Instagram to see what you guys wanted to see on the blog and a few of you asked for posts specific to nutrients when it comes to plant-based or vegan kids. I thought that was such a great idea so I am going to start a little series, starting with iron sources.
I think I’ll follow up with calcium, healthy fats, and protein after this. If there is another one you want to see, let me know in the comments. But okay, let’s start with iron because it is a big one!
Since I am not a nutritionist or a doctor, I am not going to go into the reasons why iron is important (you can read about it from a reputable source like this one) but I will share some iron-rich foods and meal ideas.
One thing that I will say is that you can help promote the absorption of iron by pairing with a fruit or veggie that is high in vitamin C. So whatever your iron source may be, try serving with something like strawberries, red peppers, or orange slices on the side. But okay, onto the foods and recipes/ideas…
Here are some iron-rich foods to incorporate into your kiddo’s diet:
- Lentils
- Tofu
- Spinach
- Chickpeas
- Tempeh
- Swiss Chard
- Kale
- Black and Pinto Beans
- Potatoes
- Tahini
- Cashews
- Dark Chocolate
- Fortified Cereal (Cheerios, etc.)
- Raisins
- Oatmeal
- Iron-fortified pastas (chickpea pasta, red lentil pasta)
- Chia seeds
Breakfast
- Potato hash
- Dark chocolate cherry oats
- Carrot cake oatmeal
- Peaches & cream oats
- Tofu scramble (pictured above)
- Breakfast burrito
- Chickpea egg breakfast sandwich
- Chickpea egg omelet
- Chocolate banana overnight oats
- Spinach pancakes (just add a handful of fresh spinach to your favorite pancake recipe)
- Chia pudding
Lunch/Dinner
- Red lentil or chickpea pasta with sauce
- Cashew & cauliflower mac & cheese
- Lentil stew
- Coconut lentil stew
- Tofu nuggets
- Beans and rice (recipe for my slow-cooked beans)
- Greens and beans (swiss chard or kale)
- White pasta with a lentil red sauce (you can blend or leave chunky)
- Green pasta (pesto made with kale or spinach and cashews)
- Tempeh BLT
- Lentil fritters
- Roasted chickpeas
- Chickpea or white bean salad
- Chickpea noodle soup
- Pasta e ceci
- Pasta e fagioli (pictured above)
- Potato chickpea curry
- Kale chips
- Baked tofu bites
- Falafel with tahini/hummus dip
- Bean & cheese quesadilla
- Bean & cheese enchiladas
- 3-Bean & tempeh chili
- Potato and corn chowder
- Black bean nachos with cashew queso
I hope this was helpful!! Let me know if you are into this series in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you. x
