Preschooler Daily Iron Needs

The recommended daily intake of iron for preschoolers is 7-10 mg / day:

Age 1-3: 7 mg iron / day

Age 4-8: 10 mg iron / day

Good Sources of Iron

Meat

Meat is a great source of iron. And more iron from meat is absorbed into body than iron from plant foods like beans and vegetables. In general, the darker the meat, the higher the iron content.

Iron content of 3 ounces of various meats:

Beef roast – 2.5 mg

Steak – 1.5 mg

Turkey – 1 to 2 mg

Pork – 1 mg

Chicken – 1 mg

Fish – 0.5 mg

Beans

Most beans are a good source of iron and are a great nutrient-dense substitute for meat.

Iron content in 1/2 cup various beans:

Soybeans – 4.4 mg

Lentils – 3.3 mg

Black beans – 1.8 mg

Kidney beans – 1 mg

Tofu, 3 oz – 1 - 2 mg (check the food label)

Vegetables

Even some vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables, contain significant amounts of iron.

Iron content of 1/2 cup various vegetables:

Spinach, cooked – 3.2 mg

Swiss chard, cooked – 2 mg

Sugar snap peas / Snow peas – 1.6 mg

Asparagus – 1.5 mg

Nuts

Cashew nuts, 1 oz – 1.7 mg

Almonds, 1 oz – 1.3 mg

Peanut butter, 2 Tbsp – 0.6 mg

Grains

Oatmeal, 1 cup - 1.6 mg

Wheat bread, 1 slice - about 1 mg

Fortified breakfast cereal - varies

Reference: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory 2006. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 19, Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl

Tips for Meeting the Preschooler Iron Goal

1. Meat contains a well-absorbed form of iron. If your family eats meat, 3 ounces of meat per day provides a good percentage of your preschooler's iron needs.

2. Be sure to limit the milk and juice your preschooler drinks to recommended amounts. These drinks have little or no iron and the excess calories can displace other foods. For milk, 2 cups is recommended per day and for juice, no more than 4-6 ounces is recommended per day.

3. Offer a variety of plant foods that contain iron. Beans and tofu, dark green vegetables, nuts and whole grains all contain iron.

4. Get iron at breakfast. Whole grains like oatmeal are good sources of iron and fortified breakfast cereals often contain a good portion of your preschooler's iron needs for the day.

by Kati Chevaux

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Helpful Tips for Parents

• Breakfast is the most reliably linked meal to cognitive performance in school-age children. Prioritize a protein- and fiber-rich breakfast every morning.

• A preschooler who eats very few foods (Related reading: See also our rainbow snack board guide and our cooking projects guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🧁 Kitchen Science & Math — Cooking is applied chemistry and physics: watching bread rise, butter melt, or egg whites stiffen teaches cause-and-effect science while measuring cups and counting portions deliver authentic math in context.
• 🥦 Healthy Food Knowledge — Learning about different foods, food groups, and what nutrients do in the body builds the food literacy that supports a lifetime of informed, health-conscious eating choices.
• 📏 Early Math Skills — Measuring ingredients, counting servings, comparing quantities, and dividing portions makes cooking and eating some of the most authentic early math experiences available to preschoolers.
• 😊 Positive Relationship with Food — Joyful, pressure-free food experiences build the positive relationship with eating that underlies lifelong nutritional health — and is far more protective against disordered eating than any restriction-based approach.

Iron is extremely important to your preschooler's growth and development. Iron helps carry oxygen through the blood and getting too little iron can lead to delays in behavioral and cognitive development. You can make sure your preschooler is getting enough iron by serving a variety of iron-rich foods like beans, meat, nuts, grains and dark green vegetables.

Questions to Ask Your Child

Use these open-ended prompts to extend the learning during or after the activity:

• "What does this taste like — can you describe it in three words?"
• "What other foods have a similar color or texture?"
• "Do you think you'd like this more warm or cold?"
• "What does your body feel like after eating something healthy?"
• "If you were going to make this yourself, what's the first thing you'd do?"
• "What would you add to change the flavor?"

There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions. The goal is to keep the conversation going, model curious thinking, and give your child practice putting their experience into words.