Weaning/meat - advice please!

[sungirltan]

I have just had my 6-12 month review. The nurse asked me how weaning is going and i told her i was blw and reeled off a long list of everything dd (10 months) eats which is pretty much any fruit or veg plus toast, cheese, yoghurt. She will eat anything except porridge and spinach. So then the nurse says 'well she looks really healthy, well done but do you feed her meat?' i said 'no, but she's had fish fingers a few times but i don't think she needs to have meat just yet' The nurse claimed that she does but when I asked her she couldn't tell me any how much/how often and just that she needs the iron and that i can just give her chicken.

I am happy to accept that iron levels deplete when ebf finishes at 6 months and that she needs to have sources of iron but do i really need to feed her red meat? she eats lots of green veg and dairy foods.

I would like a second opinion.

tia

You can get iron from other sources, particularly eggs, beans and lentils (split red particularly good). Also spinach but I see she's not keen on that... I started off BLW but we have a confirmed iron issue so I do give some purees to make sure he's getting stuff with plenty of iron. Can't really help you then with BLW recipes for iron but am sure someone else will come along who does.

Have just checked my 'iron choices' booklet. Things it says are good:

• Red meat: esp liver, kidney, beef, lamb, pork
• Fish: tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, kippers
• Iron fortified breakfast cereals - weetabix, rice krispies, shreddies, wholemeal bread, brown pasta and brown rice
• Dried fruits: apricots, peaches, prunces plus dates, raisins and currants
• Pulses/lentils: baked beans, kidney beans, lentils and soya beans.
• Green veg: spinach, broccoli, spring greens, kale, okra, watercress, rocket. Steam or stir fry.
• Most nuts and peanut butter

Also, iron is best absorbed when eaten alongside some vitamin C sources.

Should be plenty there for you!!

hey reading - thanks for that. i forgot to mention i knew about the vitamin c issue - no worries there she eats avocado like its oging out of fashion but the nurse mentioned nothing about it!

dd eats lots of greens and i will increase fish/beans/peanut butter etc and stick by my choices!

thank you

I wouldn't worry about the meat - my DD won't touch it and spat it out when weaning. We're not veggies in the household either, but she hates it. She a hale and hearty child and it really hasn't done her any harm - she likes beans and lentils and also eats cheese/eggs etc - I've just had to educate myself a bit more about making sure she gets a balanced diet.