Dealing With Anaemia The Vegetarian Way!

3 to 7 years

Created by Puja Sharma Vasisht
Updated on Apr 28, 2018

Have you noticed that your child gets tired easily, or she complains of leg cramps or shortness of breath while playing? Does the teacher complain that your otherwise attentive child is not concentrating in the class recently? The reason for all this could possibly be anemia. Low levels of iron in the body can result in anemia—a condition in which the blood isn’t able to carry enough oxygen to meet the needs of the body.

What Is Anemia?

Medically speaking, anemia is defined as a condition where there is a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin or a drop in the number of red blood cells in the blood.

Why Is Iron Important?

Iron is extremely important for growth and the proper functioning of the body.

One of the main building blocks of blood is iron and we need it for proper oxygen supply to all our cells, tissues and muscles
Iron is also essential for the immune system to function efficiently

What Are The Symptoms Of Anemia?

Here are some of the possible symptoms of anemia your child may be experiencing.

Fatigue (more than the regular fatigue with school activities and physical play)
Difficulty in concentration
Shortness of breath
Increased heartbeat with exertion
Pale skin
Cramps in the legs

Why Do Children Become Anemic?

There are different factors due to which a child may become anemic.

How To Deal With Anemia In Your Child?

Dealing with anemia requires an all-round diet focus. This includes not only increasing iron-rich foods in the diet, but also increasing nutrients and foods that help in iron-absorption in the body. Here’s a list for you to familiarize yourself with

Good sources of iron Some good sources of iron are
1. Organ meat, such as liver
2. dark green leafy vegetables, like mustard (sarson), chana saag, chulai, arbi ke patte, mint
3. nuts and seeds such as sesame, coconut dry, pistachio nuts
4. cereals like bajra, jowar, whole wheat, chirwa, murmura
5. pulses and legumes- Bengal gram, lentils, lobia, soybeans
6. Fruits like watermelon, raisins, dried peaches and apricots
Foods that help in iron absorption Foods that are high in vitamin C help in increasing the absorption of iron from mixed vegetarian diet (including cereals, legumes, fiber). These foods are citrus fruits, amla, lemon etc

5 Tips To Increase Intake Of These Foods

Now that you’ve seen what foods are rich in iron, and what foods aid its absorption, here are some tips to introduce them in your child’s diet

More similar blogs

A dash of lemon The next time you cook saag or palak paneer, do remember to squeeze half a lemon in it or use ample tomatoes
Citrus juiceGive your child half a glass of juice or a citrus fruit with an iron-rich meal
SaladsAnother good way is to give your child a sprout salad that has lobia and soyabean and dress it with lemon juice. It can be served as a snack
Amla magic Amla, easily available in this season, can be served as a candy or as a murabba—a dessert after a meal. You can grate and add amla to daal while boiling it—though the slightly sour taste will require an adjustment in seasoning, later
Use cast iron pansCooking foods in cast iron pans can also help increase iron consumption, though this depends on the quality of the pan you use

To protect your child from anemia or most other nutritional deficiency conditions, ensure you give him a balanced diet that includes everything—wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, and dairy. Kick-start the iron-rich diet, today!

Have any tips for introducing iron rich foods in a child’s diet? Share them with us in the comments section!