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Iron in your baby's first foods
If starting solids has one secret main character, it's iron. It's the reason the first purée in Germany is a meat purée – and why “she only eats fruit pouches” isn't a good idea in the long run.
In short: around the 6th month the inborn iron store runs out and breast milk replenishes little – so iron belongs in first foods from the start. Best source: meat with its haem iron. Plant-based: oats, millet, legumes – always combined with vitamin C from fruit purée or bell pepper, which clearly improves absorption.
Why iron of all things?
In the last third of pregnancy the baby builds up an iron store that it lives off for the first months. Around the 6th month this store is largely used up – and right now the brain is growing rapidly and needs iron for myelin formation and development. Breast milk is brilliant at almost everything, but low in iron. The conclusion of all the expert bodies, from Gesund ins Leben to ESPGHAN and the AAP: solids must deliver iron from the very beginning – which is why the three-purée plan starts with the vegetable-potato-meat purée.
Iron sources for babies – the table
| Food | Type of iron | Practical for babies |
|---|---|---|
| Beef, lamb | Haem, very well absorbed | Cooked soft, finely puréed into the lunchtime purée – even small amounts count |
| Poultry | Haem | Mild in taste, a good way in |
| Oats | Plant-based | As cereal purée or in fruit purée – the everyday classic |
| Millet | Plant-based | The most iron-rich common cereal, as purée flakes |
| Lentils, chickpeas, beans | Plant-based | Cooked soft and puréed – well cooked they are easy to digest |
| Whole grains, whole-grain bread | Plant-based | From the lumpy-food stage also as a soft bread crust |
| Tofu | Plant-based | Cooked soft, puréed – the vegetarian meat substitute in purée |
| Egg yolk, cooked through | Mixed | Also an important allergen to introduce |
The vitamin C trick
Plant-based iron, the non-haem kind, is absorbed much better when vitamin C is part of the same meal. In practice that means: a few spoonfuls of fruit purée in the oat porridge, bell pepper or broccoli in the vegetable purée, a sip of heavily diluted orange juice with the cereal meal. Conversely, calcium from milk inhibits absorption from the same meal – which is why the lunchtime purée is traditionally dairy-free and the milk-and-cereal purée is a separate meal in the evening.
Vegetarian works – with a system
According to Gesund ins Leben, a vegetarian approach to solids works well: instead of meat, whole-grain cereal such as oats or millet, legume purée or tofu goes into the lunchtime purée – consistently with a vitamin C partner. A vegan infant diet, on the other hand, is risky without professional supervision, above all because of vitamin B12, and belongs in the hands of a doctor or dietitian.
The iron compass in the app
So you don't have to do sums while feeding, HeyFini marks good iron sources in the food catalogue with an iron symbol – complete with a vitamin C note in the food profile. In the food passport you then see at a glance how often iron-rich foods have been on the menu lately.
Sources: Starting solids and readiness signs: German network Gesund ins Leben, infant nutrition recommendations; ESPGHAN, Fewtrell et al. 2017; American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); choking hazards and raw milk: German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR); allergens: LEAP study, Du Toit et al., NEJM 2015; EAACI; German S3 guideline on allergy prevention (AWMF); iron: ESPGHAN and Gesund ins Leben.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a baby need iron for in the first place?
Above all for the brain, for its development and myelin formation, and for making blood – and the inborn store is empty around the 6th month.
Is a vegetarian purée enough?
Yes, if it's well thought out: whole grains, legumes or tofu plus vitamin C. Regularity is what matters.
How often should meat go into the purée?
The Gesund ins Leben network recommends meat in the lunchtime purée on several days a week; on meat-free days, cereals and vegetables with vitamin C take over.
Does tea inhibit iron absorption?
Black and green tea inhibit it markedly – unsuitable for babies anyway. Water is the drink with meals.
More guides on starting solids
General guidance, not medical advice. For questions about your child, talk to your paediatrician or midwife.