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lots of breakfast cereals are fortified with iron,nuts and pulses are rich in iron too. if you give him something rich in vitamin c at the same time,his body will absorb the iron better.we didnt like certain foods when we were small,but were persuaded to eat them,is there no way you can do the same? esp as there are health concerns?
Quiche? You could make one with no pastry (or use filo pastry) so he doesnt just fill up on flour. Dried figs and apricots are even better sources than eggs, most kids will eat them as they are sweet, and if you put them in cakes it means you can use less sugar. Get the unsulphured ones though, as the bright orange ones are full of chemicals (and not so tasty!) Molasses are a good source of iron so you may be able to use this instead of sugar in some cake recipes.Some beans are very good sources of iron - the vegetarian society mentions chick peas but aduki beans and some others are too. Perhaps you could make some hummus or other tasty beany dips? Maybe he would eat greens if they are disguised in something like pesto as a dip? I wouldnt advise supermarket ketchup or baked beans as these have loads of sugar and sweeteners in, which trains their taste buds away from natural food - brocolli will end up tasting horrid and bitter!Make sure he gets lots of vitamin C rich foods as this helps iron absorbtion. It might be good to leave out bowls of fresh fruit, and dried fruit and nuts so he can graze on them. I trained in nutrition but havent got an kids.. so this is very much theoretical!!www.vegsoc.org/info/iron.html
Several posts beat mine to it.. have just read that your son is autistic. I would recomment contacting Patrick Holford's Food for the Brain project http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.asp?id_Content=1604 for advice, they know a lot more than any of the NHS dieticians or doctors! Good luck, I hope you find some help for your son.Cath x
I do sympathise! Don't give up giving him new things though, a 'quiche' with no pastry doesnt have to be called a quiche. Sometimes they just remember the name and the fact that they dont like it (am recalling my own fussy childhood here!). And health food shops will probably have things that look like supermarket foods when you show him the tin, but will be healthier. Remember being taken to the school doctor as I wouldnt eat school dinners age 6-ish. And I was (possibly still am!) definitely on the autistic spectrum, though it (IMO fortunately) was not recognised at the time. All I would eat was fruit and nuts and bacon, and I drove my mum up the wall.. but turned out OK-ish ;)
ours wouldn't eat eggs but would eat 'eggy toast', hope the blood tests are ok :)
any chance you could involve him in the cooking/preparation of food ?even stuff he wouldn't usually eat he could be help make something for the family and along the way might be tempted :)
I would recomment contacting Patrick Holford's Food for the Brain project http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.asp?id_Content=1604 for advice, they know a lot more than any of the NHS dieticians or doctors!