Iron and Your Teen
by Roberta Duyff, MS RD FADA
Topics: Disease Management,
MyPlate,
Nutrition Facts Panel,
Dairy,
Grains,
Proteins,
Vegetables,
Vitamin C,
Calcium,
Iron,
Food Library,
Meal Planning,
Preparation,
Breakfast,
Dinner,
Lunch,
School Lunch/Nutrition,
Snacks,
Energy Balance
Iron needs go up dramatically in the teen years. During childhood (ages 9 to 13) both boys and girls need about 8 milligrams of iron daily, according to the Dietary Reference Intakes. For adolescence, more muscle mass and a greater blood supply demand more iron, so the recommendation jumps to 15 milligrams of iron daily for girls ages 14 to 18, and 11 milligrams daily for boys that age. Girls need more to replace iron losses from their menstrual flow.
Many teens – girls especially – don't consume enough iron. Poor food choices or restricting food to lose weight are two common reasons. Kids who don't eat meat regularly may not consume enough either. Unlike calcium, the effects of low iron intake can be apparent during the teenage years.
Iron comes from a variety of foods: meat, poultry and seafood, as well as legumes, enriched grain products and some vegetables. For example, the iron in some common foods is:
- 3-ounce hamburger – 2.5 milligrams
- ½ cup of cooked baked or refried beans – 2 to 3 milligrams
- one slice of enriched bread – one milligram
- one cup of iron-fortified breakfast cereal – 4 milligrams (more or less). For cereal, check the Nutrition Facts on food labels for the specific amount.
Teens who drink orange juice with their morning toast or cereal get an iron boost, too. Its vitamin C content makes iron from plant sources and eggs more usable by the body.