Feeding your little one well doesn't mean you need boujee health food store items. A handful of nutrient dense, regular old staples on high rotation can cover a lot of ground nutritionally. Whether bub's just moved past baby purees or you're feeding a toddler who wants to eat the same thing every night for a week, basic foods are all that's required. Below are 10 staples of iron rich foods for infants worth keeping stocked, what each one actually offers, and how to serve it up at every stage, from first bites right through to toddler meals.

What Should You Actually Be Looking For In Bub's Meals?

With so many "superfoods" and trends doing the rounds, it's easy to overthink this. In reality, a handful of nutrients matter most at this stage: healthy fats for brain development, fibre for gut health, zinc for development and iron, which tends to get less attention than it should given how much bub actually needs it. Of all of these, iron rich foods for babies and toddlers are worth calling out, since iron is one of the nutrients most babies and toddlers fall short on.

Why Should You Prioritise Iron Rich Foods For Babies?

Iron needs jump significantly once bub starts solids, since the iron stores built up during pregnancy start to decline from around 6 months, right around the same time solid food is introduced. This makes iron rich foods for infants one of the most important categories to get right early, not just an occasional inclusion. A handful of the staples below and worth leaning on regularly rather than saving for the odd meal here and there. So let's get to it, what are 10 nutrient dense staples worth keeping on regular rotation?

1. Eggs: Why Are Eggs Such A Nourishing Staple?

Eggs are a nourishing staple for both babies and toddlers, offering protein, choline and iron in an easily absorbed form.

Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse. Protein supports the rapid growth and development of bub's tissues, organs and muscles in those first couple of years. Choline supports brain development. They also have a solid spread of vitamin D, B12 and iron for growth and development.

For babies, well cooked hard boiled egg mashed with a fork or served sliced as a finger food works well. For toddlers, egg muffins loaded with veggies, or a veggie packed omelettes, scrambled eggs on toast or pancakes are an easy way to get eggs into the weekly rotation.

2. Beef Mince: Why Should This Cheap And Easy Meat Be A Regular On The Menu?

Beef mince is one of the best iron rich foods for infants and toddlers, and it's affordable and easy to cook with too.

Beef mince is one of the best sources of iron you can offer, alongside protein and zinc for immune support, which makes it a standout among iron rich foods for infants and toddlers alike.

For bub, cooked mince blended or mashed into a soft consistency works well mixed into a puree or sauce. Alternatively, try our precooked beef puree cubes for babies.  For toddlers, there's a lot to work with, spaghetti bolognese, meatballs, lasagne, tacos, shepherd's pie, the options are endless and make it easy to rotate through different meals.

3. Oats: Why are oats such a good everyday staple?

Oats are a nutrient dense, easy to prepare staple that suits both babies and toddlers well.

Oats aren't just a breakfast food, they can be used in snacks also. They bring a tonne of fibre for gut health, wholegrain carbohydrates for sustained energy, and are a good plant based source of iron and other minerals. Just be sure to pair them with a source of vitamin c like berries, citrus or kiwi to help bubs body absorb the iron.

For babies, a smooth oat porridge blended with breastmilk, formula or a fruit puree is an easy early option. For toddlers, baked oat muffins, oat cookies, or oats blended into pancakes ir a smoothie all work well and travel easily if you're out and about.

4. Seeds: How Can They Boost Nutrition For Babies And Toddlers?

Seeds like chia, hemp, flaxmeal and ground pumpkin seeds are perfect for sprinkling onto anything!

Seeds like hemp, chia, flaxmeal and ground pumpkin seeds are small but mighty. They bring healthy fats, plant based protein, and minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron, and they're easy to work into meals without changing the flavour much at all.

For bub, ground seeds mixed into a puree or porridge are an easy way to sneak in extra nutrition. For toddlers, chia pudding, seeds stirred through yoghurt, or ground flaxmeal baked into muffins or cookies. Sprinkle any of these seeds over spreads on toast. They  are all simple additions that don't require a separate meal, just a tweak to what's already on the plate.

5. Yoghurt: Why do we love it for Babies And Toddlers?

Yoghurt is a great source of calcium, protein and gut friendly probiotics.

Yoghurt, Greek yoghurt in particular, earns its spot as a staple. It's a good source of calcium and vitamin D for bone health, protein for growth and development, and probiotics that support gut health and immunity.

For bub, a plain full fat yoghurt is an easy early food on its own or mixed with fruit puree. For toddlers, yoghurt works as a snack with fruit and seeds stirred through, blended into a smoothie, or frozen into yoghurt pops for something a bit different on a warm day. Be sure to choose the no added sugar varieties.

6. Avocado: Why Is It Such A Good Food?

Avocado is a creamy, easy to serve source of healthy fats and fibre that suits every stage of feeding.

Avocado brings healthy fats that support brain development and help little ones feel full, plus fibre for gut health. It also has folate, potassium and vitamin E, and its soft texture makes it an easy sell at most meals.

For bub, ripe avocado mashed with a fork, or cut into thick, soft wedges rolled in hemp seeds (to make it easier to picky up) as a finger food, is an easy early option. For toddlers, smashed avocado on toast, avocado blended into a smoothie, or mashed through pasta or scrambled eggs all work well and take almost no prep.

7. Salmon: Should It Be On The Menu Regularly?

Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3s, protein and vitamin D for both babies and toddlers.

Salmon is worth having on high rotation. It's rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin D and B vitamins, all of which support brain development, heart health and overall growth.

For bub, flaked, well cooked salmon mixed into a puree or mashed with vegetables works well. Try our Salmon Puree Cubes For toddlers, grilled or baked salmon, canned salmon mixed into fish cakes or pasta, or flaked salmon through a sandwich all make it easy to include without a big production. Try our Salmon and Lentil Patties.

8. Berries: What's So Good About Them Beyond The Taste?

Berries are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and fibre, plus babies and toddlers eat them like candy.

Berries bring antioxidants, vitamins and fibre to the table, supporting immune function and digestion, and they happen to be one of the most reliably popular foods with toddlers, even if they do come with a bit of a grocery bill attached.

For bub, mashed or finely chopped soft berries like blueberries work well as an early finger food. Try our blueberry, raspberry and blackberry  puree cubes For toddlers, fresh berries as a snack, blended into a smoothie, or mixed through yoghurt or porridge are all easy wins. Try our Beet and Raspberry Muffins.

9. Leafy Greens: How Do You Get Them Into A Fussy Eater?

Leafy greens like spinach are a good plant based source of iron, folate and vitamin A, making them one of the most useful staples for both.

Leafy greens like spinach and kale are nutrient dense, offering vitamin K, vitamin A, folate and iron, all of which support growth, immune function and digestion, making them another solid entry among iron rich foods for infants.

For bub, finely blended spinach or kale mixed into a familiar puree is the easiest way in, since the flavour is mild enough to go unnoticed. Try our Kale Puree Cubes. For toddlers, finely chopped leafy greens stirred through pasta sauces, scrambled eggs or smoothies tend to go down a lot easier than a plate of greens on their own. Always offer fresh greens on the side with no pressure to increase exposure and acceptance of them.

10. Beans And Legumes: Are They Worth Adding To The Rotation?

Beans and legumes are a great plant based source of iron, protein and fibre for both babies and toddlers.

Beans and legumes are worth having on regular rotation because they are so cheap and provide so many nutrients a growing bub needs. They're rich in fibre, protein and iron, zinc and magnesium, supporting digestion, muscle growth and overall health, and they're a useful plant based option among high iron foods for infants and toddlers alike. Be sure to serve the with a source of vitamin C to help your little ones body absorb the iron.

For bub, well mashed beans or lentils mixed into a puree work well as an early introduction. Try our Legume Puree cubes For toddlers, beans or lentils stirred through bolognese, lasagne or shepherd's pie, or chickpeas blended into hummus, are an easy way to bulk out a meal without much extra effort. Try our Black Bean Brownies or Salmon and Lentil Patties or Chickpea Herby Bites

What If Bub Or Your Toddler Is A Picky Eater?

Selective eating is common, and it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. Offering new foods alongside familiar favourites tends to help, rather than presenting something completely unfamiliar on its own. Getting little ones involved in meal prep, stirring, pouring, or picking ingredients at the shops, can also make a real difference to how willing they are to try something new.

It's worth remembering it can take somewhere around 10 exposures to a new food before a toddler decides to actually eat it, so repeated, low pressure offering matters more than any single meal going well or badly.

Making These Staples Part Of Everyday Toddler Meals

The easiest way to build these into toddler meals is to think in terms of swaps and additions rather than entirely new dishes. Stir beans or lentils into a bolognese you're already making, blend leafy greens into a pasta sauce, add ground seeds to porridge, or swap in salmon for the protein in a meal you already cook regularly. None of it needs to be its own separate production.

This is also where a good baby puree or infant puree can help, particularly in those earlier stages before bub's managing full family meals. A puree that already combines a few of these staples, think beef and veggie, or salmon and sweet potato, takes a lot of the thinking out of getting a nutrient dense meal on the table.

How Nourishing Bubs Can Help

A lot of the staples above already feature across our range. Our purees combine ingredients like beef mince, sweet potato, salmon and leafy greens into a single spoonful, and our iron range is specifically built around iron rich foods for infants, so if you're focused on getting that nutrient right, that's the easiest place to start.

Whether bub's just starting solids or you're feeding a toddler who wants variety without the daily meal planning stress, our full range is designed to make hitting these staples a lot more achievable, without needing to cook ten different things a week.