Pregnant mothers need extra iron. During pregnancy she must maintain her own levels and provide enough iron for the growing baby. The baby will store iron, and then for the first six months while the baby relies on milk alone, it will draw on the stored iron it received from its mother during pregnancy.
When the baby reaches approximately 6 months of age the iron levels will be depleted and the baby will be being introduced to solid foods, including foods that are rich in iron. Those first 12 month of a baby’s life are the fastest growth period of its life; the baby will triple its birth weight during this time.
Iron is essential for early growth and health. Animal tissues are rich in haem iron (more readily available to the body than iron from plants), and 25% of the haem iron in lamb is absorbed by the body.
Iron deficiency could be responsible for a restless, irritable baby that may have trouble sleeping. Prolonged iron deficiency leads to anemia and impairs mental and physical performance, For instance, the baby may be slower in reaching milestones such as balance and motor co-ordination, and in severe cases of anemia these can be permanently impaired.
Therefore foods rich in haem iron are very important for babies from 6 – 12 months old, and this is when cooked puréed meats can be introduced.
The organ meats (lamb kidneys, liver), lamb and beef are excellent sources of absorbable iron for babies. Red meat contains more iron than white meat and fish, and can be cooked and puréed easily for babies and young children.

When first introducing lamb to your baby’s diet, texture is important; the cooked lamb must be puréed to a fine, soft, moist consistency.
I find it best to remove the lamb from the family dish before I add the herbs and spices and onion etc, so that the baby only gets one ingredient at a time. This allows you to notice if there are any reactions to the new food. Then I use an electric hand-held blender to purée the lamb, adding formula or breast milk to the lamb until the consistency becomes smooth and soft. After that I place any extra in ice cube trays and freeze it. Once frozen, I place the lamb cubes in a freezer bag and label and date it for future meals. Then I only need to warm the small amount my baby will eat, adding more formula or breast milk as needed when warming the cube up. Also, you can add a puréed vegetable to the lamb as well when the baby is ready for that food. As your baby grows, the texture of the meat can become coarser and coarser until the baby is eating table food with you at meal times.


Find Lamb Organ Meats in our Online Store by clicking here!