Healthy Diet & Lead Poisoning Prevention

A Healthy Diet Can Help Prevent Lead Poisoning

A healthy diet will benefit all children and it can help protect your child from lead poisoning. Encourage your child to eat healthy meals regularly at least three times a day.

Ways a healthy diet can decrease lead absorption:

• A child with a full stomach is less likely to absorb lead. Offer 4-6 snacks or meals every day.
• A child who takes in adequate amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin C and protein will absorb less lead.
• Keep fat intake low. Offer healthy snacks like fruit, vegetable sticks (maybe with peanut butter, iron fortified cereal or bread, cheese or pudding instead of candy or chips.

Be sure to wash your hands and your child's hands before preparing, handling, or eating food.

Foods high in iron and protein

• lean red meat, chicken, liver, or fish
• dried beans, peas or lentils
• leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach
• fortified cereals and breads
• peanuts, sunflower seeds
• dried fruits, such as raisins, prunes and apricot
• eggs

Foods high in vitamin C

• citrus fruits and juices
• bell peppers, collards, tomatoes, raw cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and greens
• potatoes with skins and sweet potatoes
• strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe

Foods high in calcium

• milk, cheese, yogurt, ice milk, pudding
• leafy green vegetables, such as kale, collard greens, turnip greens
• tofu
• peanuts and peanut butter
• salmon and sardines
• calcium enriched soy milk
• dried fruits and raisins

Avoid high fat foods: (Bake or broil your food)

• fried foods, such as French fries or potato chips.
• sausage, bacon, lunch meats like bologna,
• margarine, butter, shortening, lard or cooking oil
• cakes, pies, pancakes