Make Healthy Food Choices to Keep Your Child Safe from Lead

Eating healthy foods can help keep your child safe from lead. Children should eat healthy meals and snacks at least every 3-4 hours. Full bellies absorb less lead. So, what’s the best way to fuel your child’s growth and to help keep your family safe from lead? Foods with calcium, iron, and vitamin C can help protect children from lead poisoning. Good nutrition helps keeps lead from being absorbed into a child’s body.

If you need help buying food, assistance may be available. Visit Ventura County Human Services Agency – CalFresh Program or the Ventura County Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program to learn more.

Choose Healthy Foods that Protect Against Lead

Protein: Choose lean meat and poultry, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.

Vegetables: Serve fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables. Provide a variety of colors, like dark green, red, orange, yellow, and purple vegetables. If serving canned or frozen vegetables, look for low sodium options.

Fruits: Offer fresh, frozen, or canned fruits. If your child drinks juice, choose 100% juice without added sugars and limit number of servings. Look for canned fruit that says it’s light or packed in its own juice, meaning it’s low in added sugar.

Grains: Choose whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or brown or wild rice.

Dairy: Encourage your child to eat and drink low-fat dairy products or calcium-fortified dairy alternatives, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, soymilk or nut milks without added sugars.