Lead and Nutrition

A healthy diet can help limit the absorption of lead. Make sure your children eat healthy, low-fat foods high in iron, calcium, and vitamin C. Eating enough of these nutrients can help prevent some of the lead from staying in your child’s body.

Here are the nutrients and foods that can help kids avoid elevated levels of lead in their blood:

Iron-rich Foods

  • Lean red meats
  • Fish and other seafood
  • Chicken and other poultry
  • Iron-fortified foods like cereals (it will say if it is fortified with iron on the label)
  • Lentils, beans, peas
  • Nuts like peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans
  • Dried fruits like raisins, prunes, cranberries

Calcium-rich Foods

  • Dairy like milk, yogurt, and cheese
  • Green leafy veggies like spinach, kale, and collard greens
  • Broccoli
  • Beans
  • Calcium-fortified foods like orange juice, oatmeal, cereal (it will say if it is fortified with calcium on the label)

Vitamin C-rich Foods

  • Oranges, orange juice
  • Grapefruits, grapefruit juice
  • Pineapples, pineapple juice
  • Tomatoes, tomato juice
  • Strawberries
  • Green peppers
  • Cabbage, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts
  • Broccoli

View the Health Department's Lead and Nutrition Brochure(PDF, 906KB).

Back to top