Lead and a Healthy Diet What You Can Do to Protect Your Child

Lead’s Effects on the Body

Lead is a poisonous metal that our bodies cannot use.

Lead poisoning can cause learning, hearing, and

behavioral problems, and can harm your child’s brain,

kidneys, and other organs. Lead in the body stops

good minerals such as iron and calcium

from working right. Some of these

effects may be permanent.

Lead Awareness and 

Your Child

Children with lead poisoning

usually do not look or act

sick. The only way to know if

your child has lead poisoning is

by getting a blood test. 

Ask your doctor or health care

provider to test your child under six years of age at

least once a year.

Lead Hazards Where is Lead Found? 

Main Sources of Lead

Lead-based paint is a hazard if it is peeling, chipping,

chalking, or cracking. Even lead-based paint that

appears to be undisturbed can be a problem if it is on

surfaces that children chew or that get a lot of wear

and tear. The older your home is, the more likely it is

to contain lead-based paint. 

Contaminated dust forms when lead paint is dryscraped or sanded. Dust can also become contaminated

when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead

chips and dust can gather on surfaces and objects that

people touch or that children put into their mouths. 

Contaminated soil occurs when exterior lead-based

paint from houses, buildings, or other structures

flakes or peels and gets into the soil. Soil near roadways

may also be contaminated from past use of leaded

gasoline in cars. Avoid these areas when planting

vegetable gardens.

Other Sources of Lead

Contaminated drinking water from older 

plumbing fixtures

Lead-based painted toys and household furniture 

Imported lead-glazed pottery and leaded crystal 

Lead smelters

Hobbies

Folk remedies like azarcon and pay-loo-ah

Cosmetics like kohl and kajal
Many of the foods listed in this brochure can

be bought with food vouchers from the

WIC program. To find out more about

WIC, call your child’s pediatrician or

visit www.fns.usda.gov/wic

Between meals offer small snacks such as:

Cereal with low-fat milk, whole wheat crackers 

with cheese, apple or pear slices, oranges or 

bananas, raisins, yogurt, frozen fruit juice pops, 

and fruit smoothies.

Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ Recipes ▼ 

Meal and Snack Ideas Tips to help you and your children plan meals and snacks

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Oatmeal swirlers Grilled cheese & tomato Sloppy joes

Sliced banana Coleslaw Watermelon

Orange juice Low-fat milk Low-fat milk

-or- -or- -orCheese omelet Tuna salad sandwich Macaroni and cheese

Applesauce Cranberry juice Stewed tomatoes

Low-fat milk Pear slices Melon slice

-or- -or- -orFrench toast Pizza bagel Chicken stew

Orange sections 100% fruit juice Rice

Low-fat milk Fresh or canned peaches Strawberries

Low-fat milk
Oatmeal Swirlers · Makes 4–6 servings

1 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats

1/3 cup of peanut butter

1/3 cup of fruit jelly or jam

Steps:

• Follow the package directions to cook oats.

• Spoon peanut butter and jelly on top of cooked oatmeal.

• Stir and spoon into bowls.

• Serve with low-fat milk.

Cheese Omelet · Makes 2–3 servings

3 eggs

1 tablespoon of low-fat milk

Vegetable oil

3 tablespoons of cheese

Steps:

• Mix eggs and milk in a bowl.

• Lightly coat pan with vegetable oil. Use medium heat.

• Add egg mixture and cook.

• When omelet is cooked on the bottom, add cheese.

• When cheese is melted, fold omelet in half.

• Top with salsa if you like.

• Serve with toast, fruit, and low-fat milk.

French Toast · Makes 4–6 servings

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup of low-fat milk

Vegetable oil

6 slices of bread

Cinnamon

2 bananas, sliced

Steps:

• Mix eggs and milk.

• Lightly coat pan with vegetable oil. Use medium heat.

• Dip bread into egg mixture, so that bread is covered.

• Brown one side of bread in pan.

• Sprinkle top with cinnamon.

• Turn over bread and brown the other side. Top with 

sliced banana.

• Serve with low-fat milk.

Grilled Cheese & Tomato 

Sandwich · Makes 1 serving

2 slices of bread

2 slices of American cheese

1 slice of tomato

Vegetable oil

Steps:

• Make sandwich using bread, cheese, and tomato.

• Lightly coat pan with vegetable oil.

• Brown sandwich on both sides over low 

heat to melt the cheese.

• Serve with low-fat milk or fruit juice.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese · Makes 3–5 servings

4 cups of cooked macaroni

3 cups of grated cheddar cheese Vegetable oil

2 tablespoons of margarine 2 cups of low-fat milk

2 tablespoons of flour Salt and pepper

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat casserole 

dish with vegetable oil.

• Mix cooked macaroni with grated cheese and pour 

into casserole.

• Melt margarine in a pan. Remove from heat, stir in

flour. Return to heat.

• Add low-fat milk slowly, stirring until smooth.

• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Pour over macaroni. Stir.

• Cover. Bake for 30 minutes.

• Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes.

Pizza Bagels · Makes 2–3 servings

1 bagel

2 tablespoons of tomato sauce

Garlic, basil, or oregano

2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese or part-skim mozzarella

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• Slice open a bagel and place on a flat pan.

• Add tomato sauce, seasonings, and cheese.

• Bake for 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

• Serve with fruit juice.

Tuna Salad Sandwich · Makes 2 servings

4 slices of bread

1 can of water packed tuna

4 teaspoons of low-fat mayonnaise

Onion and celery, chopped 

Steps:

• Mix tuna with low-fat mayonnaise, onion, and celery.

• Try your sandwich with cheese and tomato.

• Serve with low-fat milk.

Sloppy Joes · Makes 4–6 servings

1 pound of lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 cup of tomato sauce

Your choice of seasonings

5 hamburger buns or pita pocket breads

Steps:

• In a pan, cook lean ground meat, onion, 

and green pepper until meat is well done.

• Drain fat.

• Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings.

• Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

• Spoon into hamburger bun or pita.

• Serve with fruit juice.
Chicken Stew · Makes 6–8 servings

3 pounds of frying chicken, cut up into small pieces

Vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes

Poultry seasoning

Steps:

• Lightly coat pot with vegetable oil. Use medium heat.

• Cook chicken until it is well done.

• Add can of stewed tomatoes.

• Add vegetables and seasoning.

• Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

• Serve with rice or noodles.

Banana Strawberry 

Smoothie · Makes 2–3 servings

1 cup of low-fat milk

1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries, mashed

1 ripe banana, mashed

Steps:

• Mix all together in a blender or use a wire whisk.

• Eat as a snack or for dessert.

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Regularly Eat Healthy Foods

Children with empty stomachs absorb more

lead than children with full stomachs.

Provide your child with

four to six small meals

during the day. The

following nutrients

can help protect

your child from

lead poisoning: 

Iron-Rich Foods

Normal levels of iron work to protect the body

from the harmful effects of lead. Good sources 

of dietary iron include: 

Lean red meats, fish, and chicken

Iron-fortified cereals

Dried fruits (raisins, prunes)

Calcium-Rich Foods

Calcium reduces lead absorption and also helps 

make teeth and bones strong. Good sources of

dietary calcium include: 

Milk

Yogurt

Cheese

Green leafy vegetables (spinach,

kale, collard greens)

Vitamin C-Rich Foods

Vitamin C and iron-rich foods work together 

to reduce lead absorption. Good sources of 

vitamin C include: 

Oranges, orange juice

Grapefruits, grapefruit juice

Tomatoes, tomato juice

Green peppers
Call

• Your child’s pediatrician

• The National Lead Information Center 

1-800-424-LEAD (424-5323)

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 

Safe Drinking Water Hotline 

1-800-426-4791

Visit

• EPA Lead Program Web site

www.epa.gov/lead

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC) Web site

www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead

• U.S. Department of Housing and 

Urban Development (HUD) Web site

www.hud.gov/offices/lead

If you think your home has high levels of lead: 

• Make sure your children eat healthy, low-fat foods

high in iron, calcium, and vitamin C.

• Get your children tested for lead, even if they 

seem healthy.

• Get your home tested for lead if it was built before 1978. 

Call 1-800-424-LEAD for more information. 

• Always wash your hands before eating. 

• Wash children’s hands, bottles, pacifiers, 

and toys.

• Do not use imported pottery to store or serve food.

• Let tap water run for one minute before using.

• Use only cold water for making your baby’s formula,

drinking, and cooking.

• Regularly clean floors, windowsills, and other 

surfaces using wet methods that control dust.

• Wipe or remove shoes before entering your house.

• If you rent, it is your landlord’s job to keep paint in

good shape. Report peeling or chipping paint to

your landlord and call your health department if the

paint is not repaired safely. 

• Take precautions to avoid exposure to lead dust

when remodeling or renovating. 

• Don’t try to remove paint yourself!

For more information on childhood lead poisoning prevention:

Printed with Vegetable Oil-Based Inks, Recycled Paper (Minimum 50% Post-consumer) Process Chlorine Free

Simple Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Family from Lead Hazards
Lead Poisoning Fight

United States 

Environmental Protection

Agency

Office of Pollution Prevention 

and Toxics (7404)

EPA-747-F-01-004

November 2001

with a Healthy Diet

Lead Poisoning Prevention Tips 

for Families