Yummy Iron!

It is important that you get plenty of iron in your food, because it helps make sure that your blood can carry oxygen to your muscles. Sometimes, iron is added to foods, like cereal, that doesn't naturally have a lot. You might be surprised to learn that the iron is actually added as tiny bits of metal! And you might be even more surprised to learn that you can actually see them! Here's how:

What you need:
1 cup (250 mL) iron-fortified cereal, such as Total
Gallon-sized (4 L) plastic zipper bag
Rolling pin
Sheet of white paper
Magnet (not the flexible type)

Put the cereal into the plastic bag and seal it closed. Crush the cereal with your fist to break up the flakes, then put the bag on a flat surface and really pulverize the cereal with the rolling pin. It should be like a fine powder when you're done.

Pour a little bit of the cereal powder onto the sheet of paper and spread it out. Put the magnet under the paper and move it around. Do you see any black bits that move? Those are tiny pieces of iron metal!

You might worry about eating metal, but it's OK. The pieces are too small to harm your throat or stomach. And your stomach contains a strong acid that dissolves the metal pieces so that they can get into your body.