As my daughter turned six months old, I started to wonder if I should start her on solid food. What fruits are good to start with? She was drinking formula and I wasn’t sure if she was getting enough nutrition. Breast milk has everything a baby can possibly need but my baby wasn’t on it. So I began my research to see what I could give her and the most important question of when was a good time to start juices since babies are very sensitive to new foods.
You may also like: Baby’s First Milestones Captured in 5 Simple Ways
What Is The Best Time To Introduce Juices?
All paediatricians advise that you should not start babies on juices before they turn 6 months old. As the baby is on breast milk or on formula there is no nutritional need to add something extra to the baby’s diet before that. Once you decide to introduce your baby to solid food, which is normally around 6 months, then you can think of including fruit and vegetable juices to their diet.
So, What Should You Start Off With?
Our top 5 picks for juices to introduce your little one to are listed below:
Carrot Juice
Image Source: http://ift.tt/1UThIAL
Carrots are a rich source of Vitamin A, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium and iron. Chop up some carrot and add it to the blender with some boiled water. Blitz, sieve and serve immediately.
Pomegranate Juice
Image source: http://sabzi.pk
Pomegranate juice is extremely healthy for your baby. It’s known to have a calming effect on the digestive issues your baby might be facing. Did you know that pomegranate juice helps immensely when your kid has a bout of diarrhoea and it’s also a soothing agent for teething babies? Cut the fruit into half. Take a wooden spoon and hit the pomegranate shell with it. The seeds should loosen and fall. Blend these seeds well and use a strainer to collect the juice and serve immediately.
Apple Juice
Image Source: https://i.ytimg.com
Apples are packed with Vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Peel and chop apples into little chunks. Boil them in water for about 5 minutes. Strain the stewed apples through a sieve. You could add some water to dilute it. If you’ve already tried carrot juice and you know your child is not allergic to it, mix apple and carrot to make a yummier version.
Grape Juice
Image Source: http://ift.tt/2ow9LdD
Grapes are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants and also act as a natural laxative. Grape juice is naturally sweet and kids really love this one. Just put a handful of grapes through the blender with some water, strain it and let your baby enjoy her cup of juice.
Beetroot Juice
Image Source: http://ift.tt/2oDtTrA
Beetroot is rich in minerals and vitamins such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin K and vitamin E etc and is recommended for your child. You should make sure you peel and steam the beets before you blend them with some water to make the juice. Don’t forget to sieve the juice before you serve it to your baby.
You may also like: Red Itchy Bottoms? Keep Your Baby Safe from Diaper Rash
Things To Keep In Mind
- Make sure you dilute the juice before you offer to your baby. It’s recommended that you dilute it to a 50/50 mix of juice and water. This helps babies digest the juice easily.
- Since most of the juices are unpasteurized/raw, make sure you serve it to your baby immediately. Do not put in the fridge as this could cause contamination.
- Juice should be served along with a meal – not as a meal. This aids in the quick absorption of iron in the food consumed by the baby.
- Limit the juice intake to 120 ml so that the baby doesn’t fill him/herself up.
- Stay awake from packaged juice for your little one, and for yourself. They are loaded with sugar and this could cause over consumption of sugar, tooth decay, and obesity as they grow. Fresh juice is the way to go.
- Since these packaged juices are sweet, kids prefer them over water after a point which is extremely unhealthy.
- Try introducing vegetable juices first if you want your baby to develop a taste for different things. It’s so easy to like sweet things right? Why should our little babies be any different?
- Stick to the rule of one new thing at a time to make sure your baby is not allergic to anything.
- Give your baby seasonal fruits and not something that is probably from the cold storage.
Is Juice Mandatory For Babies?
No, not really. If your baby is on breast milk he/she are getting their nutrition from there. And when they’re ready to start solids, giving them a whole fruit instead of the juice is better and more wholesome. Milk and water are enough to satiate the baby, even in the summer months. However, if you do decide to give your baby juice, that’s alright too. Just make sure you give it in a cup and not a bottle or sippy cup. When babies use a bottle or sippy cup, the liquid tends to pool in their mouth and could cause tooth problems later.
You may also like: An Indian Mom’s Guide To Weaning And A Complete Weaning Meal Plan
Image Source: http://profvesti.org
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Soundcloud & Instagram or subscribe to our YoutubeChannel for more information.
from Kids Stop Press
No comments:
Post a Comment