How to introduce carrots in complementary foods and at what age can you give a child carrot puree and juice?
When the kid starts to try vegetables, parents want to give him the most useful vegetables, among which carrot is one of the most valuable. Is it possible to feed the baby with this vegetable for up to a year, is it dangerous for babies because of its orange color and how is it better to prepare a carrot for the toddler?
Benefit
- Carrots serve as a rich source of beta-carotene - a compound from which vitamin A is valuable for the health of your baby. This vitamin is important for metabolic processes, the formation of teeth, skin, bones, and mucous membranes. Also, everyone knows that beta-carotene has a positive effect on vision. With a shortage in the food of this substance, the baby will have dry skin, frequent diseases and slow growth.
- Among the minerals that are rich in carrots are calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium. Of the vitamins in carrots, there are especially many B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin E.
- Carrots are also considered an excellent source of fiber and pectin. Thanks to such substances, this vegetable improves digestion. It is noted that eating carrots eliminates stagnation of bile and causes mild laxative Effect.
For more information about the benefits of carrots, see the program "To live healthy."
Harm
It is known that carrots can cause an allergic reaction in many babies. In addition, an excess of carrots in the diet causes carotene jaundice.
The skin of the palms and soles of the baby turns yellow, the sclera also appears yellow. Sleep crumbs getting worse, the child may experience nausea and vomiting. At the same time, all symptoms disappear as soon as carrots are excluded from the menu.
From what age should be introduced into the feed?
Carrot puree is introduced into the diet of an infant breastfed with other vegetables from 6-7 months of age. Acquaintance with carrots usually occurs after the baby has tried zucchini, potatoes, broccoli and other less allergenic vegetables. Artificially fed babies begin to taste carrots 1-2 months earlier.
Juice from this vegetable is given at 7-8 months of age. For the first time, the baby is given only a teaspoon of mashed potatoes or juice, or even a half of this portion, carefully following any changes in the state of the toddler for 3-4 days. Even if the baby tolerates carrots perfectly, dishes from this vegetable are not advised to be given daily (it is enough to cook them twice a week).
When can I give raw carrots?
Fresh carrot appears in the diet of a child older than one year. From it for a one-year-old baby, you can make a salad by rubbing grated carrots on a fine grater. To make the carotene from such a salad fully understood, do not forget to add sour cream, vegetable oil or natural yoghurt to the root crop.
You can treat your kid for breakfast with this vitamin salad or give him a snack. You can also add grated apple or sliced dried fruit to carrots.
Carrots in their raw form should be given to the baby in a nibbler, so that the baby does not choke on a piece of it.
How to cook?
Mashed potatoes
For a baby who will try the carrot for the first time, choose a quality root vegetable, wash it well and remove the upper part, cutting off the tail and the top as well.
Boil the vegetable until tender, then it should be ground to a smooth mash using a sieve or blender. To keep the mass from becoming too dense and thick, add a little mom's milk or a mixture to the carrot puree. Salt the first carrot puree should not be.
Carrots are especially useful in the form of mashed potatoes after the introduction of vegetable oil into the baby’s diet, since fats contribute to a better absorption of vitamins from the root. Since carrots are rarely prepared as the first vegetable complementary foods, for the first samples a small piece of carrots can be added to any other vegetables that the baby has already tried.
If potatoes and cauliflower are already introduced into the child's diet, prepare a dish for the child, the recipe of which is presented in the next video.
The juice
Gathering to prepare their own hands carrot juice for the baby, soak the carrot for about 2 hours in water, then wash the vegetable and peel it. After grating the root vegetable on a grater, fold the grated carrot into several layers of gauze, squeeze out the juice and dilute 1 to 1 with boiled water. Give this juice 1-2 times a week. It is often mixed with apple juice and other fresh juices.
In general, the form of a carrot to give the child can not, because the crumb can choke.
If you have already introduced crumbs of bananas and apples into your diet, prepare a smoothie for your baby according to the following recipe.
Is there an allergy?
Carrots are indeed considered a highly allergenic vegetable due to their high beta-carotene content. Eating carrots can lead to a rash after the first spoon. But even if the baby reacted normally to the first samples of the carrot, an allergy may occur within a few days of consuming this vegetable.
That is why the introduction in the diet of young children carrots should be very careful. This vegetable can only be given to a healthy baby in the first half of the day, watching the reaction of the baby for 2-3 days. If no negative effect is detected, after 3 days you can give the baby another portion of carrots. If the toddler has a rash or other negative manifestations, carrots are excluded from the menu for a while.
Tips for choosing
- For dishes that you will be cooking toddler, choose a carrot without stains and mold.
- Do not buy too large carrots, as more nitrates accumulate in large roots. The best choice for baby food will be fruits weighing about 150 g.
- If you do not want to cook carrot puree at home, buy ready-made version from a well-known manufacturer of food for children. Such a product will be homogenized and useful if it contains no other ingredients besides carrots and water.
