Sometimes referred to as super food and considered by many to be the best source of proteins, eggs are something that parents of newborn babies have always been sceptical about introducing to the baby’s diet. Read on for detailed information about including eggs in your baby’s diet.
Recent studies have shown that egg yolk can be safely included in the diet of babies as young as eight months of age although egg white should only be introduced after twelve months, read on to learn more about introducing eggs in a baby’s diet.
Not only is egg a prime source of the best quality proteins after human milk, but a single egg also contains thirteen very essential vitamins. Egg contains essential minerals like copper, zinc, selenium, calcium and iron it also has proteins, cholesterol, fat, fatty acids, and vitamins D, B12, E, choline and folate, all of the above nutrients are essential for the growth and well being of children
NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 1 Egg (50 g)
Calories | 70 |
Total Fat | 5g / 6% |
Saturated Fat | 1.5g / 8% |
Trans Fat | 0g |
Cholesterol | 185mg / 62% |
Sodium | 70mg / 3% |
Total Carbohydrate | 0mg / 0% |
Dietary Fibre | 0g |
Total Sugars | 0g |
Protein | 6g / 12% |
Vitamin D | 1mcg / 6% |
Calcium | 28mg / 2% |
Iron | 1mg / 6% |
Potassium | 69mg / 2% |
While both the egg yolk and egg white are high in nutrients, the egg white is low in calories and does not contain carbohydrates and fat. Besides, more than half of all the nutrients found in eggs are present in the egg white. However, is known to cause allergies, it is therefore recommended to initially only introduce the egg yolk to the baby.
Let’s take a closer look at each.
Egg Whites:
As mentioned above, egg white does not contain carbohydrates and fat besides having more than half of all the nutrients found in eggs. With four grams of proteins egg white contains the majority of the proteins found in eggs.
Egg Yolks:
Egg yolk contains fat, saturated fat and cholesterol which gets many a parent worried. A crucial fact that is often overlooked is that along with these the yolk also contains essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins and is also high in iron and calcium.
The table below will help understand the nutritional qualities of egg white and egg yolk.
Nutrient | White | Yolk | % Total in White | % Total in Yolk |
Protein | 3.6 g | 2.7g | 57% | 43% |
Fat | 0.05g | 4.5g | 1% | 99% |
Calcium | 2.3 mg | 21.9 mg | 9.5% | 90.5% |
Magnesium | 3.6 mg | 0.85 mg | 80.8% | 19.2% |
Iron | 0.03 mg | 0.4 mg | 6.2% | 93.8% |
Phosphorus | 5 mg | 66.3 mg | 7% | 93% |
Potassium | 53.8 mg | 18.5 mg | 74.4% | 25.6% |
Sodium | 54.8 mg | 8.2 mg | 87% | 13% |
Zinc | 0.01 mg | 0.4 mg | 0.2% | 99.8% |
Copper | 0.008 mg | 0.013 mg | 38% | 62% |
Manganese | 0.004 mg | 0.009 mg | 30.8% | 69.2% |
Selenium | 6.6 mcg | 9.5 mcg | 41% | 59% |
Thiamin | 0.01 mg | 0.03 mg | 3.2% | 96.8% |
Riboflavin | 0.145 mg | 0.09 mg | 61.7% | 48.3% |
Niacin | 0.035 mg | 0.004 mg | 89.7% | 9.3% |
Pantothenic acid. | 0.63 mg | 0.51 mg | 11% | 89% |
B6 | 0.002 mg | 0.059 mg | 3.3% | 96.7% |
Folate | 1.3 mcg | 24.8 mcg | 5% | 95% |
B12 | 0.03 mcg | 0.331 mcg | 8.3% | 91.7% |
Vitamin A | 0 IU | 245 IU | 0% | 100% |
Vitamin E | 0 mg | 0.684 mg | 0% | 100% |
Vitamin D | 0 IU | 18.3 IU | 0% | 100% |
Vitamin K | 0 IU | 0.119 IU | 0% | 100% |
DHA and AA | 0 | 94 mg | 0% | 100% |
Carotenoids | 0 mcg | 21 mcg | 0% | 100% |
The highest quality of proteins ‘lactalbumin’ are found in human milk. Eggs are the source of the second highest quality of proteins that are to be found in any food. Eggs also are rich in minerals, vitamins and several other nutrients that are beneficial for infants in many respects. Egg white, being rich in potassium and proteins, helps with organ function.
1. Digestion And Immunity
Eggs are rich in mineral content such as iron, selenium and zinc. Thus, they help in creating a robust immune system. The production of new cells in infants is significant, and eggs being rich in folate, aid and assist cell regeneration. Egg whites assist babies in maintaining the right sodium and potassium content in their bodies. Most importantly, eggs, particularly the yoke are easy for infants to eat and digest
2. Brain Development
Egg yolks contain choline and cholesterol which are associated with brain development in infants. Cholesterol assists with the digestion of fats and also produces hormones. Choline assists with the proper functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
3. Energy and Bone Development
While proteins in egg whites provide vital energy, egg white also contains riboflavin, which is crucial for releasing energy from carbohydrates. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble vitamins which aid with bone development.
4. Heart Health
Egg yolks contain Phospholipids which help with proper vascular function and also assist infant bodies in managing cholesterol.
5. Liver Function
The sulfur content in eggs helps in the production of keratin and collagen besides helping to absorb vitamin B12 which is crucial for the proper functioning of the liver.
6. Eye Health
Antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin are also found in eggs, lutein protects the eyes from damage caused by harmful bad lights and ultraviolet light, both antioxidants are crucial in preventing vision loss, and both are to be found in egg yolks.
Babies cannot consume all the eggs that have been purchased in a single day, it is, therefore, crucial that eggs are stored properly to keep them fresh till your baby can consume them.
Once the babies are one year old or older, they can have whole eggs boiled, fried, scrambled or served as an omelette. Dishes like custards containing eggs can also be fed to babies who are one year of age or older. There are a few things to note about how to cook an egg for baby Do note that food products having raw eggs such as mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or baked items should not be served to babies since their digestive system is still learning how to digest. Allow the baby time to get accustomed to the natural flavour of the egg yolk. Do not add sugar or salt to the yolk. Since half boiled eggs may contain pathogens which a baby’s immune system is not fully developed to resist, it is advisable to feed eggs that are hard boiled.
Given below are a select few recipes of egg dishes for babies.
As mentioned above babies can be served boiled eggs once they are a year or older. It is recommended to serve boiled eggs for babies without adding salt or sugar to get the baby accustomed to the flavour, if the baby does not like it at all then you may add a pinch of salt for taste.
Boiling eggs for ten minutes or more continuously, renders the egg white with poor flavour and texture, and is not easy to chew, a better way to hard boil eggs is as follows.
2. Scrambled Eggs
Follow these steps to make a scrambled egg for baby.
3. Egg Yolk Mash
A simple way to serve egg yolk for baby is to make egg yolk mash. To prepare it, simply cut hard boiled eggs into half, remove the yolk and mash it with milk or yoghurt.
4. Egg Rice With Vegetables
Here is how you can make egg rice for babies:
5. Egg Omelette
Mix one egg with a quarter cup of milk salt and pepper and whisk well. Pour oil into a hot frying pan and add the omelette mix. Allow it to set and serve. You can even use butter instead of oil for a fluffier texture.
The white part of the egg contains four proteins that could cause an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction from egg yolk is extremely rare. It is to be noted, however, that several scientific studies have concluded that by the time children are five years old they have overcome allergies to eggs.
Yes, children can be fed eggs every day.
It is advisable that a child, eight months of age should be fed only one egg yolk per day.
You may add salt and pepper to suit the baby’s palette. Additionally, you can mix the yolk of boiled eggs in milk or yoghurt to make it palatable for the baby. You can also try giving the baby scrambled eggs with the yolk mixed with the egg white. Making puddings or custards with eggs is a good idea too! If your baby still does not like the egg yolk you can simply serve him the white.
It is not recommended to serve soft runny yolks to children, as the egg yolk may contain a certain bacteria called Salmonella Enteritidis. These bacteria could cause infections in children. Salmonella Enteritidis is destroyed when eggs are completely cooked. Soft runny yolks of soft boiled eggs are not cooked; they are simply warmed, and that is not sufficient to kill the bacteria Salmonella Enteritidis
To check for infections, one must be aware of the symptoms of Salmonella. An infected person will get diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps with the symptoms lasting from four to seven days.
Besides the fear and apprehension felt by most parents before introducing eggs in the diet of their babies, it is by and large considered safe to offer them once they are about one year old. As discussed, if certain precautions are taken, eggs are not only safe for your baby, but they benefit children in several ways.
Read this article in Arabic: تقديم البيض للأطفال