Including various solid food items in your baby’s diet can be exciting for him. Whether it is cooked food or simple fruits or vegetables, it will be quite interesting for him as he will explore and get attuned to new tastes. Grapes are one of those food items that provide health benefits and expose your baby to a new taste. Using grape juice for baby’s constipation is something that many people usually recommend, while the sweet and sour taste of the grapes can intrigue your baby.
There is no harm in giving grapes to your baby but there are certain precautions that need to be adhered to. It is also necessary to watch for any signs of allergies in your baby.
Usually, grapes should be given to babies once he starts eating solids. You can give him grapes when he reaches around 10 months of age or so. Some may recommend starting it right at 6 months, but it is usually recommended to wait at least until 8 months or so.
Grapes are known to contain numerous nutritional elements. The constitution of a 100g of grapes (red or green) can be broken down as follows.
Nutrient | Amount |
Carbohydrates | 18 grams |
Protein | 0.72 grams |
Total Fat | 0.16 grams |
Dietary Fibre | 0.9 grams |
Vitamin C | 10.8 grams |
Iron | 0.36 milligrams |
Calcium | 10 milligrams |
Zinc | 0.07 milligrams |
Whether making grape juice for babies or using them in various recipes, including them in your little one’s diet will provide him with a number of advantages to support his health.
Haemoglobin levels in the blood ought to be optimal along with a good amount of red blood cells, so that the oxygen can be carried to various organs of the body and absorbed successfully. Grapes also maintain the same in babies and keep their organs functioning properly.
Giving grapes to babies can reduce the chances of bronchitis, asthma, and other typical respiratory issues that are common among kids their age.
Solids can get a little tough on young babies, who have issues with digesting them right away and can even cause indigestion at times. Grapes are extremely light, which helps the body break them down easily. The sourness of the ripe grapes works in settling the acidity problems, too.
Constipation can plague numerous babies in the early years, and the beginning of solids can spell various issues around it. Grapes have a good amount of fibre, which works in building up poop and retaining the water within them, giving rise to easy bowel movements.
The growing age of toddlers is where the brain develops rapidly, forming new connections within its network and creating more neurons to fire rapidly. These ought to be protected from any kind of damage so as to maintain the intelligent functioning of the brain. Grapes contain those constituents that can protect this central part of the brain quite effectively.
The rapidly increasing appetite and diet of kids lead to their increased metabolism, releasing waste material in the form of free radicals and toxins inside the body. Failure to flush them out effectively causes them to start harming the DNA molecules and other healthy cells of the body. The antioxidants within grapes can bond with these substances and prevent them from causing any harm, leading them to be flushed out safely.
It is best to buy fresh grapes from the market and use them within a couple of days or so. Storing them extensively causes them to ripen and get soft as well as sour. Opt for seedless organic grapes if you can find them.
Knowing how to feed grapes to a baby is also important. Grapes should always be sliced along their length and then mashed before giving to a baby. Even for slightly older ones, never cut along the width or give them whole, since they could very easily choke your child.
Right from choosing the appropriate grapes down to preparing them properly, there are a bunch of precautions you need to follow, which will keep your little one safe.
When choosing grapes for your baby, make sure you pick the right ones. Go for grapes that don’t have blemishes or soft areas on them. They ought to be firm and round. Soft grapes are usually ripe and don’t last long. Taste a few and then pick the ones that are somewhat sweet.
Whether grapes are organic or normal, there are chances of various external materials being present on them, right from simple dirt and germs, down to pesticides or other chemicals. The solution lies in rinsing off the contaminants by placing grapes under running water. Keep them soaked in water to clean them completely.
Babies can’t chew or crush grapes by themselves. Giving them a full grape could cause them to swallow it directly, which could lodge in their throat and choke them. Slice the grapes, remove the seeds, and mash before giving it to your child.
There are more than a few tasty grape recipes for babies that you can make use of to prepare some tasty food items for your little one.
Here’s an old traditional dish with a new twist that your little one will surely enjoy eating:
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Why not pair up different fruits, vegetables, and meat to make a complete puree?
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Accentuate the taste of seafood with grapes.
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If your toddler isn’t a fan of your vegetable preparations yet, he will be after this one.
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The taste of grapes is an interesting one and having your child eat them for the first time can result in a variety of reactions. If your baby tends to find the strong taste a little uncomfortable at first, pair it up with some great recipes. He will soon warm up to the flavour and start enjoying them regularly.