As parents start introducing their baby to solid foods, they want to include tons of other food items into his diet. However, not all solids are easily digestible by all babies as their digestive systems are weak and developing. One of the foods that parents might be tempted to introduce into their baby’s diet is the walnut. This food item is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and is considered highly beneficial for the development of the human brain. But, you can’t begin feeding walnuts to your little one without giving certain things a thought. In this article, we shall discuss several aspects of feeding walnuts to your baby and its benefits. Read on to know more.
You might be wondering about the right age to give walnuts to your baby. Since they have to be chewed, certain people might tell you to make walnut powder for babies and feed that. However, most doctors recommend abstaining from feeding any kind of nuts until your baby is at least a year old. Some doctors like to err on the safer side and would recommend introducing your baby to dry fruits and other nuts, only after they are at least 2 years old or so. It is always better to introduce walnuts after a few other nuts have been introduced to your baby and there hasn’t been any inadvertent reaction as such.
The components and their proportions in 100g of walnut are as follows:
Component | Proportion | Component | Proportion |
Water | 4 g | Energy | 654 kcal |
Protein | 15.2 g | Total Lipid | 65.2 g |
Carbohydrate | 13.7 g | Fiber | 6.7 g |
Sugar | 2.6 g | Calcium | 98 mg |
Iron | 2.9 mg | Magnesium | 158 mg |
Phosphorous | 346 mg | Potassium | 441 mg |
Sodium | 2 mg | Zinc | 3 mg |
Vitamin C | 1.3 mg | Thiamin | 0.34 mg |
Niacin | 1.12 mg | Folate | 98 ug |
Vitamin A | 20 IU | Vitamin E | 0.7 mg |
Vitamin K | 2.7 ug |
Walnuts have a bunch of nutrients that are essential for the growth and development of infants. Even black walnuts are known to have a lot of nutritional properties in them. Here is why you should consider feeding walnuts to babies. The benefits of black walnut for babies are similar.
Toddlers require a lot of energy during their growth years. Walnuts are high in calorie and help provide all the energy which your active a child needs.
Walnuts are packed with essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, folate, calcium, zinc, etc., which are much required for the optimal growth of your baby. Calcium strengthens his bones, while iron manages the levels of haemoglobin. The potassium and sodium in walnuts help balance electrolytes, and phosphorous aids digestion, cell repair, and protein generation in your child’s growing body.
All the vitamins in walnut, including Vitamin A, C, E, and K, directly benefit the child’s growth. These vitamins help build immunity, aid the conversion of glucose to glycogen, and stimulate metabolic activities.
Walnuts contain folate as well as omega-3. Both these nutrients primarily help develop the baby’s brain. Some people say if you take a close look at a walnut, you’d find it resembles two halves of the brain, which is why it is important for brain development. The truth in this myth may be debatable, but what’s known for sure, is that it does support rapid brain development.
Walnuts have melatonin, which helps induce sleep and regulate body functions during sleep. Sleep is extremely necessary for babies since most of the growth happens when they enter deep sleep.
Nowadays, obesity in children has become a common concern. Walnuts in the correct amounts help reduce and/or maintain body weight in children. Appropriate body weight will help your child stay healthy and keep illnesses at bay.
These are some of the benefits of walnuts for babies. Among the foods that bring about complete development in infants, walnut can be considered a great addition to your baby’s diet as it not only provides energy but is also useful in maintaining bone health, body weight and immunity. However, there are certain precautions that you must bear in mind before you feed some walnuts to our little one. Let’s take a look at them.
After confirming that you can feed walnuts to your baby, you may begin feeding in limited quantities only because excessive consumption of walnut lead to side effects. Read on to know more.
Here are some side effects your baby could have because of excessive consumption of walnuts.
Here are some precautions you can take to ensure your baby doesn’t have any of the side effects mentioned above.
Now let’s check out some recipes that you can make for your munchkin to introduce walnut into his diet.
Here are some healthy and delicious walnut recipes that your little one will not resist.
Walnut butter can be a healthy addition to your baby’s diet. You can spread some on a toast or feed him a spoonful in between meals.
Ingredients
How to Make
Banana walnut milkshake is a good option for those babies who often resist milk. This delicious mix is sure to win your little one’s heart. Please remember, this recipe is not recommended to those babies who are lactose intolerant.
Ingredients:
How to Make:
Walnuts not only add a different taste to your baby’s diet but also add a different texture. When your baby is old enough to have walnuts, start with one of the recipes given above. When he grows older, you can also give him raw or roasted walnuts as snacks. Any which way, always remember that for any food item to benefit your baby’s health, you must practice moderation.
References and Resources: Webmd