Amazing Benefits Of Oranges For Babies

6 min read

Written by Editorial Team

Editorial Team

Amazing Benefits Of Oranges For Your Baby
For the first six months of his life, breastmilk provides all the vital nutrients to your baby. But after your little darling crosses the six-month mark, it is time you begin introducing him to solids, juices, and fruits gradually. Although you do have many options available to you, you want nothing but the best for your baby and so start thinking about what to feed your baby. What about oranges for babies?

Oranges are a lovely option to choose from as they are packed with all kinds of nutrients and minerals that help to make your baby healthier. However, you may have a lot of apprehensions regarding this fruit – when to begin feeding your baby oranges? Its benefits and so forth. Given below are all the crucial facts that you ever needed to know about oranges and the wonderful benefits of this tangy fruit.

In This Article

When Can You Introduce Oranges For Babies?

You can safely begin feeding oranges to your precious darling as he reaches one year. This is because of the acidic nature of this citrus fruit that may cause intolerance in the little one if introduced earlier. It can even trigger rashes in an earlier stage and can be quite sensitive to the little one’s tummy. However, not all babies are sensitive to oranges and so if your doctor gives the go signal, you can start feeding oranges as early as eight months.

Nutritional Value Of Orange

Each medium-sized orange (140 grams) contains (source):

  • Water: 121 g
  • Energy: 65.8 kcal
  • Protein: 1.27 g
  • Carbohydrate: 14.8 g
  • Fiber: 2.8 g
  • Sucrose 5.87 g
  • Glucose 2.83 g
  • Fructose 3.3 g
  • Calcium  60.2 mg
  • Iron 0.462 mg
  • Magnesium 15 mg
  • Phosphorus 32.2 mg
  • Potassium 232 mg
  • Sodium  12.6 mg
  • Zinc 0.154 mg
  • Vitamin C 82.7 mg
  • Folate  35 µg
  • Vitamin B-6 0.111 mg

5 Wonderful Benefits Of Oranges For Babies

Orange benefits for babies

Loaded with umpteen vitamins and minerals apart from Vitamin C, oranges are a healthy option for your little baby. They have lots of fiber too, which is extremely good for your little one.

Some of them are:

1. Excellent Cure For Cold And Cough

Oranges are packed with Vitamin C and are beneficial for cough and cold that occurs in your little one. They also provide an excellent boost to the immunity system of your little darling and protect them from any kind of secondary infections.

2. A Wonderful Respite From Constipation

Suppose your little one is not getting the required quantity of roughage from his or her diet, this may result in constipation, which becomes so tough for the little one as well as for you. Pulpy oranges are a wonderful solution to this issue as oranges have a high content of fiber in them. Mixing freshly squeezed orange juice with water is also found to be quite a good cure for diarrhea.

3. Loaded with Calcium

Rickets is one disease that little babies can suffer from due to a lack of enough quantities of phosphate and calcium. Since oranges are loaded with calcium and phosphate, it helps to avert rickets and other such issues in your baby.

4. Improves Digestion

Oranges have been found to be excellent in improving the digestive function of your little one. Thus, oranges help to prevent dyspepsia and indigestion in little babies.

5. Rich in Nutrients

As mentioned above oranges are packed with all good nutrients and minerals vital for the healthy growth of your baby. They help to ensure your little one gets all the necessary supplements that are especially needed for that first year of growth and development. They are found to be rich in iron too.

Precautions While Feeding Oranges To Babies

Precautions While Feeding Oranges To Babies

Given below are some of the precautions that need to be observed before feeding oranges to the little one :

1. Fiber, Peel, And Seeds

Oranges need to be washed and peeled well. Also, ensure you take out the seeds and the fiber that is around the flesh of the orange as this may cause discomfort to your little one and babies can choke on the small seeds present in oranges.

2. Sweetness

Make sure the orange you plan to feed is sweet in flavor. Babies do not like the sour taste and may refuse to eat oranges that have even a mild sour taste.

3. Freshness

Strictly feed only fresh and juicy oranges as stale ones can trigger indigestion or any other related issues. Never offer an orange with soft marks to the baby.

4. Avoid Readymade Orange Juice Or Pulp

You will find commercially prepared orange juice or orange pulp all over supermarkets and other grocery stores. However, it is best to avoid feeding your little one with this and stick to homemade freshly squeezed juice or pulp.

What Is The Best Way Of Serving Oranges For Babies?

There are many ways of serving oranges to your little one. Some of them are:

  • You can peel, deseed, and cut it into small slices and feed it to the little one directly.
  • It is very important to take off the membrane and then offer the baby.
  • You can also mash up the juicy fruit and feed the orange pulp to your baby, which becomes easier for them to eat if they are reluctant to chew.
  • You also have the option of squeezing fresh orange juice and if needed, dilute with a little water and feed your baby with this juice.
  • Always offer the sweeter oranges to develop the taste.
  • Never leave the juice for a few hours and then offer, fresh juices should be consumed instantly.

Simple Orange Recipes For Babies

Oranges can be offered to the baby in umpteen ways. Apart from giving it all by itself, as a fruit, or by taking fresh juice, it can even be mixed with other foods such as avocados, blueberries, peaches, sweet potato, milk, cranberry, yogurt, etc.

Some tongue-ticking recipes that can be made with oranges that the baby will surely relish are stated as under:

1. Orange Yogurt Pops

  • Puree 1 peeled and deseeded orange and add a cup of yogurt to it.
  • Transfer the concoction to ice trays and leave till they freeze

2. Orange Juicy Carrots

  • Add 1 cup water, ¼ cup orange juice and ½ pound peeled and diced carrots to a pan.
  • Put it on heat till they become soft.
  • Mash in case required
  • Add a pinch of cinnamon

3. Orange Banana Mash

  • Add 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and wait till it is hot.
  • Now add 1 sliced banana and sauté it.
  • Finally, add 4 tbsp orange juice and 2 tbsp apple juice.
  • Keep stirring for a while.

4. Orange Dahl

  • Add ½ cup lentils and add 11/4 cups of water to the pan or skillet.
  • Cook, it covered for about 15-20 minutes.
  • Now add ¼ cup orange juice and stir.
  • Add a pinch of cinnamon as well.
  • Take it from the gas and cool.
  • Now blend well in a blender and serve.

5. Carrot Orange Puree Baby Food

  • Cook ½ cup peeled and chopped carrots till they become tender.
  • Now add 1 tbsp orange juice as well as cinnamon powder.
  • Now blend it well.

Thus, it is a wise idea to offer oranges to the baby after consulting the doctor. Orange can be relished as fruit, fruit juice, added to make purees, carrots, and many other exotic fruits as well as yogurt. The oranges can even be blended, anyway given to the child, it is always loved by the baby, but as parents, we need to be cautious and keep a check on the side effects if any. Foods that go well with oranges are blueberries, avocados, cranberries, peaches, sweet potato, yogurt, and chicken. You can look up on the internet and try out various healthy and nutritious recipes to serve your little darling.

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Editorial Team,

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.

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