Figs for Babies: Benefits and Precautions

Nutritional Values of Figs

The list of nutrients in a fig can go a bit long as it has so much in it:

• Figs are rich in vitamin A, B6, C
• It is a good source of minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and sodium
• It contains a significant amount of riboflavin, folate, protein, dietary fiber, and carbohydrates

So it is a wholesome meal for your baby.

Figs are Beneficial for Babies

Figs have numerous health benefits for babies. As mentioned earlier, figs are loaded with minerals like copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, which are all extremely important for the healthy growth and development of a child.

Here are some of the most important health benefits:

Benefits of Fig Juice

Fig juice can be extracted from a fig in any form, be it fresh or dried. The benefits of fig juice in babies are:

• Relieves constipation
• Reduces the chances of respiratory infections

Benefits of Dried Figs for Babies

While you get fresh anjeer only twice a year in India, the dried option is always available in the supermarket. It contains health-promoting antioxidants and is an excellent source of fiber. Dried figs contain a significant amount of minerals like magnesium, copper, iron, potassium, and vitamins like Thiamine and Vitamin K.

Dried figs for babies help with:

• Improving liver health and reducing the risk of hepatitis and jaundice
• Preventing cardiovascular disease
• Reducing the risk of obesity
• Helps to strengthen the immune system

Benefits of Figs Soaked in Water Overnight

The soaked fig’s benefits are the same as the fresh ones. It helps the babies with:

• Building strong bones
• Preventing cancer later in life
• Improved digestion

Tips to Choose and Store Figs

While choosing fresh figs from the market verify that it does not have any visible blemishes or cuts in its skin. And while buying dry figs check the packaging is intact or not. Don’t buy loose dried figs as they can have a lot of dust on them.

Fresh figs can be used for 7 days if you keep them in the refrigerator. Store them dry to avoid rots.

Right Time to Introduce Figs to Babies

You can introduce your baby to figs as soon as he/she crosses 6 months. In other words, you can also introduce figs to babies around the time you start introducing fruit and vegetable purees. The babies cannot chew at this time so you can make fig or athi juice for them. You can also make a fine paste and give them anjeer with milk.

Bite-size pieces of figs in baby food are a big no until the baby turns 11 months or they are big enough to chew the food well. Or else, fig pieces pose a choking hazard for babies.

And when your baby starts chewing solids, consider this as the right time to give a fig as food.  Once the baby starts to like its taste, and you find fig is not causing any digestive issues, you can start using them in salads, and in savory dishes as well as in dessert dishes.

Preparing Figs for Babies

Preparing figs for your baby is not that difficult. There are varieties of recipes available online.  We have also provided a few recipes below which you can try. Whether you blend the figs, use them in these recipes, or give them as a chunk if your baby can chew depends on the taste your infant develops.

Some Precautions of Fig Consumption

So figs are highly beneficial, but you need to be cautious about certain factors:

Choking Issues

Do not provide dry figs, raw to your baby as it has the risk of choking. Instead, make a puree or a shake.

Allergic Reactions

If the baby has oral allergy syndrome or a pollen food allergy, then avoid figs.

It is recommended that you give them figs in small quantities and check if there is any adverse reaction or not.

Tasty and Healthy Fig Recipes for Babies

Ripened figs are naturally sweet so you don’t need to add extra sugar. Babies will love its mildly sweet flavor. Here are two tasty fig recipes. You can use both fresh and dry figs for these recipes. For dry figs, pour some water on them to get the benefits of figs soaked in water overnight.

1. Almond Fig Milkshake

If your baby is below 8 months and you want to give them something new and healthy then try the basic fig milkshake. It is simple and quick to make. Your baby will love the new flavor. You can also try fig juice for a change.

2. Fig Pancake

Fig pancake is a yummy snack to give a baby from 11 months onwards. So utilize this chance and add some figs (in pureed form) while making pancakes. You can even add finely chopped figs as toppings ( that is, only if the baby is big enough to chew it).

3. Apple and Fig Custard

You can mingle the taste of apple and figs together and the result will be delicious. Desserts are the favorite part of a meal for the kids and custard remains surely on the top.

Fig is a very common, and healthy fruit option. Due to these, it is popular and known in different regional names across India. Fig is known as Anjeer in Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarathi, and Marathi, while it is known as Dumoor in Bengali, Athipazham in Tamil, and Dimiri in Oriya. As the variety of its names suggests, figs can be cooked in as many ways. Try and experiment and let your baby enjoy it.