Strawberries For Babies – When to Introduce, Benefits And Precautions

Nutritional Value Of Strawberry

Strawberries are not only yummy, but they are also highly nutritious. Let’s have a look at the nutritional value of strawberries per 100 grams:

• Energy- 32 Cal
• Carbohydrates- 7.68g
• Natural sugars- 4.89g
• Fiber- 2g
• Protein- 0.67g
• Fat- 0.3g
• Calcium- 16mg
• Iron- 0.41mg
• Magnesium- 13mg
• Phosphorus- 24mg
• Potassium- 153mg
• Copper- 0.048mg
• Zinc- 0.14mg
• Vitamin C- 58.8mg
• B1 Vitamin  (Thiamine) – 0.024mg
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – 0.022mg
• B3 Vitamin (Niacin) – 0.386mg
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) – 0.125mg
• Vitamin B6- 0.047mg
• B9 Vitamin  (Folate) – 20µg
• Choline- 5.7mg
• Vitamin A- 1µg
• Vitamin K- 2.2µg

Top 5 Health Benefits Of Strawberries For Babies

Strawberries have many health benefits for babies ranging from making them stronger to helping build their immune systems. Here are some key health benefits of strawberries for babies.

1. Enhance The Immune System

Strawberries help enhance the immune system. The phytochemicals, vitamin C, and antioxidants in strawberries work together in making the immune system of your baby stronger which prevents many diseases.

2. Improve The Functioning of The Nervous System

Strawberries are good for the nervous system. Strawberries have several phytochemicals, which help in improving the nervous system of your baby. Being rich in folic acid or folate, Strawberry enhances the functioning of the brain as well.

3. Improve Blood Circulation

These fruits are great for the circulatory system. The potassium in strawberries helps in improving the circulatory system with the development of the blood vessels.

4. Promote Bone Health

Strawberries help enhance the bone health of the baby. These fruits have phosphorus, fluoride, and most importantly, calcium, which play a pivotal role in making your baby’s bones stronger and healthier.

5. Provide Hydration

Strawberries keep the baby hydrated. 100 grams of strawberries provide your baby with 90.25 grams of water, which means feeding your baby strawberries will help you to keep him or her hydrated properly.

Precautions While Feeding Strawberries For Babies

You should consult your doctor before feeding strawberries to your baby.

• If there is a family history of asthma or allergies, it is important to ask your child’s doctor before introducing this amazing fruit to your baby.
• Strawberries have a soft and slippery texture. Therefore, babies tend to gulp it before chewing it well. This increases the chances of choking. Therefore, we recommend cutting it into small pieces before giving it to the child.

You should also keep a close eye on the following food allergy symptoms:

• Abdominal pain followed by vomiting and diarrhea.
• Swelling in the face, particularly around the eyes.
• General weakness, dizziness, and lethargy.
• Skin hives with small patches of red or pink rashes.

Finally, strawberries do produce allergic reactions in babies and it is always recommended that you consult your doctor before feeding them to your baby.

Are There Any Side Effects of Strawberries For Babies?

Berries such as strawberries are not allergic foods and the side effects from strawberries for babies are minimal. Here are some of the side effects babies can experience from eating strawberries.

• Allergic reactions such as hives, itching, rashes, swelling around the mouth and in the throat, runny nose can be expected.
• Gastrointestinal allergic symptoms may include stomachache, indigestion, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
• Excessive consumption of strawberries in babies can result in heartburn and acid reflux, indigestion and bloating.

How to Select and Store Strawberries?

Nowadays, strawberries are available throughout the year due to advanced cultivation methods and enhanced pest control methods. However, strawberries also have a huge amount of pesticides in them. Therefore, selection and storing should be done with caution.

a. Selection Of Strawberries

Select strawberries that are bright red in color without any bruises or blemishes. Check the leaves of the strawberry thoroughly because it will give you an indication of the ripeness. Generally, greener leaves and stronger stems will indicate the ripeness of the fruit.

b. Storage

Because of so much water content, strawberries could dry out quickly. Therefore, you need to keep them in the refrigerator and consume it within 4 days. While storing strawberries, make sure that the container is perforated in order to avoid the food from getting soggy. By freezing the strawberries, you will be able to keep them fresh for about a week. Do not refreeze strawberries once you thaw them.

How To Process Strawberries For Babies?

Here is a step-by-step instruction for processing strawberries for adding them to baby foods:

1. Wash the strawberries with a mixture that has three portions of water and one portion of edible vinegar.
2. After the cleaning process, rinse the strawberries with normal water
3. Now chop the strawberries into four pieces and stem them on a steamer for about 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Finally, blend the strawberries after getting cool. You can also add water in order to dilute the mixture.

Top 2 Tasty And Healthy Strawberries Recipes For Babies

Here are a couple of strawberry recipes you can try for your munchkin.

1. Strawberry Banana Puree

Mash chopped bananas and make sure that they don’t have any lumps. Now mix it with the strawberry puree and blend it in a blender. Dilute the consistency with water or cow’s milk for babies who are older than a year.

2. Strawberry Mango Puree

Puree ripe mangoes with or without strawberries. After that, dilute the consistency of the mixture of mango and strawberry with water or breast milk or formula milk. Cow milk can be used for babies older than a year. Now, the strawberry mango puree is ready to be served to your baby.

Strawberries for babies have many vital nutrients and are a must-add to your baby’s diet. Follow the right age and precautions when introducing strawberries to your baby and let your baby enjoy the various benefits of this wonder fruit.

FAQ’s

1. Do Strawberries Cause Constipation in Babies?

Strawberries do not cause constipation in babies. The fiber present in these fruits regulates bowel movement and relieves constipation.

2. Do You Need to Steam Strawberries For Baby Food?

Babies less than 8 months old- babies between 6 and 8 months of age must be given steamed and mashed strawberries to aid ease of digestion and consumption.

3. How do You Know if Your Baby is Allergic to Strawberries?

If your baby experiences any symptoms such as itching, rashes, hives, running nose, swelling around the mouth, stomach issues such as diarrhea, bloating, stomachache etc., then your baby may be allergic to strawberries. Your baby’s pediatrician can confirm if your baby is allergic to strawberries.