Is it possible for children up to a year to give watermelon and melon: the optimal age for introducing fruits into the baby's diet

Watermelon and melon are juicy, tasty and extremely healthy berries. Their pulp contains many trace elements necessary for adults and children. For this reason, most parents try to include watermelons and melons in their diet, and introduce their kids to them. Melons should be introduced into the menu in reasonable quantities so that they bring maximum benefit to the body.

The benefits of watermelon for a child

Sweet watermelon pulp is rich in fiber, folic acid, pectins, vitamins C, PP, potassium, manganese and iron. It contains up to 90% water, which provides high diuretic and choleretic properties. Beta-carotene, which is part of the berry, helps to strengthen the immune system, cope with emotional and physical stress. Lycopene reduces the risk of cancer, normalizes cholesterol metabolism, and regulates digestion.

For the purpose of intensive growth, modern watermelons are often fertilized with nitrates. With the use of such berries in children, vomiting, nausea and dizziness appear. To avoid poisoning, eat watermelons only in season and be careful about their choice. The presence of nitrates will indicate:

• bright red flesh of freshly cut watermelon;
• smooth glossy surface of the berry;
• yellow fibers in the pulp.

At what age can you offer watermelon to a child?

At what age can you give watermelon to a child? Doctors allow it to be introduced into the diet no earlier than the 11-month threshold. However, many nutritionists recommend introducing a child to a berry only at the age of 5.

Pediatricians are convinced that it is not necessary to deprive the baby of the opportunity to try new products and advise watermelon as a complementary food for children from a year old. The allowable daily allowance for 2-year-old babies is 50 grams, for three-year-olds - 150 grams.

Before offering a watermelon to a one-year-old child for the first time, the pitted pulp should be crushed in a nibbler. When the child learns to chew, the slices can be cut into pieces and watch how the baby eats them. Watermelon is allergenic, so it is important to observe the digestion and reaction of the child. Allergy is manifested by such symptoms:

• rash on the body of the baby;
• hives;
• swelling of the lips, oral cavity;
• frequent cough, allergic rhinitis.

Mothers of babies with sensitive digestion can start complementary foods not with pulp, but with a teaspoon of berry juice. Gradually, the volume of juice should be increased and pulp added. Watermelon should be offered at any age as a separate meal. It contains fiber, which causes fermentation and prolonged digestion of other foods.

Contraindications

Little by little and infrequently, almost everyone is allowed to eat watermelon (in the absence of allergies, diarrhea, exacerbations of chronic diseases of the digestive system).

It is important to buy berries from the end of August to September and refuse to purchase them at other times.

Some families in the season completely switch to watermelon fasting days. However, it should be remembered that for the use of berries in large quantities there are contraindications:

• urolithiasis disease;
• diabetes;
• exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases;
• violation of the outflow of urine;
• impaired renal function.

In a small amount, watermelon is useful during pregnancy and lactation. It replenishes the loss of moisture by the body, saturates with iron. However, allergens can pass into breast milk, so it is important to monitor the reaction of the baby after the mother ate watermelon.

The benefits of melon for a child

Due to its sweet taste and aroma, melon is called a dessert vegetable in cooking. In fact, this is a false berry belonging to the gourd family. Melon has a dense and sweet pulp, consisting of fiber, sugar and water. It is low-calorie (30 kilocalories per 100 grams) and is beneficial for a growing body due to its high content of nutrients:

• magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, iodine, iron;
• vitamins of group B, PP, E, A, C;
• carotene, folic acid;
• essential oils;
• pectins (13%) and easily digestible fats.

The unique composition of melon helps fight constipation, skin problems, anemia, liver and kidney diseases. It prevents excess weight, reduces nervous tension, and is useful in diseases of the liver and urinary system.

At what age can a melon be offered to a child?

From how many months can you try melon for babies? Until a year old, the baby's digestive system is devoid of enzymes for digesting melons. In babies who have tried melon at 6-10 months, there is heaviness in the stomach, diarrhea.

A one-year-old child is allowed to periodically give a small amount of pulp. However, feeding melons regularly is allowed only after 2 years.

How much melon to give to children? Depending on age, the daily norm is as follows:

• from one to two years - 50 grams;
• from two to three years - 100 grams;
• older than three years - no more than 200 grams.

Melon should be given separately from other products, for example, as a second breakfast or afternoon snack. The pulp should not be washed down, consumed with honey and starchy foods. Initially, you can offer a teaspoon of juice, then puree, gradually increasing the portion to the volume recommended for age. At 2.5 years old, you can feed the child with pieces of melon, watching that he eats carefully.

Contraindications

Like watermelon, melon can cause allergies in infants and young children. For this reason, it should be tried by a nursing mother when the baby is 3-4 months old. If there is a skin reaction or other allergic manifestations, the product should be postponed. It is impossible to offer a child melons bought out of season, as they contain nitrates.

Contraindications to the use of melon are:

• disorder of the gastrointestinal tract;
• diabetes;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases of internal organs.

Note to mom

Give your child freshly cut melons and watermelons. If they have stood on the table for more than two hours or spent more than a day in refrigerators, then they are not suitable as complementary foods. For winter, you can prepare dried melon. The berries bought in August-October should be peeled, cut into large pieces and dried in the sun. Transfer the dried slices to boxes and store until winter in a cool place. It turns out fragrant candied fruits, which can be served with tea, added to the curd.

If the “friendship” with melon and watermelon did not work out for a one-year-old child, it is worth offering them to him every year in September and monitoring the reaction. By the age of 5, the enzymatic system usually matures, which allows you to enjoy fresh berries, make ice cream, salads and cocktails from them.