At what age can eggplants be given to children? Doctor's recommendations and recipes
It's common knowledge that vegetables are one of the first lures the kid receives. These products contain a large number of nutrients that have a positive effect on the body. Therefore, their use is welcomed by doctors. But there are age limits for the introduction of certain vegetables. One of such products is eggplant. Despite the fact that it contains useful micronutrients and vitamins, it can harm the baby's body. To know the age at which eggplants can be given to children, it is necessary to talk with the pediatrician.
Useful properties of the vegetable
Eggplant contains ascorbic acid, B vitamins, as well as pectic substances. This vegetable contains minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, calcium and others. The indisputable advantage of eggplant is that it contains very few calories.
This vegetable can be frozen and dried, but it does not lose valuable qualities. Has the property of accelerating the digestive process. Has a positive effect on the heart system. Supports water-salt balance. Well removes fluid from the body. Strengthens bone tissue and cartilage.
Hazardous substances in the vegetable
Besides the positive properties, the eggplant has negative characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to know exactly from what age eggplants can be given to children. One of the negative characteristics of the vegetable is that, as it ripens in the vegetable, solanine is produced. This compound is harmful to humans. Therefore, there is no overripe vegetable. Eggplant is considered to be a heavy food for the child. This is due to the fact that the process of digesting it is not very fast. Therefore, the question of whether the eggplant can be given to children, doctors answer that it is not worthwhile to include them in the menu of the child at an early age. If a vegetable is added to the diet, it is recommended to limit its quantity.
At what age can eggplants be given to children?
According to doctors, it is not recommended to include vegetables in the children's menu until three years. Especially do not give it to kids until a year. The children's digestive system is still not working well in this period. Some babies at this age are on breastfeeding. Moreover, it is possible that mother's milk is the main source of nutrition. There are cases when the child is strongly attached to his mother, and it is difficult for him to give up his breast.
Feeding babies is recommended to start with vegetables that are easily digested, quickly digested and do not cause allergies. Eggplant does not belong to such products, since it has a long digestive process. This fact should be taken into account when answering the question of the age at which eggplants can be given to children.
Ways of using
This vegetable is not eaten raw. It is fried, boiled, dried, etc. There are many recipes for preparing eggplant. For sure, everyone used these vegetables for food in puree or as rolls, which are stuffed with different fillings, for example, grated cheese. For the use of this product, the child is recommended to wash the vegetable, cut into slices and salt. In this form, you should leave it for half an hour, then wash under running water and begin to cook. If the eggplant is supposed to be stewed, the cooking time of the vegetable is up to 40 minutes. These recommendations should be taken into account, especially if it is planned that the dish will have a child.
What vegetables to buy?
We figured out the age at which eggplants can be given to a child. Now we should talk about choosing this product. Overgrown vegetables can harm the body.
Therefore for the children's menu it is necessary to buy young eggplants. Pay attention to their skin. It should be smooth and even. Also, you should see that the skin of the vegetable was not damaged. In order not to be mistaken, a young vegetable or not, it is worth paying attention to the petiole. At a young vegetable it is green. These rules for choosing a vegetable should be respected not only for children, but also for adults.
Allergy to Vegetables
We found out how to introduce eggplants into children's diet, from what age can they be given. Before giving a small child a product that he did not eat before, it is necessary to conduct a test. To do this, give the baby a small amount of vegetable. Then you should see if there is an allergic reaction. Eggplants, as a rule, do not cause allergic reactions. But all the children are different. Therefore, it is impossible to exclude completely the risk of allergy from the use of this product. Children may experience itching, rashes, vomiting, upset of the stool and other manifestations of allergies. It should be said that this reaction can occur both after the first application and be of a cumulative nature.
Therefore, before you prepare eggplant for children, you should definitely test the vegetable. If the child has an allergy to this product, then it should be excluded from the children's menu. It is recommended that the child be shown to the pediatrician so that he can prescribe the necessary treatment. Of course, if the symptoms are not particularly pronounced, then you can simply not give the eggplant to the baby for a while. And then try to give again. You should also consider the age at which eggplants can be eaten.
Recommendations
Eggplant contains useful microelements and vitamins, which have a beneficial effect on the body. But giving it to small children is not recommended due to the fact that it is digested for a long time and is considered a serious food for the baby.
It should also be noted that the cooking time of this vegetable is not fast. Children should be given with caution and start with a small amount. Since ripe fruits will harm the body, it is necessary to carefully choose eggplant.
Is it possible to give a vegetable to a child from year? The decision is left for the parents. But it should be remembered that doctors recommend to enter this vegetable into the baby's menu later.
Recipe: Eggplants with tomatoes
Eggplant is not always pleasant for children due to taste characteristics. Therefore, you need to choose the right cooking recipe. Eggplants can be prepared in many ways. For example, in the oven or steamer, there are many recipes. Also this vegetable is well combined with other vegetables and meat.
The recipe for cooking eggplants with tomatoes is very popular. He really likes children. To prepare this dish you will need two eggplants, a tomato and cheese( 100 grams).First you need to wash the eggplant. Then, cut the tail and cut the vegetables with rings. Then you need to wash the tomatoes and cut them. It is better that the size of tomatoes be the same as eggplant. Next, grate the cheese on a large grater. Cut the eggplants into a baking sheet, put tomatoes on top. To make it it is necessary so that on each circle of eggplant the circle of a tomato lay. Sprinkle the top of the dish with cheese. Then you need to put in the oven for half an hour. It turns out a very tasty and healthy dish that children like.
Vegetable stew
Another useful dish, which is prepared with eggplant, is a vegetable stew. It can be cooked in a double boiler. For cooking, you need potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and garlic( denture).Each ingredient, take one piece. The cooking process is very simple. All vegetables need to be washed, peeled and cut into slices. Next, put them in a container, and top with a tomato sauce. Turn on the steam cooker for 40 minutes. You can serve ragout with meat.
Conclusion
Now you know how old the eggplant can be given to a child. Also we considered different opinions of doctors, recommendations on entering into the ration of the product. Finally, the article describes a couple of recipes for children.