Papaya For Babies - Health Benefits and Recipes

As a parent, it is quite natural for you to provide only the best for your baby, whether in terms of love, affection, care, or even nutrition. Nutrition, specifically when it comes to feeding your baby, is a matter of concern, especially in the case of your firstborn. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of your baby’s diet, and you must know what you can and cannot safely feed your baby. So are papayas safe for babies?

Nutritional Facts About Papaya

Papaya is a highly nutritious fruit. It contains a unique combination of antioxidants – vitamin C and carotenoids. Single medium-sized papaya is a rich source of Vitamins A, B, and E. Papayas are also a good source of fiber and folic acid.

It is also an excellent source of sodium, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, lycopene, and phosphorus. Papaya is very beneficial for the healthy growth and development of the baby.

Is Papaya Safe for Babies?

Papaya is a relatively safe fruit for your baby as it is not high on the list of potential allergens and therefore, poses less risk of allergies for your little one. However, latex allergy and allergy to papaya are somehow linked. Therefore, in case your baby is having a latex allergy or if you have a family history of latex allergy, you must introduce this fruit to your baby only after consulting with the pediatrician.

When Can I Introduce Papaya to My Baby?

You can start giving it to your baby once they turn 7 or 8 months old. It is advisable not to introduce this fruit as one of the first foods for babies. You can safely introduce papaya after the baby gets used to the easily digestible first foods like sweet potato, apple, avocado, banana, etc.

6 Health Benefits of Papaya for Babies

Papaya has a host of health benefits for your little one. Here are six health benefits of papaya for babies.

1. Improves Metabolism

It works as an aiding agent in the process of metabolism. Feeding your baby papaya on a regular basis can help protect them from potential cardiovascular diseases. Papaya houses an enzyme called folate, which protects the blood vessels and walls from getting damaged.

2. Combat Constipation

Papaya is high in fiber and regulates bowel movement. Most babies go through phases of colic and constipation, especially when trying out new foods. If your baby regularly experiences constipation, feed them with mashed papaya. You will quickly notice the difference.

[Read: Constipation In Babies]

3. Eliminates Intestinal Worms

Stomach worms are quite common among babies. If your baby is frequently facing this issue, you can try feeding them papaya after due consultation with the doctor.

4. Boosts Digestion

Papaya is an excellent digestive agent, not only for adults, but for babies as well. Feed your baby small amounts of papaya regularly. This will help break down the complex food, and your baby won’t suffer from digestive issues so much.

5. Enhances Immunity

As we all know, a baby’s immune system is immature and is not as fully functional as that of an adult. Papaya is an excellent source of vitamin C and is a great way of improving immunity in your little one. Feed your baby papaya and keep all the diseases away!

6. Heals Skin Sores and Enhances Eyesight

Papaya is a rich source of vitamin A. You can use papaya pulp topically for minor skin burns and mild sores/ rashes of your baby. Being rich in vitamin A, papaya enhances the eyesight of the baby.

How to Select and Store Papaya for Baby Food Recipes?

Now that we know the benefits of papaya, let’s have a look at how to choose and store the best papaya for your little one. Papaya is not as tough as it looks. It has thick skin, but it is a rather delicate fruit.

Always avoid using papaya, whose skin appears bruised. It may look like a little scratch, but due to the thick skin, the fruit might have rotted underneath.
Do not go for green papayas, they’re not yet ripe.
Papayas that are towards the greenish side, with hints of yellow color are good to go. They’re the perfectly ripe ones and are ready to use.
If the fruit is not too green yet misses the yellow tint, you can use it for future use. It is wise to use purchase it if you plan to use it a day after. This way you can leave it to ripen on the counter and use it later.
Refrigerating unpeeled papaya gives it a chance of lasting long.
If you’ve peeled your fruit already, store the chunks in an airtight container and refrigerate them.
Do not leave the leftover papaya unassisted. Either refrigerate it or consume it, if possible. Papaya ripe faster than expected. This might rot your leftover fruit.

Precautions to Take While Feeding Papaya to a Baby

Generally, papaya is a very safe fruit to give to babies. It has multiple health benefits. However, there are some guidelines to follow while introducing papaya to babies

Make sure you give ripe papaya to your baby. Taste the fruit before giving it to your little one. Never feed your baby unripe papaya as your baby may not be able to digest it.
You should introduce this fruit slowly to your baby. Start feeding a couple of spoons of mashed papaya every day for four days.
Monitor the baby for signs of allergic reactions.
Closely watch if your baby likes its taste and if it is affecting digestion. If you spot any signs of discomfort, immediately stop giving papaya to your baby.
If the baby shows no signs of an allergic reaction, you can continue feeding your little one this delicious fruit.
Moderation is the key. Never overfeed your baby. A couple of tablespoons of papaya are appropriate for babies.

Papaya Baby Food Recipes

Papaya can be given alone, or you can even use it along with a variety of other fruits to make delicious purées. Avocados, apples, bananas, peaches, carrots, and yogurt go well with this fruit.

This is one of the least dangerous fruits in terms of pesticide residues. The thick, inedible skin that harbors pesticide residues is peeled before using. However, you should thoroughly wash it before preparing. With so much insight into papaya, it’ll be good to know of ways to feed them to your baby.

Here are a few for you.

1. Papaya-Peach Yogurt

Take ½ cup papaya puree and ½ cup peach puree.
Mix it well
Add whole milk plain yogurt, as per requirement.
Optional: Finely chopped dry fruits, or cereal.
Your yogurt is ready to serve.

2. Papaya Mash

Take one fully ripe papaya.
Peel the papaya, deseed and cut into chunks.
If required, steam the chunks to make them soft and easily consumable by the baby.
Take the chunks and make a puree out of them.
You can also mash it if that’s how your baby likes it.

3. Cantaloupe and Papaya Smoothie/Milkshake

Take one tablespoon each of diced papaya and cantaloupe.
Put the diced fruits in a blender.
Add two tablespoons of yogurt and beat well to make a smoothie.
Add ¼ cup of milk and beat well to make a milkshake.

FAQ’s

1. How Often Can I Give my 7 Month Old Papaya?

If your baby does not show any negative reactions to the fruit, you can give it regularly. Start with less quantity and slowly increase. Never overfeed the baby as it may not go down well.

2. Can I Give Papaya to my 6 Month Old?

It is not recommended. Babies start their solid journey only around this age. Their systems need time to get used to digesting foods before you can introduce papaya.

3. How Should I Give Papaya to my Baby?

You can give it as a puree. You can mix the puree with other fruit purees too. If your baby is comfortable chewing, give small bite-sized pieces.

4. How do I Know if my Baby is Allergic to Papaya?

Latex allergy can be caused by papaya. This can be hereditary too. Consult your doctor if your baby shows any reaction after eating the fruit.

5. Can I Give Frozen Papaya Puree to my Baby?

Giving it fresh is always advisable. However, during the off-season, you can freeze the papaya puree. Let it thaw to room temperature before you can give it to your baby.

Papaya For Babies – Health Benefits and Recipes

In This Article