Green vegetables are rich in several vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other compounds that have proven helpful for human health. From spinach and lettuce to bell peppers, there are so many different green vegetables to include in one’s diet. As a grown-up, you can easily consume these food items without thinking twice about their compatibility and safety because an adult’s digestive system is much stronger. But what about bell peppers for babies?
Well, when it comes to babies, the same can’t be said. Their digestive system is quite sensitive, so you must know about a food’s safety, side effects, benefits, and other relatable aspects before including it in their diet. Seeing how bell pepper is packed with many essential nutrients, it must be introduced to a baby’s diet. But it is equally important to know when and how to get your baby to eat this nutritious vegetable.
In This Article
- Is Bell Pepper Safe For Babies?
- When Can You Introduce Bell Pepper to Your Baby?
- Nutritional Value of Bell Pepper
- Super Top 4 Health Benefits of Capsicum For Babies
- Which Bell Pepper is Good For the Baby?
- Precautions to Take While Introducing Bell Peppers to Babies
- Are There Any Side Effects of Capsicum For Babies?
- Top 2 Tasty and Healthy Bell Pepper Recipes For Babies
- FAQ’s
Is Bell Pepper Safe For Babies?
One of the major concerns parents have regarding bell peppers is their safety for babies. Bell peppers are among the foods that you can give your baby once they are fairly comfortable with basic solids at about 7 to 9 months of age and above. Bell peppers are enriched in several micronutrients, antioxidants, and other essential components. They are important for the overall health and wellness of your baby.
But it is vital to understand that bell peppers are safe for babies as long as they don’t cause any allergies to your little one. Bell peppers are not known allergens and are safe for babies. If you have any questions, you can always talk to your pediatrician to get the right advice.
When Can You Introduce Bell Pepper to Your Baby?
Bell pepper or capsicum is a safe vegetable to introduce to babies who have started on solids which means that you can introduce it once your baby is six months old. However, to be on the safe side, you can also introduce it in the 7th or 8th month. It is important to remember that raw bell peppers can cause a choking hazard in young babies. You can start by giving steamed bell pepper puree to start off with.
[Read : Infant Choking]
Nutritional Value of Bell Pepper
As there are different bell pepper types, the nutritional values also vary. Keeping this in mind, we have listed the nutritional contents of red, green, and yellow peppers.
| Nutrients | Red Bell Peppers (Per 100 Grams) | Green Bell Peppers (Per 149 Grams) | Yellow Bell Peppers (Per 100 Grams) |
| Water | 92% | 140g | 92g |
| Proteins | 1g | 1.3g | 1g |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 6.9g | 6.3g |
| Sugar | 4.2g | 3.6g | NIL |
| Fiber | 2.1g | 2.5g | 0.2g |
| Fats | 0.3g | 0.3g | .3g |
Super Top 4 Health Benefits of Capsicum For Babies
So, what are the benefits of bell peppers for babies? Here are a few reasons why you should include them in your baby’s diet.
1. Boosts Immunity in Babies
It is no longer hidden that babies have a weak immune system. As a result, they are more vulnerable to infections and other chronic diseases than adults. This is why you need to change their diet routine and include food items that can boost their immunity.
One such vegetable is bell pepper. Thanks to the huge concentration of Vitamin C and several other minerals, the vegetable can strengthen the immune system in babies, keeping them safe from diseases for a long. As a result, they won’t catch a cold easily or suffer from deficiency diseases which are quite common in infants.
2. Improves Eye Health
A baby doesn’t have as strong a vision as that of an adult. Eyesight improves as the baby grows up. But if your baby is not receiving enough minerals and vitamins, the optic health won’t show any improvement. Instead, they may suffer from an impaired vision in early childhood and sight issues.
This is why including red and yellow bell peppers in your child’s diet seems ideal. They are rich in Vitamin A, one of the crucial ingredients for boosting eye health and functioning. In addition, it prevents night blindness, low visibility, and blurred vision.
3. Enhances Digestive Function
Another benefit of including bell peppers in the baby’s diet chart is improvement in the digestive system. Just like immunity, babies don’t have a strong digestive function. It is due to this reason that they cannot digest all food items that an adult can consume.
You can give them bell peppers to ensure your baby’s digestive system can become more functional. In addition, the vegetables are fiber-rich, easing constipation and ensuring your baby is safe from bloating.
4. Reduces Anemia
Most babies are at higher risk of suffering from anemia. This is why you can give them bell peppers, as vegetables are rich in iron. This mineral helps in the formation of hemoglobin which in turn helps in the proper transportation of oxygen from the heart to other body parts. Red bell pepper has the highest dietary iron content, followed by yellow and green peppers.
Which Bell Pepper is Good For the Baby?
The three most common bell peppers you can feed your baby are red, yellow, and green. All three varieties are good for babies because they contain different nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals. For example, Vitamin C content is more for red peppers than for green ones.
Similarly, green peppers have zeaxanthin and lutein, while yellow ones are rich in violaxanthin. Therefore, it is better to include all three peppers alternately so that your baby receives a broad-spectrum nutritional supply.
All three bell peppers are excellent sources of carotene and other carotenoids which are all essential for the production of vitamin C in the body.
Did you know that brown and purple bell peppers exist too? These are excellent sources of anthocyanins which are a type of antioxidants.
[Read : Finger Food For Babies: Everything You Must Know]
Precautions to Take While Introducing Bell Peppers to Babies
When introducing bell peppers to your baby, you should exercise some precautions appropriately.
- Buy fresh bell peppers and stay away from canned goods. Buy organic if you can.
- For young babies, steamed and mashed bell pepper is ideal.
- As your baby grows and is having finger foods, you can offer sliced and roasted bell peppers that are cut in age-appropriate sizes.
Bell peppers for babies are safe and healthy, and you don’t have to think much before introducing the food item into their diet. Just ensure to have a quick consultation with your doctor before introducing it.
Are There Any Side Effects of Capsicum For Babies?
Although bell peppers don’t have any major side effects, one thing you need to be aware of is allergies. Bell peppers do not have known allergic compounds. Still, it is better to err on the side of caution, use the three-day rule and ensure that bell peppers are not causing any side effects in your baby before continuing to give it to them.
[Read : The 3-Day Wait Rule For Babies To Introduce Solids]
Top 2 Tasty and Healthy Bell Peppers Recipes For Babies
Here are two tasty bell pepper recipes for your babies who are starting their journey to solids.
1. Red Bell Pepper Puree
Deseed and chop and small red bell pepper. Steam till it is soft. Add to a blender and make a fine puree and serve. Start with about a tsp of the puree when feeding for the first time.
2. Bell Pepper Potato/Sweet Potato Puree
Steam chopped potato/sweet potato for about 10 minutes. Halfway through, you can add deseeded chopped bell pepper. Allow to cook through. Now you can puree everything together into a puree and feed your baby.
You use steam bell pepper with other veggies of your choice to create different purees.
FAQ’s
1. Which Bell Peppers are Good For Babies?
All varieties of bell pepper- green, yellow, and red are excellent for babies. They are packed with nutrients and fiber, are rich in antioxidants and provide a superior source of nutrients for babies.
2. Can Babies Eat Cooked Bell Peppers?
Cooked bell peppers are ideal for young babies and those who have recently started weaning to solids. Cooking makes the vegetable soft and easy to consume for babies.
Read Also: Beans For Babies – When to Introduce, Benefits and Precautions
