Drumstick For Babies - When to Introduce, Benefits and Precautions

As a new mom, you must have been constantly searching for nutrient-rich food to include in your baby’s diet. Drumstick for babies can complement your efforts to a great extent. This tropical plant grows the most in India and a few other south Asian countries. You can cook its immature green pods similarly to green beans. You can remove seeds from mature pods and cook them like peas or roasted nuts. The fresh green leaves of the drumstick plant can be used like spinach. You can also dry and powder the leaves for later use.

What is Drumstick?

Drumstick or moringa oleifera is a drought-resistant tree that grows typically in tropical regions of south Asia like India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines. India is the largest producer of this healthy plant with annual 1-1.3 million tons of production. Almost every part of this plant is edible. You can eat the leaves, stems, stalks, flowers, and immature green fruits or seed pots of the drumstick plant. As small babies cannot chew the drumstick pods you can add drumstick leaves powder to their meal.

It is known by different names throughout India:

Sojne data in Bengali
Shajan in Hindi
Shevaga in Marathi
Murungai in Tamil
Munagakaya in Telugu
Muringnga in Malayalam

When Can You Introduce Drumstick to Your Baby?

You can start giving your baby drumstick as soon as they starts solids. To be specific, start adding drumsticks to your baby’s meal after 8 months. But of course, you will have to give it to them in powdered form or make the puree of the drumstick pods in order to avoid choking hazards. After 2 years when your baby can successfully chew food then you can gradually add drumstick pods in the vegetable curry or soup for your baby.

Nutritional Value of Drumstick

Both the drumstick pods and leaves are extremely nutritious. Fresh drumstick pods and seeds are an excellent source of oleic acid which improves heart health. Drumstick leaves are the most nutritious part of the tree with calcium, selenium, zinc, magnesium, and amino acids.

The nutritional Value of drumstick per 100 grams:

Nutrients	Value
Carbohydrates	8.28 g
Protein	9.40 g
Fat	1.40 g
Dietary Fibre	2.0 g
Vitamin A	378 ug
Folate	40 ug
Vitamin B6	1.2 mg
Vitamin C	51.7 mg
Calcium	185 mg
Magnesium	147 mg
Phosphorus	112 mg
Potassium	337 mg
Iron	4.00 mg
Zinc	0.6 mg
Energy	64 Kcal

Amazing Top 5 Health Benefits of Drumstick For Babies

Drumstick is one of the highly nutritious foods for your baby. Moringa leaves have three times more iron than spinach. The green, long, slender seed pods are full of antioxidants like zeatin, rutin, kaempferol, caffeoylquinic acid and beta-sitosterol. If you are from India then you are blessed as you can give fresh drumsticks to your baby.

Some benefits of Drumstick for babies are:

1. Excellent For Digestive Health

Moringa extracts can cure many digestive problems like constipation, ulcerative colitis, and gastritis in babies. The plenty amount of B vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate present in drumstick leaves help to stimulate digestive juices. They help in the conversion of food into energy rather than storing it as fat, thus aiding in better digestion. Moreover, the dietary fiber present in drumstick regulates healthy bowel movement and gut health.

2. Good For the Liver, Kidney and Eyes

The hepatoprotective property of drumstick protects the liver from harmful toxins and helps the kidneys in releasing toxins out of the body. Vitamin A helps in developing good vision. The nutrients present in drumstick are eye-friendly. They can reduce the chances of retinal dysfunction and the thickening of the capillary membrane. Antioxidants present in drumstick cure dry eye problems which nowadays children often suffer from due to excessive use of smartphones for video games.

3. Helps in Brain Development

The essential amino acids and protein present in drumstick will help in better neurotransmitter functions and make your baby’s brain sharper. Babies often suffer from mood swings. Moringa induces the production of the feel-good hormone serotonin. So, your baby will become happy and energetic and sleep well too. The antioxidants will cure problems such as fatigue and insomnia in babies.

4. Fights Against Infection

Babies stand at high risk of infection due to their underdeveloped immune system. The anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties of drumstick will fight efficiently against infections in skin, throat and chest. It is effective against foodborne microorganisms like E. coli, Rhizopus, and Salmonella. The important antioxidant named quercetin in drumstick can fight against tuberculosis. Moringa powder can easily heal small cuts and wounds children get often while playing.

5. Reduces the Chances of Cancer

Cancer cases are only rising day by day. Thus, you should include food containing cancer-fighting abilities in your baby’s diet. The amino acid in drumstick ensures strong and sustainable cell development in babies. Vitamin A, C, niazimicin, and beta-carotene help to suppress the formation of cancer cells. Antioxidants avert damage to the cells.

Is Drumstick a Common Choking Hazard For Babies?

Yes, the Drumstick pods and the seeds can cause choking hazards in small babies. The outer scale of the drumstick pods cannot be eaten, one has to chew the flesh and seed beneath it and throw the scales away. But small babies cannot do that. Even the seeds of drumstick can chock their throats. Thus, drumstick leaves powder is the safest way to get the nutrition of drumsticks for small babies.

[Read : Infant Choking]

How Do You Introduce Drumstick to Your Baby?

If the Drumstick leaves are fresh then you can boil them along with the dal or porridge for your baby. Otherwise, you should add powdered drumstick leaves in your baby’s lentil or khichdi for 8 to 12 months. Then gradually you can boil the drumstick pods along with the lentil and give the pulp and seed from them to your baby.

After 2 years your baby will be able to chew drumstick pods completely.

Precautions to Take While Feeding Drumstick For Babies

You must follow a few precautions while feeding drumsticks or any vegetables to your baby. These are

Always try to buy organic drumsticks for your baby. Fresh green drumstick leaves or seed pods are best for your baby.
Avoid refrigerating drumstick for more than 2 days as the inner moisture withers away.
While picking up drumsticks go for the greenish color with smooth skin, slim and tender body.
Avoid buying drumsticks with hard and rigid skin as they are old and dry and will taste bitter.
Cook or boil drumstick pods in water until they get soft.
Squeeze or peel out the inner pulp and seed and give it to your baby. Mash the seeds if your baby is too young or doesn’t have teeth yet.

[Read : Gas in Babies]

Are There Any Side Effects of Drumsticks For Babies?

Drumstick is one of those foods with very few side effects. It cools down the body from the inside and thus can cure fever and pox effectively. Yet it has some side effects that you must know. Here are some side effects of drumstick for babies.

Moringa leaves have laxative properties. So eating them in large amounts can cause heartburn, gas, upset stomach, and even diarrhea.
Always cook drumstick as raw drumstick not well digestible and cause heartburn.
Huge intake of moringa can cause nausea.
The roots of maringa plant contain a potential neuro-paralytic toxin called spirochin that can cause paralysis. Avoid the roots; the leaves and seed pods are completely safe.

So, to get only the benefits of drumstick you should cook it well and give it in limited quantity to your baby.

Top 2 Healthy and Tasty Drumstick Recipes For Babies

Here are a couple of easy and nutritious recipes you can try out for your munchkin.

1. Drumstick Soup

Add washed fresh drumstick leaves, half a small chopped onion, half a tomato and a couple of garlic cloves, cumin seeds and turmeric to fresh water into a pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles, and let the cooker cool down. Transfer the contents into another dish, strain the mixture, add some pepper to the strained liquid and serve this soup to your baby.

[Read : Tomatoes For Babies]

2. Drumstick Pods Soup

Cut the drumsticks into finger long pieces and boil them well in water. Put the pulp out with a spoon and mash well. Heat butter in a pan. Add cumin, onion, garlic, pepper and cumin powder. Sauté for a minute, add the drumstick pulp and mix well. Add this mixture in a blender and make a fine puree. Serve it lukewarm to your baby.

Drumstick for babies is an extremely healthy addition to their meal. They will love it. But take your doctor’s advice before introducing any new food to your baby. Also, make sure to apply the three-day rule to ensure that your baby is not allergic to drumsticks. Always start with small quantity and slowly increase once your baby gets comfortable with eating drumsticks

FAQ’s

1. Are Drumstick Leaves Good For Babies?

Yes, drumstick leaves are extremely beneficial for babies. As small babies cannot chew drumstick pods you can offer drumstick leaves powder and soup to them.

2. Does Drumstick Cause Gas in Babies?

Drumstick if eaten in a bulk can cause gas. One or two drumstick pods or a handful of Drumstick leaves will do no harm to your baby.

Drumstick For Babies – When to Introduce, Benefits and Precautions

What is Drumstick?

When Can You Introduce Drumstick to Your Baby?

Nutritional Value of Drumstick