Jaggery or ‘Gur’ is an unrefined type of sugar from raw and concentrated sugarcane juice. In Asian and African countries, brown sugar is the primary consumption as people love to include this healthy type of sugar in their diet. Jaggery is the safest option that can be considered for your toddler as it is the closest substitute to white sugar and is good for their overall health. Jaggery for babies is beneficial in many ways, but it is vital to understand when and how to introduce it to your munchkin.
Since it is natural and unrefined, you can use jaggery as the default sweetener for your toddler rather than white sugar. Jaggery provides many health benefits for your baby in the long run. While jaggery is healthy and a safe alternative to sugar, it must not be introduced before your baby turns a year old. Read to know about this and more other facts about jaggery for babies in this article.
In This Article
- What is Jaggery?
- When Can You Introduce Jaggery to Your Baby?
- Can You Add Jaggery to Baby Food?
- Top 5 Health Benefits of Jaggery For Babies
- Risks of Giving Jaggery to Babies
- Top 3 Tasty And Healthy Jaggery Recipes For Babies
- FAQ’s
What is Jaggery?
Jaggery, most commonly known as ‘gur’ in India is an unrefined type of sugar that is prepared from sugarcane. It is prepared by boiling the sugarcane in hot water until it becomes a thick syrup and then cooling it until it solidifies. Jaggery can be used to make various sweet and savory dishes and can also be used as a sweetener in food for babies who are older than a year.
Today, jaggery exists as a healthy alternative to white sugar since it contains bioactive compounds and mineral traces. It is also counted among the richest sources of iron. You can give a small piece of jaggery to your toddler every day instead of chocolates or other desserts.
When Can You Introduce Jaggery to Your Baby?
Jaggery must be introduced to a baby only after one year. This is the most important thing to keep in mind as the doctors say that no real form of sugar must be introduced to babies until they reach the age of one. In fact sugar and salt should not find a place in your baby’s diet until they celebrate their first birthday. Once your baby turns one, you can start including jaggery in their diet but in a limited quantity.
Doing this would keep their immunity levels up and prevent anemia. Furthermore, jaggery is something that keeps your baby healthy as opposed to white sugar which will simply add empty calories to your baby’s body resulting in unnecessary weight gain.
Can You Add Jaggery to Baby Food?
You can only add jaggery to your baby’s diet once they turn a year old. In case you wish to add this earlier, you may need to consult with a pediatrician or a pediatric nutritionist who will guide you with the safety and optimal intake for your baby. As far as possible though, it is better to avoid this to your baby’s’ diet before they celebrate their first birthday.
Once they turn a year old, you can add jaggery to various dishes which need sweetening such as porridge. Adding jaggery to your child’s glass of milk may not be a very good idea since the iron present in jaggery may interfere with the absorption of calcium. You can occasionally add jaggery to sweeten dishes such as kheer or porridge.
Top 5 Health Benefits of Jaggery For Babies
Here is how jaggery benefits your toddler.
1. Reduces and Prevents Anemia in Toddlers
Jaggery is a rich source of iron and promotes the formation of hemoglobin. Adding only a small amount of jaggery to your baby’s meal would meet their daily requirement of the essential mineral.
2. Cleanses The Liver
If you add a small amount of jaggery to your baby’s diet, it will cleanse their liver by removing all the toxic elements from their body and hence this will detoxify their body.
3. Boosts Immunity Levels
Jaggery is an antioxidant and has many minerals such as selenium and zinc which are required by the baby’s body. When your baby’s body has these minerals, it’ll help to prevent the risk of cell damage, and hence the body will be fully capable of fighting infection, increasing overall immunity levels.
4. Helps Prevent Constipation
Constipation is a common problem in babies and this can be prevented with a regular intake of jaggery. When you include jaggery in your baby’s meal, it’ll ease the bowel movement and helps in activating digestive enzymes which promotes easy digestion.
5. Strengthens Bones
Jaggery is a good source of minerals such as phosphorus which helps your toddler develop healthy bones and tissues. Including jaggery in your baby’s diet would ensure strong and healthy bones in their body.
Risks of Giving Jaggery to Babies
Although jaggery is a good source of iron and minerals in babies, excessive consumption of it can be dangerous for your baby. Let us discuss the risks of giving jaggery to babies in brief below
1. Digestion Issues
Babies under a year old have an immature digestive system which may not be capable enough to digest the high nutrition content present in jaggery. Hence it is not preferable for babies less that a year old
2. Addiction to Sweet Flavors
Excessive consumption of jaggery by your baby can cause sweet addiction in them. Hence, lower the intake of jaggery by your baby so that they do not form an addiction to it.
3. Allergic Reactions
Jaggery is considered non-allergic but in some cases, it might cause sensitivity such as rashes on your baby’s body. If you see such signs of sensitivity on your baby’s body, discontinue feeding your baby with jaggery.
4. Obesity
If your baby is underweight, it’s good to feed your baby with jaggery but excessive consumption of the same will increase the risk of obesity in your baby because jaggery is still a form of sugar.
Top 3 Tasty And Healthy Jaggery Recipes For Babies
Here are a few jaggery recipes you can try for your toddlers
1. Sooji Halwa With Jaggery
This simple preparation takes 15 to 20 minutes and involves roasting sooji in ghee till aromatic and setting aside, preparing jaggery syrup by mixing jaggery and water and boiling and then mixing this syrup with rava on heat and cooking till you achieve the consistency of a halwa.
2. Sweet Jaggery Rice
Another simple and quick to prepare recipe, this dish is the best option when your baby is craving something sweet and you must ensure they are eating healthy. Cook rice to a soft consistency and set aside. Prepare jaggery syrup. Combine cooked rice with this syrup and continue cooking till everything combines well and cooks through. You can top this with dry fruits roasted in ghee and cinnamon powder if your toddler likes the taste.
3. Jaggery Laddoos
If your munchkin loves laddoos, this is one recipe you must definitely try out. You can use oats or muesli as the base for this recipe. Dry roast either oats or muesli or you can even combine both and then grind into a coarse powder. You can dry roast dry fruits of your choice and grind that also into powder. Now combine all the powders, jaggery powder and ghee in a bowl, and mix well till you feel the mixture turning damp. Mold into balls and store in an airtight container.
Jaggery for babies is a very good substitute for sugar for babies who are older than a year. It is tasty, healthy and nutritious. You can consider giving jaggery to younger babies too but talk to your pediatrician before doing this. Remember to exercise moderation. Too much of anything can be too bad and the same holds true for jaggery too.
FAQ’s
1. Which Type of Jaggery is Good For Babies?
Always use organic jaggery for your baby as it is safe for your infant. If not organic jaggery, the next suitable jaggery type is palm sugar or jaggery sugar which can be used as an alternative.
2. Does Jaggery Cause Constipation in Babies?
A little amount of jaggery helps in boosting up the immunity of your baby and strengthens the metabolism but if it is consumed in larger quantities, then it can lead to an imbalance in digestion which leads to constipation in your baby.
