Onions are the secret ingredient of every delicious food. It not only gives an aromatic flavor but also boosts our health. Are you eager to introduce onions to your baby? Read on to know everything about onion for babies.
Well, you are on the right page. Here we are going to discuss all the questions you have in mind, that is when to introduce onions to your little one, what are the benefits of eating onions, and simple recipes with onion for babies.
In This Article
- Introducing Onion to Your Baby
- Giving Cooked Onions to Babies
- Health Benefits of Giving Onions to Babies
- Selecting and Storing Onions
- Tips for Cooking Onions for Your Baby
- Tasty Food Recipes with Onions for Babies
Introducing Onion to Your Baby
As your little ones grow up, their digestive system is also well-tuned to digest all the food. Every home food that we cook contains onions. But, usually, parents are hesitant or confused about introducing onions to the babies in the early weaning phase. Onions never top the first few food items to be introduced to the kids.
However, onions are very healthy for babies and can be introduced as early as six months. However, some children may find it difficult to digest the food. In those cases, it is better to wait until eight months or one year, giving time for the gut to develop.
Giving Cooked Onions to Babies
Onions may not give a pleasant taste to your baby’s taste buds. So, while introducing onions, it is advised to cook the onions. Cooking the onions makes it easier for the babies to digest. It also softens the strong taste. To begin with, you can include cooked onions along with other pureed vegetables.
Health Benefits of Giving Onions to Babies
There are different kinds of onions available in the market. Sweet onions, sambar onions, big onions, and salad onions are some of the varieties available in the market.
The following are a bunch of benefits of eating different kinds of onion for babies:
- Onions contain abundant antioxidants, which boost your baby’s immunity system to fight against diseases.
- It is enriched with anti-inflammatory properties.
- Onions help your baby build a healthy heart and have controlled cholesterol levels at a later stage.
- Vitamin C helps in the prevention of bacterial infections.
- Onions help to increase your infant’s capacity to consume iron from other food.
- It is the most excellent source of food to cure your baby’s stuffy nose.
Selecting and Storing Onions
Choosing a suitable onion is not an easy-peasy job. There are different kinds of onions available in the market.
- Pungent and shallots are the most commonly available ones. They are enriched with a lot of nutrients for your baby’s health.
- If your baby has a sensitive tongue, you can find sweeter onions.
- Green onions are best suitable if your baby is teething.
You have to make sure the onions are dry and papery on the outside. The softer ones tend to get bad easier.
The onions have to be stored in a basket where there is adequate air circulation. Else, they might rot. It is also not advisable to cut and store the onions as the sliced onions tend to lose their nutrition. Moreover, remember to not store the onions in the refrigerator.
Tips for Cooking Onions for Your Baby
The most wanted tip to remember while preparing onions is the tear-free pealing of onions. The outer papery layers contain the best nutrients of the onions. So, it is critical to note that you don’t peel the extra layers along with the skin as you might be at the risk of losing some valuable nutrients.
Tips to Avoid Teary Peal
To avoid a teary peal, you may follow any of the following:
- You can store the onion in the fridge just 30 minutes before you peel them.
- The onion roots release high gas. So, make sure you cut them after you are done with the bulb.
- You can use a very sharp knife to cut the onions. The sharp blades cut quickly, and the onion cells are not damaged. So, they tend to release less gas.
- You can have a fan aiming at your face and then cut the onions.
The other common yet risky method is the cut the onions under the running water. However, it could end make the onions mushier, and you could lose the water-soluble nutrients.
Tips to Cook Onions for Baby
Many mothers are confused about how to cook the onions for their babies. You can follow any of the following ways:
- Saute the onions in olive oil at medium heat until they are tender and golden. Make sure they are tender enough for the baby to eat and digest them.
- To bring out the sweetness of the onions, you can cut them into wedges and roast at 350 deg F for 50 minutes.
- The sautéed and roasted onions give a great flavor even to bland food. So, you can mix them with rice or barley and serve them to your babies.
- You can add sautéed onions and onion stocks to any soups and stews.
Tasty Food Recipes with Onions for Babies
It is essential to make sure the food that you introduce is healthy and yummy for your babies. So, here are some recipes the babies will love:
1. Squash, Carrot and Onion Puree
This is a bundle of sweet flavors and explodes into nutrient bombs in the mouth. Babies usually like this puree as it is a combination of lovely vegetables. Onions enhance the dish with their flavor.
2. Onion and Green Pea Soup
The soup contains red onions and green peas. The olive oil and the onion flavor usually go well. Your kids will love this soup, especially if you add some cream or milk to it.
3. Onion Rings
This is an ideal food for babies who are teething. Onion rings are an exciting dish that gives a perfect flavor to your baby’s taste buds. You can either bake or roast the onion rings. Baked onion rings are the best and very healthy for your babies. It helps your baby to teethe and makes them explore the art of chewing.
Onions carry with them a bundle of flavor and health benefits. You can include them in your kid’s diet to enhance their eating pattern and boost their immunity. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our best baby food recipe with onions right now. Happy parenting!
Read Also: Baby First Food Carrot Puree (6-8 Months)
