At what age can you give your child an orange

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Oranges are very healthy, so it is not surprising that young parents often wonder at what age they can be given to their child.

Komarovsky's opinion

If you are not sure about the age at which you can give your child an orange, consult a specialist. In this case, we will be guided by the advice of the children's pediatrician Komarovsky. The specialist's answer is that you should not enter it at the age of 9 to 12 months. This is too early a period when the digestive organs are not yet able to cope with such a product.

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According to Komarovsky, it is better to offer the child an orange when he is at least one and a half years old. If he previously had any allergy symptoms, it is better to completely postpone this moment until 3 years.

On the day when mom decides to give the child an orange, it is better to start with a citrus wedge. Whole fruit can be given only after reaching 5-6 years.

Komarovsky believes that you should not be afraid of an orange. But at the same time, it will be necessary to carefully monitor the response of the body.

If it is unfavorable, it is necessary to enter an age-appropriate dosage of an antihistamine, for example, the traditionally used Suprastin, and then exclude the product. But in order to reduce the need for such measures, carefully read the answers of a specialist about complementary foods.

How to give an orange?

So, having figured out at what age you can give an orange to a child, you can move on to the question of how to offer it to your baby. There are several options. All of them can be applied in the absence of a negative reaction.

If after the first slice there are no negative reactions, the next time you can add another half of the slice to this amount. It is best not to give too many oranges, as the higher the amount, the more likely you will get an allergic reaction.

Orange juice

This is the most harmless option through which you can give citrus to a child. It is important to pre-dilute it with water in a one-to-one combination.

Sometimes experts recommend combining it with the juice of other vegetables and fruits, for example, an orange with an apple and carrot creates a good combination.

desserts

If the child is over a year old, you can offer him a delicious and healthy dessert. To do this, just take two oranges, peel and chop finely. You will also need to take 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and grated in advance.

To make the juice even more tasty, add about 150 g of sour cream and 50 g of raisins. First, mix carrots and oranges, then add sour cream and raisins. Stir, complement all this with a small amount of sugar.

Candied fruits can also be prepared on the basis of oranges. How to make them:

1. It is necessary to take ripe oranges, peel and wash, put in a deep container, and then pour boiling water on top. Such a measure will get rid of the bitterness that is present in the skin.
2. Above it is necessary to place the load so that the oranges do not float to the surface. They should be left in this form for about 10-15 minutes. As soon as the indicated time has passed, you need to get them out and wipe them thoroughly with a towel or napkin.
3. Cut the fruit into slices. The optimal thickness of these pieces varies from 0.5 to 0.5 cm. After that, you need to put them in a saucepan.
4. Following this, a syrup consisting of juice or water is brewed. For every kilogram of granulated sugar, you should take a glass of liquid.
5. Then, when the fruit slices are poured, cover and leave for about 12 hours.
6. After the specified period, it will be necessary to remove this syrup by pouring it into another dish. It has to be brought to a boil and poured with the liquid obtained as a result of such processing, pieces of oranges. Repeat this process until the peel of the oranges acquires a translucent structure. Then the fruit is boiled for 5 minutes over low heat. At the same time, they are in syrup. Cool and leave for a while to allow excess liquid to glass. This process can take up to 6 hours.

Next, the finished pieces of oranges are laid out on parchment. We need to distribute them evenly. It is necessary to put the oranges in an oven preheated to 80 degrees. This is required in order for the candied fruits to turn out exactly as we are used to seeing them, that is, dried.

It is advisable to leave the oven door open. Oranges prepared in this way are more digestible and have many health benefits. In addition, when dry, they are much less likely to cause allergies than fresh fruits.

Selection recommendations

What should be the oranges that you offer to your child? The most delicious and ripe fruits can be distinguished by their weight. These fruits are large enough. In terms of density, good citruses are always strong and, moreover, they have a pleasant aroma.

Don't assume that if an orange has a thick skin, then it must be sweet. Very sweet specimens are found in thin-skinned citruses. But if you let your child peel the orange on their own, the thicker rind will give in better.

Neither taste nor quality can also be judged based on the color of the peel. It also happens that the orange is still completely green, but at the same time it is ripe and tasty. A much more useful hint can be obtained from the smell of products.

Additional recommendations

If you are giving an orange to a child, be sure to peel the slices from seeds and white films. It is best to give the new product in the morning. This is quite convenient, since thanks to this approach, you can observe the baby and his reaction all day.

Next time you can try it on the second day, when it becomes clear that there was no allergy.

From 1 year to 3 years, a norm has been established corresponding to 100 g of orange per day. It is relevant for babies who are not allergic to this fetus. If it is present, follow Komarovsky's recommendation and postpone the introduction of the product for a while. It is best to take a break for six months, at least.

Summarize

What results can be summed up, in accordance with the above statements:

1. Oranges can be offered to a child at the age of one and a half years, and with a tendency to allergies - from 3 years.
2. The best choice would be fruits with a loose, light texture, without cracks or spots.
3. The safest option for complementary foods in the form of an orange is juice diluted with water 1: 1.