When a baby hasn’t grown any teeth, anyone would feed them simple to eat, soft, and easy to digest food. But after a point, you need to introduce your little one to more solid foods for a nutritional and healthy diet. And what solid food can be more beneficial than dry fruits? And not just for babies!
The more early your child gets used to eating dry fruits on a daily basis, the healthier and easier it will be for you to maintain an essential diet plan when they grow up. However, when we are speaking of dry fruit powder for babies, we need to consider that babies have a smaller tummy and a delicate digestive system. It is important to know the right amounts and the right type of dry fruit powder for babies.
But first, let us see what exactly can qualify as a dry fruit.
Simply put, the name says it all. Freshly produced fruits are dehydrated, either by the method of drying them in the sun or by the use of dehydrators. However, this is merely for the purpose of conservation and making them stay edible for a long amount of time. The nutritional value of the dry fruits; be it grapes, or almonds; stays the same.
Dry fruits are solid foods and for that, your baby needs to be at least one year old to be able to digest them without any problem. It is always a good idea to soak them in milk or water overnight, so they become soft and sometimes even tastier! Keep in mind to not feed your child dry fruits which are coated with sugar or spices as that creates a ground for cavities and can start a burning sensation for your little one.
Remember to peel off the skin to avoid an itching sensation to your baby’s throat.
When the child is 7 or 9 months old, he/she would have probably started eating finger foods and other solid foods. Around the same time, you can introduce dry fruit powder to their diet. However, consult with your paediatrician as some babies are allergic to a specific type of food. Once you have the green signal, you can say hello to a healthier and content lifestyle!
Homemade dry fruit powder holds a lot of benefits that can help babies to develop and grow healthy. Dry fruits are rich in healthy fats, proteins, omega 6's, which will also help babies to gain weight and improve immunity. Now, let's look at some of the dry fruits powder benefits for a child.
1. Prevent Constipation and Promotes Better Digestive System
The number of fibres present in most of the dry fruit powder for babies is more than enough to provide for a healthy bowel movement and keeps your little one’s tummy happy and safe. The fibres prevent any possibilities of constipation as well. The probiotics present in these are good to maintain a healthy digestive system and the good bacteria boost the immunity, making your sweet baby ready to fight any disease.
Any paediatrician will advise you to include foods which are rich sources of iron. The high amount of irons present in most dry fruits are good to avoid anaemia and other harmful diseases.
Dry fruits are a rich source of vitamin A and calcium which makes your bones and eyes the best versions of themselves. dry fruit powder for babies since a young age means your child is promised an active childhood.
Minerals such as iron and zinc with the high amount of fibres and proteins available are the best to boost your little one’s energy and keep him/her active and healthy. The omega-3 fatty acids present in almonds and walnuts are known to aid brain development, so the hormonal levels are balanced your child becomes smarter.
Dry fruit powder can be fed to them in various kinds of delicious recipes. You can quickly fix a date fruit and fig milk which is prepared by boiling the dates and figs in milk or water. Or even a simple baby cereal with dry fruit puree can add more flavour and nutrition to your baby’s diet.