In the process of weaning children, fruits contain many essential nutrients and are one of the indispensable foods for a child's comprehensive development. However, many parents feed fruits to their children incorrectly, which can reduce nutrient absorption. So how should parents properly introduce fruits to their children, and is it necessary to steam fruits for them?
1. Do the fruits need to be steamed before feeding to children?
Fruits are one of the foods rich in essential nutrients for a child's weaning process. Additionally, the correct way to eat fruit is also very important to maximize nutrient absorption. Many parents often wonder, “Is it necessary to steam fruits for children?” Steaming fruits can soften them and make them easier for children to eat. However, if the steaming process is not done correctly, it can lead to nutrient loss, especially vitamins, as they are highly volatile.
Therefore, parents should consider when deciding to steam fruits for their children. The best method is to choose ripe, soft fresh fruits for children to start with. Parents can introduce two types of fruit first, avocado and banana, as these are easy for children to absorb, with low allergy risks and minimal taste issues. Fruits can also be prepared in the form of smoothies or juices. Additionally, some fruits that can be steamed include grapefruit, oranges, apples, and pears.
2. Types of fruits that can be steamed
2.1 Oranges
Oranges provide a rich amount of nutrients, including fiber, water, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Notably, the vitamin C in oranges is abundant, helping to enhance a child's immune system and resilience against illnesses. Moreover, steamed salt oranges can help treat coughs, kill bacteria, and reduce throat inflammation, making them very beneficial for children's health.
A simple method to steam salt oranges is to cut the top off the orange to create a lid. Add a suitable amount of salt to the orange pulp; use chopsticks to push the salt deep inside. Then, put the lid back on the orange and place it in a steaming bowl for about 15 minutes. Use the flesh and juice released in the bowl. Parents can substitute salt with rock sugar or bake the orange for use.
2.2 Apples
Apples are one of the fruits with many benefits, not only providing vitamins A, E, and C but also containing many other nutrients, especially antioxidants and calcium. Steamed apple peels can help treat diarrhea, detoxify, and benefit the digestive system. When steaming apples, the pectin content in apples increases, which helps with blood clotting, and disinfection, and prevents constipation.
The proper way to steam apples is to wash them thoroughly, leave the skin on, cut them into small pieces, and put them in a bowl for steaming for about 5 minutes. They can be served warm or cooled down.
2.3 Grapefruits
Grapefruits are a familiar fruit that contains numerous vitamins and minerals. Grapefruits are rich in vitamin C, which is effective for boosting the immune system, and steamed grapefruits can effectively alleviate dry cough and cough with phlegm.
Before steaming grapefruit, parents should select fresh grapefruits, wash them, and only steam the peels. Leave it whole or cut the peel into small pieces and steam it until soft. The steamed grapefruit peel can be used with honey.
2.4 Pears
Steamed pears effectively reduce cough and phlegm. During steaming, additional foods or medicinal ingredients can be added to increase the effect of reducing cough and phlegm. This is especially suitable for children with asthma or chronic coughs.
In summary, it is not essential for children to eat steamed fruits. Parents should introduce fresh fruits to help children better adapt their taste buds to a wider variety of fruits. However, some fruits have health benefits when steamed, and parents might consider varying their children's meals. When steaming fruits for children, parents need to be careful to do it correctly to avoid losing the vitamins and nutrients present in the fruit.
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