When your little one starts eating solid foods, you might also wonder if papaya for babies is a healthy option. The ripe papaya (Carica) is a fruit frequently used as infant food and has several important nutritional and therapeutic characteristics (1). But, do the numerous advantages of this delectable fruit also apply to infants? Continue reading this post for information on the safety of papaya for newborns, its benefits, and precautions to take.
Is Papaya Safe For Babies?
The U.S Food and Drug Administration considers papaya fruit as “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” for infants (2). Thus, depending upon the age of your baby, you can serve papaya to the baby.
When Can Papaya Be Introduced To Babies?
Once your baby starts consuming solids with comfort, you can introduce papaya in your baby’s diet (3). Some paediatricians, in general, recommend introducing papaya to a baby around seven and eight months. However, you could introduce the fruit early, provided your baby has started solids such as apple, banana, potato, etc. A few recipes that you might consider while introducing papaya to babies are papaya puree, papaya pudding, papaya pancake, and papaya smoothie. Please note, papaya is usually hypoallergenic. However, some cases of papaya allergy have been documented (2). Therefore, consult a pediatrician before introducing papaya to your baby.
Nutritional Value Of Papaya
Papaya is considered as one of the most nutrient-rich fruits known. It is a rich source of a potent form of vitamin-A, beta-carotene (4). Below is the approximate composition of 100grams of raw papaya with the recommended dietary allowance of nutrients for infants. Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture (5) and World Health Organization (6)
Health Benefits Of Papaya For Babies
Papaya has some prominent benefits for babies, as mentioned below in detail. Papaya also has considerable amounts of other micronutrients such as potassium and phosphorus, which are also important for babies. Note: All the nutrients available in papaya can support the growth and development of your baby. However, papaya cannot be a standalone food for your baby, especially after six months of age. Introduce a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other food groups in your baby’s diet to ensure optimum nutrition. You must also practice caution while introducing papaya in your baby’s diet. This is important as, like any other food, papaya could have its side-effects.
Side Effects Of Papaya For Babies
The following are the probable side effects of papaya for babies. Following some precautionary steps could ensure the safe consumption of papaya for babies. So let’s check some of them in brief.
Precautions To Take While Serving Papaya To Babies
Depending upon the signs of readiness, you can start feeding papaya to the baby with the following precautions in mind (20) (3). After knowing the basics about papaya, it’s time to check some recipes that you might like to try for your baby.
Quick Papaya Recipes
As you plan to give papaya to your baby, refer to the age group of your baby and choose the best way to feed. Below are some age-specific recipes that you can try.
For Babies 4-6 months
Babies between the age of four to six months have a very vulnerable digestive system. Therefore, it is wise to introduce papaya to them in puree form. Below is a recipe for papaya puree that you may like to try.
Papaya puree
You will need:
1 cup peeled and chopped papaya Water
How to:
For babies 6-8 months
As per WHO, you can feed half a cup of soft food two to three times a day to babies of six to eight months of age. Your baby can eat anything except honey and egg whites until the age of one year (21). So, now is the right time that you mix papaya with other foods to make a more wholesome recipe.
Papaya and blueberry yogurt
You will need:
1 cup peeled and chopped papaya ½ cup blueberry 1 cup whole milk yogurt
How to:
For babies 9-12 months
As your baby reaches this age group, you can start feeding soft food into small pieces instead of mashing or blending them. It is likely that by this age, your baby might even start to eat food with fingers.
Papaya pancake
You will need:
1 ½ cups multigrain flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp kosher salt 1 ½ cups whole milk 2 large eggs 1 tsp extract 2 medium papayas (peeled, seeded and diced) Pure maple syrup (optional) ½ cup chopped almonds (optional)
How to: Tip: As you have added papaya to the mixture, chances are there that the pancakes might stick to the pan. In such a scenario, drizzle a few drops of oil on the pan before spreading the batter. Recipes involving papaya are countless; however, choose a recipe that meets the nutritional needs of your baby.
However, consuming papaya leaf juice otherwise is not common, especially in babies. Therefore, consult your pediatrician if you are planning to give papaya leaf juice to your baby.
