Carrot is one of the best and a good first vegetable for infants due to its nutrition, taste and texture. It is easy for the babies to swallow and digest and most of the babies like the taste too, because they have a natural preference for sweets because carrots are one of the sweetest of all vegetables.
Babies generally are ready to try vegetables, such as carrots, at 6 to 8 months. Just offer them 2 to 3 tablespoons of this beneficial vegetable per feeding to get started.
Carrots are excellent source nutrition of beta-carotene that turns into vitamin A in the body that aids your baby’s eyes. It also promotes a strong immune system and contains phytochemicals that may protect against heart disease and certain cancers. Carrots are also rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C and fiber which helps the baby have normal bowel movements.
It is best to feed your baby soft, smooth foods before moving on to thicker foods. You can easily mash a cooked carrot to achieve a soft, smooth texture. The appropriate texture will allow your baby’s tongue and mouth to control and easily swallow the food. Commercial baby foods containing carrots are the appropriate texture.
If your baby turns up his little nose at carrots, try them again later. The more times you offer a food, the more likely your baby will accept it. And when buying carrots for your baby choose the bright colored ones with feathery tops because it indicates how fresh the carrot is. And also you can store fresh carrots in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Wait until your baby is at least 6 months old before offering the home-cooked carrots due to the possibility of nitrates, chemicals that could cause a type of anemia in young babies. After 6 months, home-cooked carrots are safe for infants.
Commercial baby foods are fine for infants younger than 6 months because they test for nitrates.
And never give an infant chopped raw carrot because choking is a hazard. Stick with commercial baby food or smashed, home-cooked carrots.
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