Nuts - special fruits, which include vitamins, healthy proteins, minerals and fats. The baby's diet should be balanced, and as he grows new products are added to the menu. At what age can a child be given nuts? The article will discuss the features of the product, its benefits and negative effects on the body.
Positive properties of nuts
By definition, a nut is a fruit that has a dense shell and a kernel that has not grown to it. Only cashews and hazelnuts are suitable for such a description, and the rest are drupes, seeds or plant seeds.
Can a child be given nuts? Before adding these products to the child’s menu, parents should familiarize themselves with their composition:
- Vegetable fats. Linolenic, linoleic, fatty acids and omega-3.
- Squirrels.
- Carbohydrates.
- Vitamins of group B.
- Minerals.
In addition to these nutrients, the composition of nuts includes cholit. The substance has a tonic effect on the nervous system. The main thing is that parents should pay attention not only to the composition of nuts. It is necessary to monitor in what form they are sold in stores or markets. Very often storage rules are not followed, as a result of which the fruits may lose their beneficial qualities.
When children can be given nuts
All organs and systems in a child develop gradually. Various foods should be included in the diet at the appropriate time when the digestive system is able to accept and digest it.
How old can you give your child nuts? They are classified as heavy products. The nut contains 40% fat and 20% protein. In this regard, they are able to exert a significant load on the digestive system and require a large number of enzymes for assimilation. Therefore, young children should not include them in the menu.
In children under the age of 2 years, the enzyme system is very weak, so it will be difficult for it to digest even a small amount of such a product as nuts. Pediatricians are not advised to include them in the diet of a baby of this age. Well-known doctors are sure that a child of 2 years old needs to receive five main products. They make the kid’s menu diverse. These include meat, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and cereals.
At what age can a child be given nuts? Familiarize yourself with the baby's product no earlier than 3 years. However, the nut is introduced into the diet gradually, because it belongs to allergens. This can be said about the seeds. By caloric content, they are located in a row with nuts of various types.
At 5 years old, the digestive system is already fully formed, so the treat will be easily digested and absorbed by the body.
Benefits of Walnuts
They have great benefits for the body and contain in their composition:
- vitamins A, B, K, C, E, PP;
- carotene;
- minerals (potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iodine);
- amino acids;
- quinones;
- volatile production.
There is an impressive amount of vitamin C in walnuts, which is 8 times higher than its content in blackcurrant, and 50 times higher than in lemon. The product has a high calorie content. Energy value of 100 g - 654 kcal.
Can I give walnuts to children? Opinions of experts on this issue diverged. Many of them are inclined to think that babies with a tendency to allergies are not recommended to give nuts until 5 years old. If individual intolerance is not observed, then you can start the introduction of the product from 3 years.
Initially, the nut is served in crushed form. You can add it to baked goods or cereals. A child over 5 years old can eat nuts in muesli with raisins or honey. Due to the increased fat content of the product, overweight children are not recommended to include it in the diet.
Pediatricians advise the following daily intake of the product:
- for children under 5 years old - 2-3 pieces;
- for preschoolers - 5 pieces.
Walnut contributes to allergies. It can be difficult and accompanied not only by skin diseases, but also by breathing problems.
How many nuts to give to preschoolers
To diversify the diet of the baby, it is necessary to include various products.
It is important not only when the baby can be given fruit, but also in what quantities. Therefore, nuts are introduced gradually, 20 g per day. Start with 5 pieces, gradually increasing their number.
They give fruits in a peeled form or grind into different dishes. For example, with porridge and salad. It is not necessary to come up with new recipes for the baby to get the recommended rate. You can pamper it with a nut treat several times a week.
Huge variety
It is very important to know, not only from what time to give fruit to the baby, but also their variety. Many different nuts are known: walnut, cedar, cashew, almonds, peanuts.
The most useful varieties of fruits include:
- Pine nuts. They are recommended for diathesis and immunodeficiency. Nuts help remove toxins from the body. At what age can a child be given nuts? Fruits are allowed to be used from 2 years.
- Walnuts. These most beneficial fruits were described in detail in an article earlier.
- Cashew nuts. How long can I give my child nuts? They are included in the diet of the baby from 3 years. With their help, teeth, gums are strengthened and immunity is increased.
- Almond. It’s best to buy sweet varieties of nuts. With caution, they should be given to children who have problems with the heart and diseases of the nervous system.
- Peanut. The product is allergenic. Walnut is best bought unpeeled. Salt or glaze is prohibited for children.
You should not rush with the introduction of nuts into the diet, it is better to do this starting from 3-5 years.
Contraindications
Fruits have intake restrictions. At what age can a child be given nuts? They are best included in the child’s menu no earlier than 3 years. It is forbidden to include nuts in the diet in such cases:
- Food allergy. The protein present in the product cannot be completely absorbed by the body, so the fetus turns into a dangerous allergen. It is necessary to ensure that diathesis does not develop.
- Overweight in the baby. Walnut has a high nutritional value, so you should not use them for obesity, so as not to exceed the calorie intake per day.
- Diseases of the digestive tract. Walnut is indigestible, therefore, with such problems it is forbidden to eat.
When nuts are given to a child for the first time, their individual response should be monitored.
If there is no allergy in the baby and no negative consequences are observed, then you can give it regularly.
Conclusion
When can children be given nuts? Due to the fact that in children the formation of the enzymatic system does not occur immediately, it is better to include the fruits in the diet, not earlier than 3 years. Initially, the nuts are given to the child in a minimal amount, while observing his reaction. If the baby does not show any negative symptoms, then they should be included in the diet. Nuts can be added to pastries, salads or cereals.