Watermelon for babies is a healthy food choice rich in water, fiber, and iron. It contains 93% water and several micronutrients, including vitamin B, C, E, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, and phytochemicals that are beneficial for human health (1). Thus, adding watermelon to your baby’s well-balanced diet can contribute to their proper growth and development. But, what is the right age for babies to eat watermelon? Keep reading to learn more about the possible health benefits of watermelon for babies with some simple watermelon recipes you can try.
When Can Babies Eat Watermelon?
Generally, watermelon is recommended for babies from eight months of age but some parents introduce the fruit at six months itself. This can be done too, provided you stay conscious about the possible allergic reactions to watermelon. A few sensitive babies might get rashes if they eat any type of melon due to the acidic nature of these fruits. The signs of allergy could include rashes, diarrhea, runny nose, and vomiting. At times, watermelon may lead to acidity as the fructose present in the fruit may not be entirely absorbed by the baby’s gastrointestinal system. However, generalities may not apply to your baby and hence you need to consult a pediatrician before making a choice.
Nutritional Value Of Watermelon
Source: USDA (2) Read: Measures To Tackle Food Allergies In Babies]
Potential Health Benefits Of Watermelon For Babies
The nutrients in watermelon can benefit the baby in the below ways (3). If you are planning to add watermelon to your baby’s diet, you would want to choose the best quality fruit for them. We cover that in the next section.
How To Select Watermelon?
Melons do not fall in the list of the ‘dirty dozen foods’ of pesticide contamination. You may choose an organic or a regular watermelon. But keep these things in mind while selecting one:
A fully grown watermelon is heavier. It should look smooth and a little dull on the top. You can know if it is ripe by giving a good thump with your finger. A ripe watermelon should sound hollow when tapped. Check for cuts, bruises, sagging depressions and spots, which indicate rotten or over ripened fruit. In a fully ripened watermelon, the ground spot or underbelly turns yellow or creamy. Farmfresh watermelons are extra crunchy, and juicy. Do not buy frozen or canned watermelon. Avoid buying pre-cut watermelons for babies as they have a high risk of contamination.
How To Store And Feed Watermelon To Babies?
Wash the fruit under running water. Store it in a clean, dry place if not cut. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the lycopene and beta-carotene levels in watermelon rise when they are stored uncut at room temperature. Cut the fruit into small pieces, remove the seeds, and then feed it to your little one. Store the cut watermelon in the refrigerator in an air-tight container or wrap it with a food grade plastic over the side that has been cut. Refrigerate the cut melon for not more than 24 hours, if using for your baby. Bring the refrigerated melon to room temperature before serving it to your baby, to prevent a cold.
If your baby is unable to eat the tiny solid watermelon pieces, try mashing them up a little. You can mix melons with foods such as bananas, carrots, avocado, peaches, blueberries, chicken, yogurt, etc. Caution: Watermelon is full of seeds that increase the choking risk. Remove all the seeds before giving the fruit to your baby. Feed the baby only when they sit in an upright position.
Watermelon Recipes For Babies
Here are more ways to offer watermelon to your baby. Try these simple watermelon recipes to provide refreshing fruit treats to your little one.
1. Watermelon Puree
Preparation time: 10 minutes You will need:
1 watermelon (cut, de-seeded)
How to: By adding in other fruits to the watermelon puree, you may expose your baby to different flavors. Other fruit purees that go well with the watermelon puree include avocado, banana, or mango. Note: Do not freeze melon puree. The frozen watermelon puree gives a thawed product that could be tasteless and gritty.
2. Watermelon Salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes You will need:
1 small banana (sliced) 1 small peach (diced) 1/2 cup watermelon (cubes)
How to: Note: You may mix yogurt to the fruit salad.
3. Watermelon Soup
Preparation time: 15 minutes You will need:
1/4 cup apple juice (unsweetened) 1tbsp natural yogurt 1/4 cup vegetable stock 1/2 cup watermelon
How to:
4. Watermelon Juice
Preparation time: 10 minutes You will need:
1 cup sweet watermelon (cut and de-seeded)
How to:
5. Berry Melon Punch
Preparation time: 15 minutes You will need:
1 cup watermelon (diced, de-seeded) 1tsp lemon juice 2 strawberries (chopped) 1tbsp sugar syrup
How to:
6. Watermelon Smoothie
Preparation time: 15 minutes You will need:
1 cup chilled, chopped watermelon 1/2 cup banana slices 2tbsp coconut milk 1tbsp vanilla ice cream
How to:
Banana Papaya Mango Cooked apples Cooked pears
