Jaggery is a healthier alternative to refined or white sugar as it contains trace minerals and certain bioactive compounds that may benefit health in the long run. However, as it is a sweetener, you might want to know about the safety of jaggery for babies. Offering jaggery to your baby at the right age and in age-appropriate amounts is essential to ensure the baby’s safety. Besides, it can help prevent the baby from developing a sweet preference. Jaggery is often made with concentrated sugarcane juice, date palm sap, or coconut sap. Keep reading as we tell you more about the safety of jaggery for babies, the right age to feed it, its possible health benefits and side effects, and the right way to include jaggery in your baby’s diet.
Is Jaggery Good For Babies?
Jaggery is usually preferred to white sugar (1). Pediatricians recommend avoiding sugar for babies under 12 months of age (2). Jaggery can be considered an alternative but should be fed in moderation.
When Can Babies Start Having Jaggery?
Babies can have jaggery as soon as they start eating solids, which is around the age of six months. However, the appropriate age may vary for each baby. Therefore, consult a doctor or pediatric nutritionist to know the right age to introduce jaggery to your baby. Once you have the doctor’s approval, you may introduce powdered jaggery by adding it to infant foods, such as porridge and purees. However, before introducing jaggery, do ask your doctor about the ideal amount you can use for your baby.
Health Benefits Of Jaggery For Infants
The nutritional composition of jaggery changes depending on the source – sugarcane, date palm, or coconut. However, there are some general benefits of jaggery, irrespective of the source. Consuming jaggery can have some health benefits. However, its consumption in infants and toddlers must be limited due to some probable side-effects. Remember that jaggery is considered better when compared to white sugar. But it is still a form of sugar and cannot be overconsumed.
Possible Side-Effects Of Jaggery In Infants
Excess consumption may lead to the following unwanted effects.
Ways To Include Jaggery In Your Infant and Toddler’s Diet
Try to access organic jaggery because standard non-organic jaggery could contain compounds such as sulfur dioxide that may not be good for the baby’s health. Here are some of the age-appropriate ways to add jaggery to baby food recipes.
