Beets and vegetable juice can be introduced into the diet of a child from 8 months of age. This must be done in microscopic doses so as not to disrupt the work of the gastrointestinal tract. In case of diathesis or allergies, acquaintance should occur no earlier than a year.
When the child has zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli on the menu, you can begin to introduce beets. If the baby is not prone to allergic reactions, this can be done at 8 months. With a tendency to diathesis, the period of administration is shifted to a year. With constant constipation and impaired intestinal motility, you can try to introduce a root crop at 6 months.
Beets at 8 months
You can not make beets as the first course of complementary foods. If the stomach is not yet used to plant foods, it will be difficult for the body to digest the product due to the large amount of fiber. A vegetable has many benefits:
- a large amount of vitamins has a positive effect on the mental and physical development of the baby;
- a huge amount of iodine and iron is present in the root crop;
- with a regular presence in the diet, the walls of blood vessels are strengthened, the hematopoietic organs begin to work better.
It is believed that when beets are consumed, the immune system works more harmoniously, as it has immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties.
Risks and dangers
Beets should be grown in their own garden or in an ecologically clean area without the use of soil improvers, chemicals. It tends to take salts, nitrates and other components from the soil that can harm the health of a child.
In addition, consuming large amounts of beets can negatively affect kidney function. She is also able to lower blood pressure, which is not good for the baby. It is contraindicated to enter it in the presence of a tendency to diarrhea.
How to administer beets to an 8 month old baby?
You should start with microscopic doses of boiled vegetable juice. It is best to add a drop first to the vegetable puree already familiar to the child. Parents should watch for reactions to a new product. If there is a change in stool or signs of allergy, then you should wait a few more months with complementary foods.
When introducing a vegetable into complementary foods, it is necessary to ensure that the volume does not exceed 1/3 of the mass of the dish. By the time the baby is one year old, the amount can be increased to 50 g per day, but no more. In this case, it is enough to feed the baby with vegetables once a week.
Raw beet juice can also be started at 8 months old, but in a diluted state. Boiled water or other juices are used for these purposes. Concentrated beet juice irritates mucous membranes. Because of this, the pediatrician may recommend to wait up to one year with the drink.
