What foods can babies eat raw and at what age should they start feeding?

Heat treatment of many foods reduces the concentration of vitamins, microelements and some other substances in their composition. Therefore, any mother of a growing toddler who begins to try complementary foods wants to give her baby the maximum benefit and is interested in how old it is to start giving her baby raw foods.

What foods are given to children raw?

In a child's diet, raw can be presented:

Vegetables... Salads are made of them after peeling and seeds, seasoned with vegetable oil or lemon juice. First, vegetables are grated on a fine grater, and a child over 2 years old can be cut into small pieces and seasoned with sour cream.
Fruit... They are among the first to appear on the children's menu in the form of applesauce and banana puree. Slices of apple are given to the child in his hand to stimulate chewing from 6-8 months. To prevent the baby from choking on an accidentally bitten off, you can use a nibbler.
Berries... Due to the risk of allergies, their introduction into the children's menu must be very careful. For small children, they are wiped through a sieve, ridding the product of seeds, skin and dense veins.

Are raw vegetables good for you?

Boiling most vegetables leads to the loss of a large amount of valuable substances that they contain. For this reason, doctors, including Dr. Komarovsky, advise including raw vegetable salads in the children's diet. However, you should not forget about moderation.

Some babies are addicted to raw vegetables and are ready to eat them in large quantities. Sometimes this indicates a lack of vitamins (after looking closely at which vegetable the child prefers, you can understand what the baby is missing), but you should not allow excessive consumption of raw vegetables. This will negatively affect bowel function and may cause bloating, colic and stool disturbances.

Watch with the kid a cartoon in which the Blue Tractor, along with Professor Sour cabbage soup, sings a funny song about the benefits of vegetables:

A lot can be said about the benefits of raw vegetables:

Raw carrots are a source of carotene, pectin, vitamins, fiber and minerals. This vegetable is good for eyesight and skin condition.
Raw beets have a high content of iodine, iron and other minerals, as well as vitamin compounds. EThis raw vegetable strengthens blood vessels and positively affects the blood formula, as well as protects the liver and supports metabolic processes.
Eating raw pumpkin, the child will receive fiber, ascorbic acid, carotene, potassium salts, B vitamins and other useful substances. Such a vegetable has a positive effect on the functioning of the intestines, has an anti-inflammatory effect, and also helps to remove cholesterol and toxins.
Fresh tomatoes give the child beta-carotene, B vitamins, potassium, vitamin PP, iodine, iron and many other compounds... Thanks to pectin, phytoncides and organic acids in their composition, such vegetables have a positive effect on digestion and metabolic processes. It is only important not to forget that they are often allergic, and greenhouse tomatoes are a source of chemicals that are harmful to children.
Raw onions are rich in essential oils, minerals, phytoncides, carotene, flavonoids, many vitamins and fiber. It stimulates the appetite and secretion of gastric juice, thereby normalizing the digestive tract.
Raw garlic contains many vitamins, phytoncides, trace elements and other useful compounds. It strengthens the defenses of the child's body, and also has a bactericidal effect.
Broccoli and cauliflower it is useful to eat both boiled and raw. These vegetables help prevent various diseases, including gastrointestinal pathologies and cancer. Fresh, these types of cabbage are very tasty and are liked by many children.
Raw turnips can be used to prevent constipation. Such a vegetable contains a lot of ascorbic acid, as well as vitamins PP, B5, A, B2, B1, sulfur, magnesium and phosphorus.

Which vegetables are healthier after cooking?

Despite all the benefits that are noted in many raw vegetables, some crops have a positive effect on the child's body when boiled, baked or stewed:

Beet during heat treatment, it loses nitrates.
Baked potatoes It is more useful, therefore, it is not advised to give raw potatoes to children, as well as a fried product.
Eggplant after baking, they are deprived of harmful chemicals, and their beneficial properties are manifested more actively.
Asparagus and tomatoes after heat treatment, they give the child's body more lycopene and vitamin A.
Baked or stewed zucchini contain more vitamin A and folic acid.

At what age to give raw foods to a child?

A child is introduced to raw vegetables at the age of 1 to 2 years, carefully observing how the baby's digestive tract transfers such foods raw. A one-year-old child is first given a small amount of raw vegetable, such as grated raw carrots in a salad. If the crumb has endured such a dish well, the volume is gradually increased.

Raw onions, like raw garlic recommended for children no earlier than 3 years of age. Such foods are limited in the children's diet due to their irritating effect on the mucous membranes and rather difficult digestion.

Such raw fruits, as apple, banana and pear, appear in the diet of babies even before a year. With other fruits and berries in their raw form (peaches, grapes, strawberries, plums, apricots, citrus fruits, etc.), the child is introduced after a year.

What foods should not be eaten raw

Eggs... Eating raw chicken eggs is associated with a high risk of contracting salmonellosis. However, in childhood, quail eggs should not be given either, because on their shells there may be causative agents of other diseases. In addition, raw proteins are difficult to digest and can cause diarrhea and flatulence.
Fish and meat. These raw foods can be a source of many dangerous pathogens and parasites.
Mushrooms... They are generally not recommended to be included in the children's diet earlier than school age, but without heat treatment, the use of mushrooms is dangerous and negatively affects digestion.