When Can Baby Have Oranges and Citrus Fruits?
Age for Introduction: 12 Months
The Goodness of Oranges and Citrus Fruits:
(one peeled medium sized navel orange)
Oranges, like all citrus fruits, are acidic and more than likely to give babies younger than 12 months old rashes due to the acidity! With that being said, many parents have offered their younger infants tastes of oranges and/or orange juice. As with other acidic foods, if your baby is prone to sensitivities with foods, you may want to wait to introduce Oranges until after his!
As you know, oranges are high in vitamin C; did you know that one orange contains approximately 12% of the RDA for fiber too? Not just a great source of vitamin c, oranges have a myriad of vitamins and other nutrients that make them tops for a refreshing and healthy snack!
VITAMINS:
Vitamin A - 346 IU
Vitamin C - 82 mg
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - .09 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - .07 mg
Niacin - .59 mg
Folate - 48 mcg
Contains some other vitamins in small amounts.
MINERALS:
Potassium - 232 mg
Phosphorus - 32 mg
Magnesium -15 mg
Calcium - 60 mg
Sodium - 2 mg
Iron - .18 mg
Also contains small amounts of manganese, copper and zinc.
What Fruits are Considered Citrus Fruits?
Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruits and Tangerines
Check out Citrus at Cooks Thesaurus for interesting citrus facts!
Pineapple is not Considered a Citrus Fruit
Pineapple is not a citrus fruit (it’s related to the bromeliad family actually!) however it can be acidic. Processed pineapple tends to be less acidic due to the processing and sugar/syrup that it’s packed in; but we're sure you’d rather not give pineapple out of the can! If your baby does not have any food intolerances and has shown no propensity to getting rashes due to foods, then you might give it a try around 10 months old. Many parents do feed their little ones pineapple around 8 months old.
For pineapple, mash it up and add it to yogurt, cereal, chicken (yum!) even sweet potatoes! Pineapple tends to be fiberous and if it’s too fiberous, give it a gentle steam and see if it softens up enough for your baby.
Citric Acid (Lemon Juice) for Freezing and Retarding Browning
A sensitivity to citric acids (like those in lemon, tomato, grapefruit, oranges) is generally not found after 12 months old.
Ascorbic Acid is Vitamin C and seldom will you find anyone with an allergy or severe sensitivity to Vitamin C. Ascorbic Acid is added to many fruits to boost the natural Vitamin C content of the fruit. It may also act as a preservative.
Many people ask about the possibilities of allergies to these citrus acids - odds are, your baby does not have an allergy to these 2 compounds. Your baby may however have a sensitivity to the acid. We are told to stay away from citrus fruits (such as oranges, pineapple, lemon et al) until baby is 10-12 months due mostly to the acidity of the fruit - diaper rash, skin rashes and tummy pains are some things that come from a sensitivity to citric acids.
There is a big difference in using a drop or 2 of lemon juice as a preservative in a fruit purée. As the drop or 2 is spread throughout the purée and your infant will not be consuming the drops with each bite of fruit purée that is taken. It is entirely different than offering your baby a few slices of oranges or chopped tomatoes for example!
If your baby has displayed any food sensitivities, you should use caution when using citric acid to preserve fruits and when feeding your baby fruits that have been treated with citric acid. Here is a great link all about Freezing Fruits
Basic Recipes:
Orange Puree?
Nope, we don't recommend serving a baby pureed oranges. Would you eat pureed oranges? Why not peel, section the orange and then cut into small pieces? You may have to peel off the membranes - that stringy stuff that covers the "meat" of the orange.
We also would recommend pureeing oranges only if you were going to add yogurt to them and then make Orange Yogurt ice pops! YUMMY, healthy and cooling on a warm day!
Foods Good to Mix With Oranges:
Avocado
Blueberries
Cranberries
Peaches
Sweet Potato - orange juice is nice in a sweet potato soufle
Chicken - Make an orange glaze
Yogurt - make Orange Yogurt Freeze Pops!
Visit our Combinations page to see more Homemade Baby Food Combination Ideas
