One such fruit which we fear giving our little one is papaya. Since ages it is considered that since papaya has a warm potency and it should not be given to a child before he/she turns a year old. But let me tell you papaya in moderation is absolutely safe for a 7-8 months old baby. It is a wonderful tropical fruit which should be a part of your child’s diet as it is easily digestible and moreover is accepted and tolerated well by little ones.

Why Papaya?

When To Introduce Papaya?

How To Select A Papaya?

Benefits Of Papaya-

• It is a great source of Vitamin A which means it is great for your child’s vision
• The iron content can help in maintaining the Hemoglobin levels at optimum
• The high calcium and magnesium levels aid in good bone and dental health
• It can improve your child’s digestion and is a natural laxative in case of constipation
• Papaya can strengthen the immune system a major concern for most of the parents
• Riboflavin in the papaya leads to proper brain development by strengthening the nerve cells

Best Ways To Give Papaya To Your Toddler-

• Steamed and mashed papaya
• Papaya as finger food
• Papaya with rice
• Papaya soup

East Papaya Recipes-

Ripe Papaya Mash

Ingredients-

• 1 Ripe papaya

Method-

• Peel and deseed the papaya properly and cut it into small chunks
• Now you can either puree or mash the papaya according to your little ones preference

Papaya Rice Mash-

Ingredients-

• 1 Cup ripe papaya
• 2 Tbsp boiled rice

Method-

• Peel and deseed the papaya and cut it into small chunks
• Boil some rice and place it aside
• Now in a blender mix together rice and papaya

Words Of Caution-

1. Make sure you give only ripe papaya to your little one
2. Do not start before your child has completed 7-8months
3. Never overfeed papaya to your child just because it is considered healthy
4. Always do 4 days tests to see whether your child is allergic to papaya or not
5. If your child suffers from cystic fibrosis please avoid feeding papaya

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