Summer pleases us not only with warm days and the opportunity to swim as much as you like. Almost from the very first days, greens first appear on sale, and then vegetables, which allow you to stock up on vitamins for the coming winter. And one of my favorite summer foods is green, crunchy, pimply fresh cucumbers. You can cook delicious and nutritious salads from them, or you can just crunch in the heat when you don’t really want to eat. And cucumbers perfectly quench thirst and hunger, make up for the lack of certain substances.
Many mothers, guided by the desire to pamper their baby with healthy yummy, try to feed their children with cucumbers. But how harmless is this desire? At what age can children still be given this vegetable? And is it possible for kids to pickle, so loved by many of us? Despite the fact that cucumbers are one of the most delicious and healthy vegetables, there are some restrictions in their consumption. It is worth knowing and observing them so as not to harm the young body (especially when we are talking about pickled cucumbers).
Such a useful cucumber
We know from childhood that eating cucumbers is good for digestion, because they contain fiber. And on our own experience, we managed to make sure that they perfectly quench their thirst in the heat and are quite satisfying. But the benefits of vegetables are not limited to this. Cucumbers contain a considerable amount of useful substances:
- vitamin C, so necessary for immunity;
- potassium (useful for the cardiovascular and nervous systems);
- sulfur is also necessary for the nervous system, improves metabolism, strengthens the immune system;
- silicon is needed for nails, hair, skin;
- iodine is an essential element for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, and therefore for the protection of the whole organism;
- carotene - serves to prevent cancer, is good for the skin and vision.
And all this benefit can be obtained from an ordinary cucumber, if you give your child to eat it sometimes. But still, it is worth following the recommendations of experts on the age at which this vegetable can be introduced into the diet of children, since too early use can be simply harmful.
How to feed children cucumbers?
Many experts do not recommend giving cucumbers to babies until they reach the age of one. This happens due to the fact that the stomach of young children is still too weak to digest such food, and the child may begin colic and increased gas formation.
There is an opinion that it is possible to introduce cucumbers into complementary foods from the age of six months in order to develop motor skills and chewing skills, massage the gums. But still, for such purposes, you can give the child special toys, and experimenting with children's digestion in this way is not worth it.
Naturally, like any new product, cucumbers should be carefully introduced into the diet of a one-year-old child, carefully monitoring his reaction. If nothing unpleasant has happened, then you can safely feed the baby with this tasty and healthy vegetable. To begin with, it is worth grinding the pulp into porridge. And only when the child grows up a little, you can give him a whole cucumber, previously peeled. It will also be possible to make cucumber-based salads, but season them not with sour cream, but with vegetable oil. Try to avoid salt. Many experts believe that until the age of three, this seasoning should not be present in the children's menu.
Here are some simple and tasty salads that you can safely give to your child.
- Mix cucumber, boiled egg, a little dill and oil. All ingredients should be finely chopped, but it is better to grind them on a grater. When the child grows up, the butter can be replaced with sour cream or natural yogurt. This salad can be a great meal replacement.
- You can make a salad with the addition of boiled chicken meat or grated cheese, carrots, bell peppers.
In general, cucumber-based children's salads can be made in almost any way. All the vegetables that your baby's body reacts to normally can be added to the dish little by little. True, tomatoes and radishes, so beloved by us, will have to be excluded. These vegetables are still too heavy for a child's stomach.
Apart from general rules introducing cucumber into complementary foods, it would be useful to mention what the vegetables chosen for these purposes should be. Everything is simple here. Try to wait until the moment when ground cucumbers are already on sale, since there is absolutely no benefit from greenhouses. Yes, and special taste too. Choose small fruits, strong, without yellowness. Try to buy vegetables in large supermarkets or markets where all products are pre-sale tested and there is no risk of buying cucumbers with nitrates.
A little salinity
In our country, not only fresh cucumbers and salads from them are dearly loved, but also various preparations for the winter. Again, the question arises: can children eat pickles? And if so, at what age? Here experts agree - as late as possible. Pickled cucumbers contain salt and vinegar in large quantities, which are simply harmful for children's digestion. And, in principle, pickled vegetables do not contain any benefit - except that they are very tasty. But this adult person can delight his taste without much risk (and then you should limit yourself to consuming such a product, since pickles are food that is quite difficult to digest). For a small child, this product is simply harmful. Therefore, you should not react if the baby is naughty and requires pickles. By the way, there is a risk that slippery pieces can simply slip into the esophagus and the child will choke. With fresh vegetables, this risk is significantly lower. If you want cucumbers to be present in your child's diet, then only fresh and only when he reaches the age of one.
In the summer, when there are so many fresh vegetables and fruits, I want to introduce them into the child’s diet as soon as possible so that he gets the maximum of useful substances and vitamins. We have already written about. Now let's talk about and about when you can give a cucumber to a baby.
Benefits of introducing cucumber to breastfeeding
- Fresh cucumber is rich not only in water, but also in mineral salts of iodine, potassium, silicon, sulfur, enzymes, fructose, essential oils, as well as vitamin C and carotene.
- Fresh cucumber juice can destroy certain types of bacteria, including staphylococcus aureus.
- Cucumber is a hypoallergenic vegetable (this is the question of whether a baby can be allergic to cucumber).
- Fresh cucumber has mild laxative properties.
Disadvantages of introducing cucumber into complementary foods for babies
- Fresh cucumbers in the diet of nursing mothers can cause digestive problems in babies.
- Cucumbers should not be consumed by children with chronic diseases of the digestive system and kidneys.
- The baby may choke on a small piece of cucumber, as it is slippery and smooth. This is especially true for salted vegetables.
- Store-bought or market-bought cucumbers may have a high nitrate content (read).
- The use of such a vegetable in a pickled form can cause diarrhea, swelling, severe thirst and a rash in the baby.
At what age can you give a cucumber to a baby
If we are talking about a fresh cucumber, then it is recommended to introduce it into complementary foods for babies after a year. An earlier acquaintance with this vegetable can lead to colic in a child.
As for pickled and pickled cucumbers, it should be remembered that vinegar and salt are used in their preparation, which are undesirable for the child's body. And the benefits of cucumbers in this form are insignificant, because there are almost no vitamins and other useful substances in them after processing. And, despite the fact that children often really like pickled and pickled cucumbers, you should not give them to them until they are 2-3 years old.
How to introduce cucumber into complementary foods for babies
Is it possible for a baby to have a fresh cucumber, and at what age can a cucumber be introduced into complementary foods for a baby
Wash the fresh cucumber well, peel and grate. If the child is already familiar with solid foods (most often the first children are given pieces of apples), then you can also offer a piece of cucumber.
First, give your child a small piece of cucumber to see how they react to this product. If the child has discomfort or pain in the abdomen, postpone acquaintance with cucumbers until a later period.
Also, children after a year can prepare cucumber salads, seasoning it with vegetable oil, or a cucumber and boiled egg salad. However, it is not worth little child offer a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes, since this combination puts a lot of stress on the baby's digestive tract.
How to choose fresh cucumber for baby food
So, . For baby food it is best to buy cucumbers of ground varieties. Choose dense cucumbers for your child with a rich color and matte skin. Don't buy soft cucumbers or cucumbers with bruises, cracks, or spots. Large, overripe cucumbers should not be offered to babies.
Baby eats fresh cucumber for the first time (Video)
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At what age can a child eat cucumbers? Should they be given? Will they benefit the child? These questions torment many mothers. Let's try to answer them.
Composition of cucumber
It is 95% water, protein 0.8%, carbohydrates 2.5% (of which mono and disaccharides 2.4%, starch - 0.1%), fats 0.1%, dietary fiber is 1%.
Of the minerals, a rather high content of potassium can be noted 141 mg per 100 g of cucumber. Cucumbers contain vitamins PP, A, carotene, B vitamins, ascorbic acid, folic acid.
For clarity, let's compare the composition of a cucumber with the composition of an apple, because an apple is always positioned as a very useful product for kids.
Comparative composition of fresh ground cucumber and apple per 100 g of product
| cucumber | Apple | |
| kcal | 14 | 47 |
| Proteins, g | 0,8 | 0,4 |
| Fats, g | 0,1 | 0,4 |
| Carbohydrates, g | 2,5 | 9,8 |
| Water, g | 95 | 86 |
| Fiber, g | 1 | 1,8 |
| Potassium, mg | 141 | 278 |
| Sodium, mg | 8 | 26 |
| Calcium, mg | 23 | 16 |
| Phosphorus, mg | 42 | 11 |
| Magnesium, mg | 14 | 9 |
| Vitamin PP, mg | 0,2 | 0,3 |
| Beta carotene, mg | 0,06 | 0,03 |
| Vitamin A, mcg | 10 | 5 |
| Vitamin B1, mg | 0,03 | 0,03 |
| Vitamin B2, mg | 0,04 | 0,02 |
| Pantothenic acid, mg | 0,03 | 0,07 |
| Vitamin B6, mg | 0,04 | 0,08 |
| Folic acid, mcg | 4 | 2 |
| Vitamin C, mg | 10 | 10 |
| Vitamin E, mg | 0,1 | 0,2 |
| Vitamin K, mcg | 16,4 | 2,2 |
| Biotin, mcg | 0,9 | 0,3 |
| Iron, mg | 0,6 | 2,2 |
| Zinc, mg | 0,215 | 0,15 |
| Iodine, mcg | 3 | 2 |
| Copper, mcg | 100 | 110 |
| Manganese, mg | 0,18 | 0,047 |
| Selenium, mcg | 0,3 | 0,3 |
| Chromium, mcg | 6 | 4 |
| Molybdenum, mcg | 1 | 6 |
| Cobalt, mcg | 1 | 1 |
| Aluminum, µg | 425 | 110 |
| Fluorine, mcg | 17 | 8 |
From the table it follows that the cucumber is inferior to the apple in terms of calories, content of carbohydrates, potassium, iron and fiber, but is practically not inferior in terms of the content of such important vitamins as ascorbic acid, folic acid, vitamin A, beta carotene.
And the content of vitamin K significantly exceeds the apple.
Cucumbers are hypoallergenic, 95-97% water, seemingly safe.
- Cucumbers are useful only in fresh, during heat treatment, they lose almost all useful properties.
- Only local ground cucumbers are useful in the summer season, greenhouse cucumbers can contain nitrates, so spring long cucumbers from the supermarket are often the cause food poisoning and digestive disorders in children.
- Only young cucumbers of small size with green skin and small seeds are useful; yellowed large cucumbers with large seeds will not benefit the child.
So, a small child can only eat cucumbers fresh and in the summer season.
But fresh cucumbers
- They contain a lot of coarse fiber, which can irritate the children's intestines and cause the child to have bloating, stool disorders.
- Fresh cucumbers are not always easy to wash, so they are quite often the cause of intestinal infections in young children.
- Even ground cucumbers in the summer season can contain nitrates, which is especially dangerous for young children.
- Cucumbers have a laxative effect, so they are not recommended for babies with a tendency to diarrhea, but they are recommended
- It is not recommended to give fresh cucumbers to children with diseases gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, pancreatitis, biliary dyskinesia.
When and how can a child eat fresh cucumbers?
- Fresh cucumbers in the summer season can be given to a child only after other types have been introduced into his diet. vegetable puree, cereals, meat and fish purees and, most importantly, puree from fresh fruits and vegetables - this usually happens by 9-10 months.
- For young children, it is imperative to peel the cucumber from the cucumber, so the cucumber gets rid of most of the coarse fiber that irritates the intestines, from harmful substances and nitrates, which mainly accumulate in the peel, and from impurities and microbes.
- A slice of cucumber can be given to a child only when he learns to chew well, that is, from about 1.5-2 years old, before that, it is best to rub the cucumber first on a fine and then on a coarse grater so that the child does not choke. There are many parents among parents who like to give their child a slice of cucumber, salted or fresh, to suck on, it seems harmless to them, and the baby seems to be busy with business, it is better not to do this if the baby does not know how to chew - there is a great danger that he will choke.
- Up to 1.5 years, it is better for a child not to give a lot of cucumbers, limit himself to 50 g per day (half of an average cucumber), from one and a half to 3 years it is not recommended to give more than 100 g of cucumbers per day (1 average cucumber).
- Fresh cucumbers excite appetite, stimulate the secretion of digestive glands, so it is recommended to give cucumber salad to a child at the beginning of the main meal.
- For better absorption of vitamin A, E, K and Beta-carotene, which are contained in cucumbers, it is recommended to season the salad with vegetable oil or sour cream (1-2) teaspoons per 100 g of cucumbers.
- It is useful to combine fresh cucumber salad with boiled egg, meat or fish.
Pickled cucumbers for children
Benefit
- Pickled cucumbers retain most of the vitamins,
- They contain lactic acid, which is a prebiotic, creates a favorable environment for the development of beneficial bacteria in the intestines,
- stimulate appetite,
- Favorably affect the stool, due to the sufficiently high content of fiber.
Harm
- Contains a lot of salt
- Destroy tooth enamel
- Irritate the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract,
Pickled cucumbers for children
Benefit
- They whet the appetite
- They contain fiber, so they can help fight constipation
Harm
- Contain salt, vinegar, heat treated,
- In pickled cucumbers, about 70% of vitamins are destroyed,
- Vinegar has a bad effect on the gastric mucosa and tooth enamel, has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, disrupts sleep,
- Salt is not good for children
Now you know, when and what kind of cucumbers can a child. Stay healthy!
Every mother really wants to diversify her baby's diet and from time to time offers the child new products. It is important that the nutrition system of a growing organism is filled with all the vitamins and useful elements. With the onset of summer, cucumbers are among the first to begin to ripen, which you just want to offer your baby.
Why do children need to eat cucumbers and what are their benefits
Cucumber is an extremely healthy vegetable, which consists of almost 96 percent water, in which beneficial trace elements are dissolved. Cucumber can not harm the baby, because it belongs to the class of hypoallergenic products and does not cause food intolerance. Rather, on the contrary, the vegetable helps to improve metabolic processes in the human body, for example, it helps to best absorb animal proteins. It is for this reason that cucumbers go well with fish or meat dishes.
Cucumber pulp contains a large amount of fiber, and also contains essential oils, which greatly improves the child's appetite and improves the digestive process. Although the cucumber does not contain a wide range of vitamins, it contains a number of useful elements: iodine, sulfur, magnesium, potassium, etc.
Such a nutrient as a cucumber is extremely useful, especially for babies, since each enzyme in its composition contributes to the normalization of many processes in the child's body. So, for example, silicon is the main component for the health of the nail plates, hair, and bones.. Its deficiency in the body of a child leads to complex painful processes: hair loss, frequent fractures, joint pain, and so on.
Potassium, which is also found in cucumber pulp, is an equally useful and important component of baby food. It performs a regulatory function in the water-salt metabolism of the body of not only a child, but also adults. This regulation allows the organs and systems of the body to work fully, performing the appropriate tasks.
Sulfur, as a component of the body, is responsible for the regulation of metabolic processes, maintaining the homeostatic balance of all systems. Sulfur affects the immune system, strengthening it and toning it, contributes to better formation nervous system baby, and is also responsible for the formation of a muscular corset that performs a shock-absorbing function.
Iodine is also important for the baby, taking not the last place in the regulation of processes. It is involved in the formation of the immune system, the system of neural connections, and also contributes to intellectual development. Scientists have proven that the lack of iodine in the child's body leads to disruption and inhibition of the intellectual functions of the brain.
At what age and how to give cucumbers to children
It can be answered unequivocally that children can and should even eat cucumbers as food, but the age at which a baby can begin to get acquainted with a vegetable is slightly blurred.
Doctor's opinion: it is best to start giving your child cucumbers from the age of one, since the product contains a large amount of fiber, and it can cause colic. The body of a baby up to a year is not yet able to process everything in a row, for this reason one should be extremely careful and selective.
However, if the child is already coping well enough with solid food, then the cucumber will not hurt at all. The fact is that this vegetable prevents the occurrence of allergies and food intolerance, for this reason pediatricians advise starting feeding the baby with zucchini, which are relatives of cucumbers.
It is best to give fresh cucumbers to children, since it is better not to use salinity at an early age in principle. Up to a year, a cucumber can be chopped in a blender and cucumber puree can be made. Older children will not only be tasty and healthy, but also interesting to try crunching a fresh cucumber. It is worth peeling only vegetables that were bought, and as for self-grown cucumbers, it is enough just to rinse them well under running water.
Subsequently, you can start using cucumber as the basis for a salad, adding more and more new ingredients to it every month. However, it must be remembered that the combination of cucumbers and tomatoes is heavy food for the children's stomach, for this reason, the tomato is introduced into the diet of small children last.
Contraindications for use
Avoiding the use of cucumbers is only for those children who have serious chronic diseases of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. It is also undesirable to eat cucumbers for nursing mothers, since some of the enzymes that are present in the pulp of the cucumber, getting into the milk, adversely affect the condition of the child. In particular, we are talking about poorly digestible components, such as fiber.
Cucumbers are a healthy vegetable that will not harm the baby, but will only strengthen his health and stimulate the body to full and proper development. You can eat these vegetables in childhood, but everything should be in moderation.
The summer-autumn period is rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits. One of the first on the shelves of stores, and then in the country, there are juicy green cucumbers. And how many mothers want to diversify the children's menu, and even fortify it! What are the benefits of cucumbers for children, we will tell in this article.
Can children give cucumbers? And what benefit will they bring? Almost every mother asks these questions, worrying about the health of her baby.
Cucumber is rich not only in water, which contains dissolved mineral salts. The skin of the vegetable contains a small amount ascorbic acid() and carotene. And that's not all. Cucumber contains potassium, silicon, sulfur, and fructose, which stimulates digestion. It contains many vitamins, enzymes that improve digestion, and essential oils that increase appetite, and tartranic acid perfectly regulates the processes of carbohydrate-fat metabolism.
Fresh cucumber juice can destroy some microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus.
What is the role of trace elements contained in cucumber
- Silicon affects the health of hair, nails, teeth and skin. Its deficiency in children leads to development, hair loss, bone softening, joint diseases and many other pathological conditions.
- Potassium is no less necessary for the child's body than silicon. It regulates the water-salt balance together with its partner - sodium. In case of imbalance, the nervous system and muscles begin to suffer. Also, this microelement is simply necessary for the normal functioning of many organs (liver, kidneys, brain, heart) and the endocrine system in both adults and children.
- Sulfur is responsible for the normal course of metabolism, improves immunity, has a positive effect on, helps to strengthen muscle tissue especially in adolescents, when there is an intensive growth and development of a young organism.
- - almost the most important trace element, necessary primarily for children. It is responsible for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, contributes to the development of mental abilities, participates in the formation of immunity and has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system. Naturally, with its lack, a failure will occur throughout the body. The child will be lethargic, his performance and attention will decrease, irritability and constant fatigue will appear.
Contraindications to the use of cucumbers by children
- must exclude fresh cucumbers from their menu, because, by going to breast milk, some substances can cause flatulence and liquefaction of the stool in the baby.
- Children older than 3 years are contraindicated in the use of cucumbers only if the child has chronic diseases of the kidneys, stomach and intestines.
At what age should you give your child cucumbers
Doctors recommend introducing cucumbers into children's diet after a year. And all because the body of a baby-baby does not yet produce enough enzymes to digest all vegetables and fruits without problems. Sometimes a cucumber in babies can cause colic due to the fiber it contains.
But if the season of vegetables is in full swing, and there is very little left before a year old, then it is quite possible to introduce the baby to new tastes a little earlier. Especially if the child does not suffer from food allergies.
In addition, the cucumber has hypoallergenic properties, because it is not without reason that it is a relative that pediatricians often recommend in the form of mashed potatoes or as part of soups.
How to choose the right cucumber for a child
This is not difficult. . Such cucumbers should be dense, 10-15 cm long. Their color is rich, and the skin is matte. All this indicates that the vegetables were plucked quite recently. And in no case should you take cucumbers with cracks, spots or bruises.
In what form can you give a child a cucumber
Cucumber should not be offered to children under one year old, and older ones can and should gradually introduce this healthy vegetable into the diet.
Closer to the year, the baby can be offered grated cucumber, previously peeled. Older children will happily crunch a whole cucumber on their own. At the same time, only purchased vegetables should be peeled. Cucumbers grown on their own plot should be washed well enough and given to the child.
After a year, the baby can be offered not just a juicy cucumber, but
o and various children's salads. Only you should fill them not with sour cream or mayonnaise, but with any vegetable oil - olive, sunflower. To begin with, it is recommended to give babies mono-salads, and then gradually add greens and tomatoes to them. By the way, everyone's favorite combination of cucumber + gives a big load on the child's stomach, so it is administered last to already grown children.
Pickled and pickled cucumbers: benefit or harm
Salted and pickled cucumbers are less beneficial for the child's body, because they contain salt and vinegar added during cooking. But babies often like them so much that mothers have to listen to long concerts until their beloved child gets her way in the form of a small slice of pickled cucumber. Still, you should not give such vegetables to children under two or three years old, since pediatricians generally do not recommend adding table salt to children's dishes in the first years of a child's life. In general, there is practically no benefit for children from pickled and pickled cucumbers. A child may well choke on a smooth slippery small piece of cucumber. And this is already dangerous.
