Kiwi or kiwifruit is a fleshy green fruit that is also known as Chinese gooseberry. You can also check the other 5 Proven Health Benefits of Kiwi Fruit for Diabetics.
Its taste is sweet and tangy and provides a lot of health benefits for us, including babies and toddlers. Kiwi is rich in various vitamins, potassium and dietary fiber. This fruit is also rich in antioxidants that build immunity and the good news is it is low in calories!
Babies are also able to have kiwi too, check the Breaking Down the Health Benefits of Kiwi Fruit for Babies.
Because of those reasons, many parents start considering feeding kiwi to their little ones. They also do that to introduce them to solids. However, you might be wondering: is kiwi safe for toddlers? Let’s see the facts about kiwi, a good fruit for toddlers!
Is Kiwi Safe for Toddlers or Babies?
Kiwi is a fruit that is packed with nutrients, but it is a bit acidic as it has vitamin C content in it. This acid taste may give the toddlers a stomachache or trigger a loose bowel movement.
Despite that fact, kiwi is still safe for babies or toddlers. However, before feeding kiwi to your toddlers, seeking suggestion from a pediatrician is highly suggested to prevent unexpected effects.
You can also consider 5 Amazing Health Benefits of Raisins for Toddlers to feed raisins for your toddlers. Dates are also great fruits for toddlers, as stated in 6 Unexpected Health Benefits of Dates for Toddlers.
Once you get confirmed that your toddler doesn’t have any problem with kiwi, then you can start get him used to it. Because it is sweet and sour, it might take some time for him to adjust the taste. You can make a puree by using ripe kiwi as it is sweet and it will be beneficial for your toddler to explore new taste.
How are Kiwis Beneficial for my Toddler’s Health?
Despite the small size of the fruit, kiwi is rich in vitamins and minerals that will be very beneficial for your toddlers’ health. Besides, it is also has some disease fighting properties to boost your kid’s immune system. Let’s take a closer look on how kiwis are beneficial for your toddler’s health.
- Increases Energy
Vitamin C in kiwi is helpful to activate the enzymes in your child’s body. These enzymes are playing an important role in regulating energy. Because of this reason, kiwi has been proven to improve energy and reduce tiredness. Kiwi is not only beneficial for your toddler, but for older kids too so they are able to concentrate better at school.
- Prevent from Diseases
Fiber in kiwi provides 16% of the RDA for fiber. It also has a role in preventing constipation and some cancers as well. Phytonutrients in kiwis are also beneficial for repairing DNA, acting as the body’s protection against some cancers and act as antioxidants as well.
- Preventing asthma, high blood pressure, kidney stones and obesity
- Promote healthy skin – check this 20 List of Fruits for Healthy Skin.
- Promote better sleep as it allows the body to sleep well
Kiwi Recipes for Your Toddlers
Instead of serving kiwi directly to your toddlers, you can make some variations of the dish made from kiwi. You can either make kiwi ice cream. Here is the simple and easy recipe for kiwi ice cream that your toddlers will surely love!
You will need:
- 240 gram of kiwi flesh
- 60 gram of caster sugar
- 120 ml of water
How to make it:
- Prepare all the ingredients needed.
- Mix the kiwi flesh and reserve it in a bowl. Filter it to remove the pips.
- Pour some sugar and water into the bowl and mix it with the flesh.
- After it is mixed well, pour the mixture into silicone ice cream molds. Add some slices of kiwi if you want.
- Then, put it in the freezer for around 24 hours before feasting big and small children!
Other ways to enjoy kiwi for your toddlers.
- Make a fruit pizza from graham crackers and creamy toppings (such as peanut butter, honey, cheese and others) and top it with chopped kiwi.
- Turn the kiwi into a citrusy jam or jelly.
- You can ask your toddlers to join you making fruit kabobs with kiwi as the fillings.
All those ideas of serving kiwi to your toddlers will surely make them love it until the last bite. They’re worth trying!
If you wish to enjoy kiwi too, you can enjoy dried kiwi. Let’s find Out 6 Health Benefits of Dried Kiwi Here!