You may introduce cucumbers for babies older than eight months. Cucumber or Cucnmissativus is a fruit with high water content, phytochemicals, and micronutrients. A baby’s digestive system may not be mature enough to digest some contents of cucumber. Raw cucumbers may cause abdominal discomfort even if they eat fresh veggies and fruits. So, you can add cucumbers in pure form after boiling them to avoid abdominal gases and other discomforts. Read on to know more about cucumbers for babies, the right age to start feeding this fruit, and how to incorporate them into your baby’s diet.
Is It Safe For Babies To Eat Cucumber?
It is safe for babies to eat cooked cucumber in a mashed or pureed form once they are about nine months old and have already been consuming a variety of solid foods. However, in the case of raw cucumber, it is considered appropriate to wait up to 12 months to avoid gastrointestinal issues caused by cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins are compounds found in plants from the Cucurbitaceae family and several other plant families (1).
Nutritional Value Of Cooked Cucumber
One cup (180g) of cooked cucumber gives the following nutrients in comparison to the recommended dietary allowance of these nutrients (2) (3) (4). Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture, World Health Organization, and National Institutes of Health
Possible Health Benefits Of Cucumber For Infants
Like melon, squash, and pumpkins, cucumber is a versatile food that has some nutritional benefits. Its use in traditional Indian medicine has been prevalent since ancient times. Most of these medicinal properties of cucumber are attributed to its phytochemical composition. Some parents also use cucumbers as a teether for their babies (9). You can squeeze a peeled cucumber piece (to avoid choking) and give it to the baby to chew on. However, this should be done under a watchful eye as small pieces can pose a choking risk.
Precautions To Take While Feeding Cucumber To Babies
Here’s a quick look at certain precautions you may take while feeding cucumber to your baby.
How To Select And Store Cucumber?
Below are some steps that you can follow to select and store cucumber safely.
How to select the cucumber
How to store the cucumber
Quick And Delicious Cucumber Recipes For Babies
Cucumber may be introduced in pureed or mashed form. Once your baby gets comfortable with its taste, you may try some of these recipes.
1. Cucumber and pear puree
This is simple to prepare and easy to digest. Adding some more fruit purees to this recipe is a personal choice. You will need:
1 cup cucumber (peeled and sliced) 1 cup pear (peeled, cored, and diced) Water
How to:
2. Cucumber yogurt mix
As an easy snack, this great recipe is a nutritious pre and probiotic mix that is gut-friendly. You can feed this recipe to your baby as a side dish, too. You will need:
1 small cucumber (peeled and diced) 1 cup papaya 1 cup plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt) ¼ cup mint leaves ½ tsp jaggery powder (optional)
How to:
