Oranges are sweet and sunny, just like your little sweetpea. And even though they’re not easily mashable or purée-able, they can still make it onto the menu soon after your baby starts solids.
In fact, it’s perfectly fine to introduce oranges anytime after your cutie crosses over into the world of finger foods. Whether you started with spoon-feeding or baby-led weaning, the vitamin-C packed fruits make for a wholesome, easy-to-prep snack or side.
Here’s everything you need to know about introducing oranges, including the best way to cut them for brand-new eaters, creative serving ideas, plus what it might mean if your little one experiences redness around her mouth after eating citrus.
When can babies have oranges?
Since they're a little tough to purée, oranges get to be fair game once your baby is capable of eating finger foods. That can be as early as 6 months if you’re trying a baby-led weaning approach (which involves introducing solids in the form of finger foods instead of purées). At this age, experts say babies are more capable of self-feeding.
How to prepare oranges for your baby
The best way to slice and serve oranges will change as your new eater gets more experienced. One thing that stays the same? It’s important to remove the seeds and tough inner membranes, since they can be a choking hazard.
Leave the peel on in the beginning, though. Doing so actually makes orange wedges easier to grab, especially for babies who haven’t yet fully mastered their pincer grasp. But that means, of course, that you’ll have to keep an extra close eye while your baby eats and remove peels from her tray as soon as she’s finished with them.
As for orange juice? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says juice is not appropriate for babies under 1, who should fill up on breast milk or formula, and then solid foods. After your child's first birthday, she can have small amounts of 100 percent fruit juice as an occasional treat (no more than 4 oz. a day). Still, even after age 1, whole fruit remains a better choice.
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The tips below can help parents determine how to serve oranges at different stages, but keep in mind that all babies develop at their own pace. Speak with your pediatrician before beginning baby-led weaning, and talk to him or her if you have any concerns about your child's oral-motor skills, chewing skills, swallowing skills or if you're unsure whether or not your baby is ready for certain food preparations.
How to prepare oranges for a 6-month-old
Cut oranges into thick wedges. Remove any seeds or tough membranes, but leave the peel on to make it easier for your child to grab. Even if she can’t quite chew the flesh yet, she’ll love sucking out the juices.
How to prepare oranges for a 9-month-old
At this age, you can serve peeled, de-seeded orange segments cut into small pieces to help your child work on her pincer grasp.
How to prepare oranges for a 12-month-old and up
You can continue serving the same small pieces, which your new toddler can now practice spearing with a fork. Thick-cut wedges (still peeled and stripped of their membrane) are good, too, since your toddler may now be ready to take bigger bites.
Orange recipes for babies and toddlers
Chances are, you won’t have to work hard to convince your cutie to love oranges all by herself. But there are plenty of ways to work them into meals and snacks, too. Just remember to always introduce one food at a time, especially top allergens like eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, dairy and seafood.
- Finger-food fruit salad. Make a colorful medley by combining chopped orange segments with other bite-sized fruit pieces — think halved raspberries or blueberries, thinly sliced strawberries, diced mango or diced kiwifruit.
- Smiley face toast. Spread a thin layer of nut butter or ricotta cheese on whole grain toast. Make a happy face with smushed or halved blueberries for the eyes and nose and an orange segment for the mouth.
- Orange yogurt melts. Blend peeled, seeded orange pieces with plain yogurt until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a resealable bag and pipe bite-sized dots onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid.
- Orange muffins. Use fresh-squeezed orange juice and zest as a natural sweetener for whole grain muffins.
- Carrot and orange soup. Purée sautéed carrots, onions, garlic and chicken or vegetable broth to make a thick soup, adding fresh-squeezed orange juice and zest for extra flavor and sweetness. Your tot can rake it up with her fingers, or serve it with toast strips and encourage her to dunk.
- Orange creamsicle smoothie. Blend whole orange pieces with milk or plain yogurt and fresh or frozen mango for a just-sweet-enough sipper.
- Sautéed oranges. Sauté orange segments in a little bit of butter until softened and starting to caramelize. It’ll concentrate the flavor and sweetness, giving your growing gourmand a brand-new taste experience.
What are the benefits of oranges for babies and toddlers?
You likely already know oranges are packed with vitamin C, which can help support your baby or toddler’s immune system. But the vitamin C in oranges also plays a key role in the absorption of iron (a mineral tots don’t always get enough of).
Like most fruits, oranges serve up fiber — so they can help keep your little one regular. The fact that they’re water-rich means they’ll help toddlers stay hydrated, too, which can be helpful if you’re always struggling to get her to sip.
Can babies be allergic to oranges?
According to the AAP, any food can be an allergen. However, oranges aren’t a common food for children to be allergic to.
Rarely, raw oranges can trigger a form of contact allergic reaction called oral allergy syndrome (OAS) — a condition caused by cross-reaction in allergens found in both pollen and raw fruits and vegetables. But babies and toddlers typically aren’t affected.
All that said, it’s always a good idea to be on the lookout for signs of a possible contact allergic reaction. Your baby or toddler might have a food allergy if, immediately or within an hour or two after eating, she experiences:
- Hives
- Itching
- Skin, lip or tongue swelling
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Throat tightness or trouble swallowing
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea
- Trouble breathing
If you notice a red rash or hive-like bumps around your baby’s mouth after an orange-filled meal or snack, her skin might be irritated by the acidity. This kind of redness isn’t typically harmful, so chances are oranges won’t have to come off of your tot’s menu. Still, it’s worth bringing up with the pediatrician to confirm that you’re not dealing with a food sensitivity, especially if the redness seems to make your little one uncomfortable.
Call your doctor right away if your child experiences symptoms of an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction may be more severe or possibly life-threatening (called anaphylaxis) if multiple areas of the body are affected. In the rare event that your child shows signs of a life-threatening allergic reaction like trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911 right away.
Are oranges a choking hazard for babies?
Oranges can be a choking hazard if they're not prepared appropriately for your child's age. Make sure you always remove the seeds and tough membranes when offering oranges to your baby (these can pose a choking risk) and cut up orange wedges into small enough pieces for your child to handle.
Make sure, too, to always supervise your young child when she's eating, sit her upright during mealtimes and never serve food while she's reclining, walking, sitting in a car seat or playing.
You might not be able to easily prep oranges purée-style for spoon-feeding. But they can still be a go-to fruit once your new nosher is ready to tackle finger foods. And chances are they’ll fast become a favorite.
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