Babies should eat fruit in moderation. Many common fruits in autumn and winter have excellent health-preserving and therapeutic effects, but excessive consumption can easily turn them from "angels" into "devils."
The angel side of apples: Relieves constipation and aids digestion
Apple juice can stop diarrhea, eating apples on an empty stomach can treat constipation, and eating them after a meal can aid digestion.
The devil side of apples: Apples are rich in sugars and potassium salts. Excessive intake is not good for heart and kidney health, so be careful not to eat too many.
The angel side of snow pears: Resolves phlegm and relieves cough
In the dry autumn climate, babies are prone to colds and coughs. You can often make pear congee for your baby or stew pears with rock sugar to drink. Because pears are cooling, they can moisten the lungs, promote body fluids, clear lung heat, and thus relieve coughing and reduce phlegm.
The devil side of snow pears: Eating pears when a baby has diarrhea will only worsen the condition.
The angel side of citrus fruits: Resolves phlegm and invigorates the meridians
When a baby suffers from acute or chronic bronchitis in autumn and winter, eating citrus fruits can help clear the meridians, eliminate phlegm accumulation, and thus aid in treatment.
The devil side of citrus fruits: Eating too many citrus fruits can cause a baby to get "heatiness." Stop at two to three a day. Also, a baby should not drink milk for 1 hour before or after eating citrus fruits; otherwise, the citric acid in the fruit will curdle with the protein in the milk, affecting the absorption of nutrients in the citrus.
The angel side of bananas: Promotes bowel movements and lubricates the intestines
Bananas are soft, sweet, and can lubricate the intestines to promote bowel movements, so mothers often give them to their babies.
The devil side of bananas: Babies should not eat too many bananas in a short period, especially those with a weak spleen and stomach. Otherwise, it can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Generally, for babies with a small appetite, one banana at a time, twice a day, is sufficient.
The angel side of persimmons: Moistens the lungs and promotes body fluids
Persimmons are rich in vitamins A, C, and tannic acid, and are nutritious, with effects such as lowering blood pressure and stopping bleeding, clearing heat and lubricating the intestines, and moistening the lungs and promoting body fluids.
The devil side of persimmons: When a baby eats too many persimmons, especially when eaten with sweet potatoes or crabs, the persimmon tannin, tannic acid, and gelatin in the persimmon will form indissolvable hard masses in the stomach. These hard masses not only cause constipation but can sometimes remain in the stomach, forming stomach stones, leading to abdominal distension, pain, vomiting, and indigestion.
Choose fruit based on your baby's constitution
When selecting fruit for your baby, pay attention to what is suitable for their constitution and physical condition.
Babies with Qi and Spleen deficiency: Eat fewer cooling fruits.
Qi deficiency generally refers to a weak body, while Spleen deficiency means a poor digestive system with slow intestinal peristalsis. Therefore, the more these children eat cooling fruits, the more it will reduce intestinal motility, cause muscle weakness, and lead to bloating due to indigestion. Therefore, young children with poor gastrointestinal function, if they want to eat cooling fruits, should eat a little after lunch and before dinner, and not excessively.
Babies with deficient cold constitution: Eat more warming fruits
Children with this constitution can eat more warming fruits like lychees, longans, peaches, guavas, durians, and apricots because they are warming and are excellent supplements for children with a deficient cold constitution. Additionally, children with a fever or inflammation in an organ should avoid eating such warming fruits. Longans are particularly heating; children with high blood pressure or heart disease should not eat them on an empty stomach.
Babies who catch colds easily: Dark-colored fruits are more effective
Children who eat more dark-colored fruits can help prevent colds. Dark-colored fruits like mangoes, yellow apricots, and yellow peaches are relatively high in vitamin C, while lighter-colored fruits have slightly less. Fruits high in vitamin C also include jujubes, hawthorns, oranges, and kiwis. Vitamin C plays a significant role in fighting colds and increasing the body's resistance. Many people supplement their vitamin C intake with tablets, but eating fruit is a faster way to get it.
Eating time should be between meals
Fruits contain many simple sugars that are easily absorbed by the small intestine, but if they get stuck in the stomach, they can easily cause gas and lead to constipation. Therefore, the time for eating fruit should be scheduled between meals, or after waking from a nap, so that the baby can have fruit as a snack.