Oranges for Babies: Benefits, How to Cut Them & More
January 2023
Author:
Hyemyung Kim, RD, CDN, CNSC, CLC
Coauthors:
Stefanie Kain, B.S. M.Ed
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
Johane Filemon, MS, RDN, CLT
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Author:
Hyemyung Kim, RD, CDN, CNSC, CLC
Coauthors:
Stefanie Kain, B.S. M.Ed
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
Johane Filemon, MS, RDN, CLT
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Inside: Are oranges good for babies? And, what’s the best way to cut them when serving young eaters? Find out all about serving oranges to babies from a pediatric dietitian and feeding experts.
Are you wondering how to safely serve oranges to your baby? In this article, we explain how to cut and prepare oranges for babies. Plus, we explain the benefits of oranges for babies, how to prevent your child from choking and if there are any allergy concerns.
Oranges can be introduced to babies when they are ready to start solids, around six months of age.
What are the benefits of oranges for babies?
Oranges offer many nutritional benefits to babies. As a citrus fruit, they are usually most known for its high content of vitamin C. One navel orange will provide more than 100% of your infant’s and toddler’s vitamin C needs!
Vitamin C plays an important role in immune health, acts as an antioxidant to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and improves absorption of iron from plant-based foods.
Oranges also are a good source of fiber, folate and carotenoids like lycopene and beta-cryptoxanthin, of which the latter can be converted into the active form of vitamin A.
Where can you buy oranges?
Oranges can be easily found in the fruit section all year round as there are many varieties that are in season at different times.
It is ideally best if fresh oranges can be offered to babies as this will provide the most nutrients without additives from food companies.
Canned oranges or orange slices in a cup tend to be saturated in syrup, which is a form of added sugar and should be avoided in babies under 1 year of age.
Can babies have orange juice?
The American Academy of Pediatrics and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend no juice under 1 year of age due to its higher sugar content.
One cup of juice offers more calories and sugar with a less impressive nutrient profile compared to that of an orange.
Are oranges a choking hazard for babies?
Oranges are considered a choking hazard due to its slippery nature when cut and peeled into segments.
The membranes of the orange can also be a choking risk given that it is harder to break apart due to its fibrous nature. Lastly, there may be seeds which will be a choking risk.
To minimize your baby’s risk of choking, consider leaving the peel on, cut the orange into large segments and remove seeds before offering it to baby to suck and eat.
What is the difference between gagging vs. choking?
It’s normal for a baby to gag when learning to eat solid foods. It is the body’s natural protective response to prevent choking.
Gagging can look like:
Gurgling
Coughing
Spitting
Audible gagging noises
The baby’s tongue can also thrust forward to remove the food piece from their mouth.This is normal. When this occurs, remain neutral as your child works through their protective gag to continue eating the orange.
Choking, however, is very different. Choking is when the child’s airway is blocked. Choking can be life-threatening and requires immediate intervention.
Choking can look like:
Silent/quiet struggling
Inability to cough
Inability to or difficulty breathing
If the baby is quiet and blue, they need immediate help.
How to safely prepare orange for babies
When preparing an orange for babies, make sure to wash the orange skin thoroughly and then cut the orange into large wedges.
Remove seeds before offering the orange wedge (with the peel on!) to baby.
Once a baby develops pincer grasp, peel and cut the orange into segments.
Remove the membrane and seeds and cut the segments into smaller, bite-sized pieces for baby to pick up and eat on their own.
To further decrease risk of choking, consider cutting segments in half lengthwise and then cutting into bite-sized pieces.
Oranges are not considered one of the major or common food allergens.
However, oranges contain proteins that are very similar to those found in grass pollen and can trigger symptoms like itchiness, swelling of the mouth, face, lip, tongue, or throat.
This cross-reactivity is called oral allergy syndrome (OAS).
Oral allergy syndrome from oranges
Symptoms for OAS usually appear immediately and tend to be mild overall.
If symptoms are experienced, consider limiting oranges in your baby’s diet, especially during allergy season, as OAS tends to worsen during its associated pollen season.
Baking or cooking the food will break down the proteins responsible for OAS, so consider mashing oranges and adding it as an ingredient in baked goods to still include oranges in your baby’s diet.
Eating canned oranges may also limit the reaction, but please note that canned fruit is typically packed in syrup, so wash the fruit in water before offering to minimize added sugar intake.
Allergic contact dermatitis
Also, touching the peels of an orange or citrus fruit may cause a skin reaction called allergic contact dermatitis; symptoms typically are skin redness or burning, extreme itchiness, dry flaky skin, hives, or swelling.
Those who experience this are most likely allergic to limonene, which is a chemical found in the peel of citrus fruit.
How to tell if a baby is having an allergic reaction to oranges
Common allergen symptoms can be:
Hives
Itching
swelling of the lip or tongue
Rashes
Vomiting
stomach cramps
diarrhea.
If signs of wheezing, throat tightness, difficulty swallowing or trouble breathing are observed, call 911 immediately.
If your baby is not interested in oranges right away, do not worry.
As the parent, there are things you can do to help your child learn to like oranges while also supporting your infant’s development.
Here are two things you can do to help support your young eater.
Playtime on the floor
Allowing infants to lay down on the floor, roll around and push up while on their bellies will help them develop motor skills needed to eat. The more they practice these skills, the easier it will be to hold themselves up at the table, reach for food and bring food to their mouths.
As babies explore safe open spaces on the floor, offer toys to reach for, grasp, and bring to their mouths.
Use simple clear language that describes action:
“Roll, roll, roll.”
“Puuuuush.”
“Reeeeach!”
“Get the toy!”
“How does it taste?”
Modeling
Having your baby join you at the table while you eat is a great way to lay the foundation for eating. This is a good time to expose them to foods common in your home and build positive associations with eating.
If your baby shows interest in what you are eating, offer them a small sample. Use simple clear language:
Cichero, J. A. (2016). Introducing solid foods using baby-led weaning vs. Spoon-feeding: A focus on oral development, nutrient intake and quality of research to bring balance to the debate. Nutrition Bulletin, 41(1), 72–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12191
Melvin B. Heyman, Steven A. Abrams, SECTION ON GASTROENTEROLOGY, HEPATOLOGY, AND NUTRITION, COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION, Leo A. Heitlinger, Michael deCastro Cabana, Mark A. Gilger, Roberto Gugig, Ivor D. Hill, Jenifer R. Lightdale, Stephen R. Daniels, Mark R. Corkins, Sarah D. de Ferranti, Neville H. Golden, Sheela N. Magge, Sarah J. Schwarzenberg; Fruit Juice in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Current Recommendations. Pediatrics June 2017; 139 (6): e20170967. 10.1542/peds.2017-0967.
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Hyemyung Kim has been a registered and certified dietitian and nutrition support clinician for 10 years. She initially started her career as an inpatient dietitian with the adult population but fell into the role as a neonatal and pediatric dietitian after a co-worker needed to go on maternity leave. This led to her falling in love with this population and working with parents. She continued to progress her career working in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units as the nutrition support dietitian and in the nutrition clinic as the outpatient dietitian. During this time, she also obtained her certification as a certified lactation counselor to promote breastfeeding and provide education and support for mothers.
It was while working as a clinical dietitian that Hyemyung got to meet and talk to parents about their struggles with picky eating, finding her passion for teaching and educating parents on tips to help their children to eat. She is passionate about working with parents on this common but tough issue and finds it rewarding when she hears about progress. Now as a new mom to a 1 year old boy, she is also dealing with selective eating and can empathize how parents feel when they are experiencing this. In her role as the dietitian and weaning specialist, Hyemyung strives to approach each parent with empathy, understanding and compassion as she educates and provides support.
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Inside: Are oranges good for babies? And, what’s the best way to cut them when serving young eaters? Find out all about serving oranges to babies from a pediatric dietitian and feeding experts.
Are you wondering how to safely serve oranges to your baby? In this article, we explain how to cut and prepare oranges for babies. Plus, we explain the benefits of oranges for babies, how to prevent your child from choking and if there are any allergy concerns.
Contents:
When can oranges be introduced to babies?
Why are oranges good for babies?
Where can you buy oranges?
Can babies have orange juice?
Are oranges a choking hazard for babies?
How to safely prepare oranges for babies
Are oranges an allergen for babies?
How to help babies learn to like oranges
When can oranges be introduced to babies?
Oranges can be introduced to babies when they are ready to start solids, around six months of age.
What are the benefits of oranges for babies?
Oranges offer many nutritional benefits to babies. As a citrus fruit, they are usually most known for its high content of vitamin C. One navel orange will provide more than 100% of your infant’s and toddler’s vitamin C needs!
Vitamin C plays an important role in immune health, acts as an antioxidant to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and improves absorption of iron from plant-based foods.
Oranges also are a good source of fiber, folate and carotenoids like lycopene and beta-cryptoxanthin, of which the latter can be converted into the active form of vitamin A.
Where can you buy oranges?
Oranges can be easily found in the fruit section all year round as there are many varieties that are in season at different times.
It is ideally best if fresh oranges can be offered to babies as this will provide the most nutrients without additives from food companies.
Canned oranges or orange slices in a cup tend to be saturated in syrup, which is a form of added sugar and should be avoided in babies under 1 year of age.
Can babies have orange juice?
The American Academy of Pediatrics and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend no juice under 1 year of age due to its higher sugar content.
One cup of juice offers more calories and sugar with a less impressive nutrient profile compared to that of an orange.
Are oranges a choking hazard for babies?
Oranges are considered a choking hazard due to its slippery nature when cut and peeled into segments.
The membranes of the orange can also be a choking risk given that it is harder to break apart due to its fibrous nature. Lastly, there may be seeds which will be a choking risk.
To minimize your baby’s risk of choking, consider leaving the peel on, cut the orange into large segments and remove seeds before offering it to baby to suck and eat.
What is the difference between gagging vs. choking?
It’s normal for a baby to gag when learning to eat solid foods. It is the body’s natural protective response to prevent choking.
Gagging can look like:
The baby’s tongue can also thrust forward to remove the food piece from their mouth.This is normal. When this occurs, remain neutral as your child works through their protective gag to continue eating the orange.
Choking, however, is very different. Choking is when the child’s airway is blocked. Choking can be life-threatening and requires immediate intervention.
Choking can look like:
If the baby is quiet and blue, they need immediate help.
How to safely prepare orange for babies
To further decrease risk of choking, consider cutting segments in half lengthwise and then cutting into bite-sized pieces.
Related: Top Choking Hazards for Babies & Toddlers
Are oranges an allergen for babies?
Oranges are not considered one of the major or common food allergens.
However, oranges contain proteins that are very similar to those found in grass pollen and can trigger symptoms like itchiness, swelling of the mouth, face, lip, tongue, or throat.
This cross-reactivity is called oral allergy syndrome (OAS).
Oral allergy syndrome from oranges
Symptoms for OAS usually appear immediately and tend to be mild overall.
If symptoms are experienced, consider limiting oranges in your baby’s diet, especially during allergy season, as OAS tends to worsen during its associated pollen season.
Baking or cooking the food will break down the proteins responsible for OAS, so consider mashing oranges and adding it as an ingredient in baked goods to still include oranges in your baby’s diet.
Eating canned oranges may also limit the reaction, but please note that canned fruit is typically packed in syrup, so wash the fruit in water before offering to minimize added sugar intake.
Allergic contact dermatitis
Also, touching the peels of an orange or citrus fruit may cause a skin reaction called allergic contact dermatitis; symptoms typically are skin redness or burning, extreme itchiness, dry flaky skin, hives, or swelling.
Those who experience this are most likely allergic to limonene, which is a chemical found in the peel of citrus fruit.
How to tell if a baby is having an allergic reaction to oranges
Common allergen symptoms can be:
If signs of wheezing, throat tightness, difficulty swallowing or trouble breathing are observed, call 911 immediately.
Related: How & When to Introduce Food Allergens to Babies
How to help babies learn to like oranges
If your baby is not interested in oranges right away, do not worry.
As the parent, there are things you can do to help your child learn to like oranges while also supporting your infant’s development.
Here are two things you can do to help support your young eater.
Playtime on the floor
Allowing infants to lay down on the floor, roll around and push up while on their bellies will help them develop motor skills needed to eat. The more they practice these skills, the easier it will be to hold themselves up at the table, reach for food and bring food to their mouths.
As babies explore safe open spaces on the floor, offer toys to reach for, grasp, and bring to their mouths.
Use simple clear language that describes action:
Modeling
Having your baby join you at the table while you eat is a great way to lay the foundation for eating. This is a good time to expose them to foods common in your home and build positive associations with eating.
If your baby shows interest in what you are eating, offer them a small sample. Use simple clear language:
References
Lally, J. R., & Mangione, P. L. (2017). Caring Relationships: The Heart of Early Brain Development. Young Children, 72(2). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2017/caring-relationships-heart-early-brain-development
Cichero, J. A. (2016). Introducing solid foods using baby-led weaning vs. Spoon-feeding: A focus on oral development, nutrient intake and quality of research to bring balance to the debate. Nutrition Bulletin, 41(1), 72–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12191
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Oral Allergy Syndrome. Retrieved October 3, 2022. https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/allergies/oral-allergy-syndrome-(oas)
Melvin B. Heyman, Steven A. Abrams, SECTION ON GASTROENTEROLOGY, HEPATOLOGY, AND NUTRITION, COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION, Leo A. Heitlinger, Michael deCastro Cabana, Mark A. Gilger, Roberto Gugig, Ivor D. Hill, Jenifer R. Lightdale, Stephen R. Daniels, Mark R. Corkins, Sarah D. de Ferranti, Neville H. Golden, Sheela N. Magge, Sarah J. Schwarzenberg; Fruit Juice in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Current Recommendations. Pediatrics June 2017; 139 (6): e20170967. 10.1542/peds.2017-0967.