The richness of tomatoes in vitamins and minerals makes them worthy of being used as complementary foods. Plus, this red fruit also has a delicious taste. If you want to know what are the benefits of tomatoes for MPASI, let's look at the following article.
Meeting the nutritional needs of babies through complementary foods is an important thing that should not go unnoticed by mothers. There are lots of food ingredients that can be processed into complementary breastfeeding for your little one. One of them is tomatoes.
Giving tomatoes can be done from the start when you introduce solid food to your little one, at the age of 6 months. Tomatoes are not one of the foods that have a high risk of allergies, so they are very safe to give to your little one at the beginning of the solid food period.
Benefits of Tomatoes for Baby MPASI
This fruit, which is often mistaken for a vegetable, is rich in carbohydrates, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals. The vitamins in tomatoes include vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin C. While the minerals in tomatoes include calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, copper, and zinc.
Thanks to the many nutrients in tomatoes, it's no wonder that this fruit is recommended to be included in the MPASI menu. The following are the benefits of tomatoes for baby complementary foods that you need to know:
1. Improve the body's immune system
In 100 grams of tomatoes contained about 34 mg of vitamin C. This figure has met 68% of the daily needs of vitamin C needed by babies. nowThis vitamin is proven to activate the body's immune system's ability to fight viruses and bacteria that cause disease.
In addition, vitamin C also plays a role in increasing iron absorption, producing collagen in the body, and supporting the growth of baby's bones and teeth.
2. Maintain eye health
The eye is an organ that plays an important role in the baby's growth and development process. Therefore, maintaining eye health needs to be done as early as possible to prevent eye problems when your little one grows up. One way to maintain eye health is to serve tomatoes as a complementary food menu.
Tomatoes are a source of vitamin A. In 1 medium-sized tomato, it contains about 51 mcg of vitamin A, equivalent to 10% of the daily requirement of vitamin A in infants.
3. Maintain digestive health
Tomato is a fruit with a high water content, which is around 94%. The large amount of water and fiber in this fruit can help smooth the work of your little one's digestive system, and prevent him from becoming dehydrated and digestive disorders, such as diarrhea or constipation.
4. Maintain heart health
Tomatoes are fruits that are rich in potassium. These nutrients play a role in maintaining muscle function and heart rhythm. However, most importantly, potassium regulates the balance of fluids in the body so that it can keep blood pressure stable.
A diet that meets the needs of potassium can also reduce the risk of your child developing kidney stones and osteoporosis later in life.
5. Protects the body from free radical damage
Tomatoes contain lycopene, a carotenoid compound that gives some fruits and vegetables their red color. This content has an antioxidant effect that can prevent tissue damage caused by free radicals. These properties can protect your little one from various chronic diseases, Bun.
Tomatoes are very useful for supporting the baby's developing body. So, Mother can include tomatoes as the baby's complementary food menu, yes. You can process this fruit into porridge. Adding olive oil to processed tomatoes can also improve the taste of solid food and enrich its benefits.
Although tomatoes are not foods that can cause allergies, you still need to pay attention to your little one's reaction when they eat tomatoes for the first time. If your child shows allergy symptoms after consuming solid food containing tomatoes, such as rash, itching, diarrhea, and shortness of breath, immediately take him to the doctor for treatment.
