"Give lemon to my baby?? Whaaaaat?!" We can hear you from here ;-) But know that behind its reputation as an acidic food that could make your baby squint and sting his tongue, there is actually a vitamin treasure that your baby might well adopt!
Lemon, a natural preservative
Small but mighty... this citrus fruit, which some shun for its bold flavor, is nonetheless essential to our balanced diet. Its benefits are so numerous that it's impossible to present them all in this post!
At Good Goût, we use organic lemon in our baby recipes as a natural preservative. This way, we enhance the flavor of the fruit or vegetable while preserving all its nutritional qualities.
The lemon even has its own festival! One town pays tribute to it every year: Menton. From February 11th to March 1st, young and old alike come to admire the giant sculptures made of thousands of oranges and lemons! That touristy aside out of the way, let's get back to the point. Uh. To our lemons.
Lemon yes… but organic lemon!
In conventional agriculture… the treatment dose for lemons (and citrus fruits in general) is much higher than for thin-skinned fruits (apples, pears, etc.).*
These chemicals, used during and after harvest, reduce the risk of mold and facilitate storage.
Should we also tell you about the artificial waxes used to slow down drying and give the fruit a beautiful appearance?
In short, these techniques mainly guarantee the presence of residues in the bark and even in the pulp!
So, of course, we prefer healthy, organic lemons for our little ones for maximum vitamins!
Introducing lemon to your baby
Sour taste, strange texture... lemon can be introduced into baby's meals from 4 months.
There is the gentle method: squeeze the juice of an organic lemon and add it to apple or banana compote.
There is also the funny method... which consists of offering a small lemon wedge to your little one for a tangy experience and a few funny faces as a bonus! ;-)
It's so funny, and perfectly harmless. As a bonus, it awakens his taste buds.
The citrus fruit with 1001 virtues
A little boost to your health
Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, it stimulates the immune system, making regular consumption important for those with more sensitive skin. Lemon is also an anti-infective that can help treat the onset of a cold or sore throat.
Clean the air
To protect yourself from winter infections and avoid catching Dad's stomach flu, it's recommended to air out your home and purify the air. To do this, dilute a few drops of lemon juice in your mist maker for a fresh, healthy, and lemony atmosphere!
A remedy for nausea
If your children are nauseous or prone to motion sickness, a drop on a sugar cube or diluted in a spoonful of honey should provide relief...
We could go on and on... but we're planning a DIY lemon-based cosmetics workshop. To learn more about lemon and get a better idea of its benefits, click here.
http://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Nutrition/EncyclopedieAliments/Fiche.aspx?doc=citron_lime_nu
