Vegetables and fruit are good sources of food for your little one, especially in the first years. From an early age, you should get used to your little one consuming fruits and vegetables, so that the intake of vitamins needed by the child’s body can be met through fruits and vegetables.
There are many vegetables and fruits that you can choose for your little one’s diet. One fruit that is rich in benefits, especially for toddlers, is pumpkin.
This yellow-orange round fruit is good for children under five years old.
Pumpkin is good to be consumed by your little one from the age of one year, or when your little one has started eating foods that are a bit rough. Pumpkin is good for your little one because it contains high fiber and low fat. The content of pumpkin does not stop there, there are many more benefits of pumpkin, especially for toddlers.
For those of you who want to know more about the benefits of pumpkins for your little one, let’s Thevolume.net discussion about the benefits of pumpkins for toddlers below.
Pumpkin Content
Yellow or orange pumpkin has many benefits for your little one’s body. Besides being eaten directly, this pumpkin is easy to process into various delicious foods that can make your little one addicted.
Some of the pumpkin preparations that Mom can try to give to your little one who has difficulty eating fruit include cupcakes, compote, sponge cake, pudding, various soups, and various fresh drinks. Processing pumpkins into a variety of dishes will not eliminate the original content of the pumpkin.
Precisely by processing pumpkin into a variety of dishes, children’s fruit intake will be fulfilled. A serving of pumpkin, or about 250 grams, contains 50 calories and a variety of good nutrients such as the following:
- protein
- carbohydrate
- fat
- fiber
- vitamin a
- C
- calcium
- magnesium
Pumpkin also contains B vitamins, vitamin K, folate, and antioxidants. Because of its fairly complete nutritional content, pumpkin is good for consumption by anyone, whether it’s children, toddlers, adults, and pregnant women.
1. Smooth digestion
Pumpkin has a good fiber and water content to optimize the child’s digestion. In addition to optimizing digestion, the fiber and water contained in the pumpkin are also good for naturally treating constipation in your little one.
For your little one who often has difficulty defecating, consuming pumpkin can be one solution. Not only is it able to overcome digestive problems, but pumpkin is also good for consumption to prevent dehydration.
2. Maintain weight
Pumpkin is a fruit that is low in fat and rich in vitamins. So that pumpkin is suitable to be processed into a variety of healthy snacks that are low in fat. You don’t have to worry about your child’s weight going up drastically when consuming pumpkin.
The content of fiber and carbohydrates contained in pumpkin also makes your little one full length. Suitable for being a snack on the go so that your little one is not easily fussy because of hunger.
3. Maintain eye health
Pumpkin fruit contains vitamin A and beta carotene which are good for maintaining eye health for Mom or your little one. Pumpkin for eye health is no less good than orange vegetables and fruits which are believed to be good for eye health.
The high content of vitamin A and beta carotene can prevent the occurrence of various eye diseases and can improve vision in your little one.
4. Healthy skin
The benefits of pumpkin for healthy skin can not only be felt by Mom but also can be felt by the little one. The content of B vitamins, vitamin C, beta carotene, and antioxidants contained in pumpkin can prevent the occurrence of various skin diseases in your little one.
Your little one who consumes pumpkin will also avoid the effects of UV rays that can damage the little one’s skin. Regular consumption of pumpkin can keep your little one’s skin healthy too, Mom!
5. Increase endurance
Antioxidants and various nutrients such as vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E can increase the immunity of the little one’s body, especially in the rainy season, when the little one is prone to colds.
Other content contained in pumpkin also helps maintain the health of children so they don’t fall sick easily. In addition, pumpkin also plays a role in healing wounds or injuries that may be experienced by your little one
6. Boost Energy
The B vitamins, zinc, and folate contained in pumpkin can be beneficial for your little one’s body in increasing energy. Pumpkins can be a good source of energy for your little one’s body.
Pumpkin also contains nutrients that can increase muscle strength, so your little one is not weak and tired during activities.
7. Good to be a solid food menu
The various nutritional content contained in pumpkin is very suitable to be used as a complementary food menu for your little one. In the first years, your little one needs a lot of good nutrition for his body.
The various vitamins and minerals contained in pumpkin are very good for the growth of your little one. The content of zinc and vitamin K in pumpkin can optimize your little one’s bone growth
8. Maintain heart health
The content of potassium, fiber, and antioxidants contained in pumpkin is a good sources of nutrients to maintain heart health.
Potassium plays a role in keeping blood pressure stable, while fiber and antioxidants can reduce cholesterol in the blood and prevent blockages in the heart blood vessels.
Therefore, pumpkin is not only good for your little one but also good for all family members including Mom and Dad.
9. Help your little one sleep better
Pumpkin contains tryptophan, which is a type of essential amino acid that will help your little one produce the hormone serotonin. This hormone plays a role in managing mood, making your little one sleep more soundly, and making him feel calm and happy.
Indirectly, a pumpkin can improve the quality of your little one’s sleep, so your little one is not easily fussy and disturbed when he sleeps.
10. Prevents the risk of intestinal worms in your little one
Toddlers are very susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Therefore, Mom needs to pay attention to the cleanliness of the environment as well as the food and drinks she consumes. Eating the wrong food will put your child at risk for diarrhea.
Consuming pumpkins can reduce the risk of children getting diarrhea and intestinal worms. Pumpkin’s anthelmintic properties can protect your little one from the dangers of worms and attached viruses.
That’s the explanation about the benefits of pumpkin for toddlers that you shouldn’t miss. Expand the consumption of vegetables and fruit, so that your little one does not easily fall ill even in unfriendly weather.
