Onion for Babies – When and How to Introduce?

Onions are used in almost every dish that is prepared around the world. This is why many parents wonder, ‘Is it safe to feed onions to their babies? The digestive system in your baby will develop as he grows. He, therefore, needs to be weaned onto every food slowly and steadily. So, when it comes to the question of onion for babies, we suggest you follow the post. This article will provide you with some essential information about the right time to introduce onion into your little one’s diet and how to do it safely.

Can Babies Eat Onion?

Yes, babies can eat onions only after six months of age after you have started them on solids and semi-solids (1). Since onions have varied flavours, from sweet to sulfuric, which can be extreme for little ones, it is better not to introduce them straight plain but by mixing them with other foods to add flavour, such as in soups or purees. Please refrain from feeding raw onion to your baby as it could be difficult to digest and may cause bloating and other digestive issues due to exposure to germs (2).

Toddlers can have grilled, roasted, or baked onions, and as they grow more, they can have more varieties of onions like onion rings. Feeding raw onion to children should be avoided until they are above one year old to give them time to develop immunity and digestion systems better.

When to Introduce Onion to a Baby?

When can babies eat onions? It goes without saying that you should introduce onions into your baby’s diet after he or she starts successfully consuming solid foods like fruits and vegetables. Typically, onions should be introduced only after the baby is 6 months old, but it is best to introduce it at around 8 months of age, especially if your baby has a sensitive digestive system and experiences bloating after consuming onions, in which case you should wait another year (1).

Nutritional Profile of Onions

Would you like to know what’s inside an onion? If you agree, follow us as we analyse the nutritional value of 100 grams of onions in the table below (3) (4) (5) (6).

Source: USDA, Oregon State University, NIH, Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 

How to Give Onions to a Baby?

Like with other solid foods, you should introduce onions gradually in small quantities. It should always be cooked to make it easier for your baby to digest it. You can add cooked onion to vegetable purees along with rice, peas or carrots.  Make sure you always cook the onions well, so they do not interfere with your baby’s digestion and gain as much health benefits as he can.

Health Benefits of Onions for Babies

There are several health benefits of onions for babies. Here are some of the onion benefits for babies you must look at:

• They are excellent sources of antioxidants which are essential nutrients that can help your baby fight off diseases like E. coli infections, stomach ulcers, and staph infections (7).
• If your baby has symptoms of asthma, onions have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce the symptoms.
• Onions are heart-healthy and can help lower the cholesterol levels in later life.
• They are good sources of Vitamin C and can prevent bacterial infections and enhance your baby’s immune system.
• Your baby’s ability to absorb iron from other foods will be enhanced by eating onions.
• Onions are great sources of polyphenols (plant nutrients).
• Onions are good for a baby’s stuffy nose, and people also use onions for curing cough in babies.

How to Choose and Store Onion for Baby Foods?

Pungent onions and shallots are the best when you consider their health benefits, but babies have sensitive tongues, so it is better to choose sweeter varieties. Green onions are good for baby teething. Make sure to choose onions which are papery and dry on the outside and don’t feel soft. At home, you can store them in a hanging basket so that air can circulate around them. Avoid cutting and storing or freezing onions as they lose their nutritional value.

Important Tips to Remember While Preparing and Cooking Onion for Your Baby

While preparing onions for your baby, always remember that the healthy parts of the onion are in its outer layers. So be careful to just take out the papery skin and not the first few layers as well just because it’s easier. Here are some tips to peel an onion:

• Place the onion in the freezer 30 minutes before cutting it.
• Chop the entire onion and leave the root for the last. It releases the most gas.
• Chop onions while aiming a fan at your face
• Use a sharp knife. The theory goes that this lessens damage to the onion’s cells, releasing less gas.
• You can cut onions under running water, but this can make them mushy and cause some nutrient loss.

Below are tips for cooking onions for your baby:

• Sauté chopped onions over low heat in some olive oil or any vegetable oil till they become golden and tender.
• Cut them into wedges and roast at 350 deg F for 50 minutes to bring out their sweet flavour.
• Onions can add flavour to rice as well. Saute them in homemade stock and mix them with barley or rice.
• You can use onions as stock for your baby’s soups and stews as well.

Tasty Baby Food Recipes With Onion

Below are some tasty onion recipes for your little one:

1. Garden Pea Onion Soup Recipe

This is a delicious and hearty onion soup recipe, perfect for your baby’s mid-morning or evening meals.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup fresh, cooked or frozen peas (thawed)
• 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp butter (unsalted)
• 1 clove
• A pinch of cinnamon
• ½ cup of water
• ¼ cup milk (you can also use cream or soy milk)

Method:

1. Heat butter in a pan and saute the sliced onions in it for around 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon and cloves and cook until the onions are tender. Take out the clove.
2. Add the peas and continue cooking while stirring for 3-4 minutes.
3. Put the mixture in a blender and puree it until it becomes smooth.
4. Return it to the pan and add water into it (as much as you desire) while stirring until it becomes the texture of the soup. Better to add less water so that it stays more of a puree.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and add the cream/milk. Warm the mixture gently and serve.

2. Baked Sweet Onion Recipe

Baked sweet onions can be added to other recipes, too, to enhance their taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 1 pinch of black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 tsp butter (unsalted)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Peel the onion, and after that, cut the top and bottom parts.
3. Cut the onion in half, along its width, and place both halves on a greased baking sheet. The cut side should be facing up.
4. Sprinkle pepper on them and put butter on both halves.
5. Cover with foil and bake the halves for about an hour until they become completely tender.
6. When your baby is slightly older, you can try sprinkling some balsamic vinegar on the onion halves to bring out the sweet flavour even more.

3. Onion Rings Recipe

This is a healthy recipe for babies who can bite and chew properly.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion (large)
• ¼ cup yoghurt
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (dried)
• 1 tsp oregano (dried)
• 1 tsp wheat germ

Method

1. Cut the onion into rings.
2. Mix the flour, oregano and the wheat germ in a bowl.
3. Transfer the flour to a clean bag and add the rings.
4. Close the bag’s top tightly with both your hands and shake well until the flour coats all the onion rings.
5. Put the bag in the freezer and freeze for 20 minutes.
6. Mix the oregano and wheat germ into the breadcrumbs.
7. Take out the onion rings from the freezer and then dip each of them in the yoghurt.
8. Following that, coat each one in the breadcrumbs.
9. Place the rings on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for around 10 minutes. Turn them and then cook for another 10 minutes until they become golden brown.
10. Cut the rings into baby bite-sized pieces and serve them to your baby.

FAQs

1. Is onion juice for infants safe?

Onion juice is known to cure cough in children. Before using it for your baby, we recommend consulting your paediatrician to avoid any mistakes.

2. Does onion help with teething? 

Yes, onions, especially green onions, are known to be helpful in numbing or soothing the sore gums caused by teething (8).

3. Can I use onion juice for baby hair?

Using onion juice for baby hair is not recommended without a doctor’s consultation.

4. Can babies be allergic to onions?

Although onion allergy is rare, there is a minuscule chance of it happening. People allergic to lily flowers and those with Oral Allergy Syndrome may be vulnerable to onions. Therefore, while introducing onion to your little one, make sure to do an allergy test and gradually increase its intake over future meals (9) (10).

The best thing about cooking with onions is that their water-soluble nutrients will never go to waste. Try the above recipes and make your little one a fan of onions.

References/Resources:

1. Onions; Louis Bonduelle Foundation; https://www.fondation-louisbonduelle.org/en/vegetable/onion/

2. Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Onions; Consumer Report; https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-onions/

3. Onions, raw; USDA; https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170000/nutrients

4. Folate; Oregon State University; https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/folate#RDA

5. Vitamin C; NIH; https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/

6. Strohm. D, Ellinger. S, et al.; Revised Reference Values for Potassium Intake; Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism; Karger; https://karger.com/anm/article/71/1-2/118/51979/Revised-Reference-Values-for-Potassium-Intake; August 2017

7. Stop the Tears: Why Onions Are Good for You; Cleveland Clinic; https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-onions-good-for-you

8. Sõukand. R, Hrynevich. Y, et al.; Use of cultivated plants and non-plant remedies for human and animal home-medication in Liubań district, Belarus; J Ethnobiol Ethnomed.; PubMed Central; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5627493/; October 2017

9. Asakura. K, Honma. T, Yamazaki. N, Ishikawa. T. [Relationships between oral allergy syndrome and sensitization to pollen antigen, especially to mugwort]. Arerugi = [Allergy].; Europe PMC; https://europepmc.org/article/med/17072112#impact; October 2006

10. Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) Defined; AAAAI; https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/allergy,-asthma-immunology-glossary/oral-allergy-syndrome-(oas)-defined

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