My baby loves lemons!

The first year of parenting provides many wonderful experiences with your child. Do you learn so much about your child, his likes, his dislikes, his temperaments, his idiosyncrasies? One common trait about your child may be his or her proclivity towards commonly unconventional foods. And one of the most popular unusual foods babies like is lemons.

Most babies do not love eating lemons. They’re too sour, and the harsh rind is too bitter. However, some babies do enjoy these strong flavors. But fear not — there is no problem with a baby who loves eating lemons. The following article lists some practical tips if you find your little one likes the taste of lemons. It covers some of the benefits of eating lemons and some considerations to take before you start feeding them lemons. So read on, and discover how to make the most of your special baby who enjoys this quite sour fruit!

Prepare properly

Before feeding lemons to your baby, you must prepare them properly. Babies have a very small mouth and can talk easily. Therefore, when preparing lemons, make sure to cut them into small enough pieces for your baby to enjoy it. Another possible way to make lemons more pleasing for your baby is to sweeten them. Try adding just a tiny bit of sugar to the lemon, which should give it a more digestible taste. Just make sure not to use honey. Honey drips very slowly down the throat and may cause your baby to choke. Wait until your baby is at least one year old to start using it. Just make sure to speak with your doctor first.

Another important consideration when feeding your baby lemons is to remove the skin in the rind. These parts of the lemon or generally less satisfying it may cause your baby not to enjoy the feeding experience. After all, do you want your child to enjoy eating, and they very well may enjoy lemons. Do whatever you can to ensure as pleasant an eating experience as possible for them.

Know the benefits

You may find your baby’s enjoyment of lemons amusing or peculiar. However, you will be pleased to know there are several health benefits for eating lemons. First of all, lemons are very high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a great vitamin that helps boost the immune system, prevent iron deficiency, and protect your skin.

Lemons also have several benefits for the teeth, which is great for babies dealing with teething. The sourness of the lemon helps keep the babies mind off of teething pains. Also, the chewing of the lemons gives the baby a healthy activity to do with their raw gums.

Lastly, a baby with the proclivity for lemons means they may have a stronger taste palette than others. When they grow older, they may have a better chance of becoming more adept at trying new interesting flavors. You may very well have a future foodie or sommelier living with you!

Look out for negative symptoms.

So it turns out your baby eats lemons — very good! Lemons have a good amount of vitamin C and are a great source of citrus and their diet. However, as with any citrus fruit, you are providing a greater amount of citric acid in your baby’s digestive tract. Therefore, make sure to look out for irritable bowel movements, or diaper rash. Other negative symptoms your baby may experience are sour stomach or acid reflux. Make sure to feed your baby lemons in moderation and not overdo it. If you notice some of these symptoms, reduce the number of lemons or take a break from feeding them. Experiment with other citrus fruits rich in vitamin C, which your baby may enjoy just as much.

Try other similar fruits and foods to expand the palate.

Your baby’s enjoyment of lemons demonstrates a very sophisticated palate, especially for such a little person. So don’t stop there! There are many similar foods to lemons to introduce your baby to, in both their flavor profile and health benefits. Flavor-wise, you can find other sour fruits such as limes or kumquats. Similar tart fruits such as kiwis, dragon fruit, or mangoes provide additional health benefits such as antioxidants and zeaxanthin. For another vitamin C, rich fruits, try feeding them oranges or strawberries. Strawberries, believe it or not, have even more vitamin C than oranges!

You can even try other non-fruit tart foods such as yogurt. Better yet, cut up your lemons and mix them with your yogurt! You and your baby can enjoy lemon yogurt snacks together as a fun bonding experience.

Have a camera ready to go

Just because your baby enjoys lemons doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy their enjoyment of them too! Often, the sourness will almost inevitably cause your baby to make quite a funny face when they first try one. Therefore, make sure you have your camera or video camera ready. Your little one’s reaction to their first taste of lemon is sure to be a keeper. They are often quite hilarious, ranging from curiosity to shock to pure disgust.

Just go to any online video site and search for “babies eating lemons.” There are hundreds of compilations of babies eating lemons and the funny reactions they give. Therefore, make sure you have footage of your own little one eating lemons. You will not only use this as a way to contribute to a very fun social Media meme. You will cherish these videos for years to come.

Will feeding your baby lemons impact his sleep schedule?

Absolutely! Feeding your baby lemons can have an impact on his sleep schedule. But, unfortunately, many parents feed their baby lemons without even considering that it may totally impact your baby for days to come.

Your baby’s diet will impact their sleep quality. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use this specific baby sleep schedule on nights your baby consumes lemons.

Can lemons cause your baby to have nightmares?

Some parents believe that the ingredients in lemons may cause your baby to have nightmares. You might be just as surprised as us to learn how much lemon impacts your baby’s sleep. However, there are ways to check if the lemon’s ingredients are impacting your baby’s sleep. Check out that link to learn about the powerful impact lemon has on your baby’s sleep schedule.

Conclusion

Consider yourself lucky to have a baby who likes to eat lemons. Despite the strong sour flavor, your baby has a distinct enough palette to enjoy a rather complex food. Lemons have many health benefits, such as high levels of vitamin C and a soothing effect on teething. Despite some potentially negative effects, if managed properly, your baby will enjoy eating their lemons without fear. So cut up your lemons and enjoy it. Just don’t forget the camera!