Raw Carrots etc

[fennho]

when is it safe to give raw carrots, celery sticks to toddlers?

[Sage]

My toddler started gnawing on raw carrots, celery sticks and cucumbers at one. She loves tomatoes too. When she first started, she would spit most of it out until one day, she just swallowed them and has never looked back since.

She takes her apples, pears, etc. the same way, with skin and all since 14 months. It's very convenient especially when we're out and about.

I was told by another mother to start them young so that they are used to all types of foods and not just the pureed stuff. I'm glad I followed her advice.

[geomum]

You are so lucky Sage :)

[karmah1]

I just started my 9 month old on celery and carrot sticks, although with me holding them while he chews. He liked the celery but wasn't fussed with the carrot.

[thanka2]

My dad was an avid gardener when we were growing up so we had raw veggies from an early age. Everything I've read about what you can and cannot feed a baby or toddler says that except for foods that have a high allergy incidence (nuts and some fruits etc.), all foods are okay after 12 months. Actually, we were eating raw veggies from the garden way before we were 12 months old and my parents used large carrots to let us teeth on because they were cold and solid enough that we couldn't chomp off a big enough piece to choke on. My son has been enjoying veggies like celery uncooked for a very long time and I make a blended drink that has raw spinach, celery and cucumber in it as well as some fruits like pears, apples and kiwis and my son loves it. Raw fruits and veggies retain much more of their nutritional value compared with cooked items anyway which is better for our health.

[carang]

oh..... we had HUGE garden when i was a kid... i mean, maybe 5000'!!! (we lived on a farm)

i still look back with fond memories of picking the pea pods and eating the peas raw, straight from the vine....

MMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!

PS> By one year of age, your child can eat pretty much everything you do.

[fennho]

thanks everyone!