Can Babies Eat Onions?

Onions, also known as bulb onions are vegetables from the genus Allium. They are closely related to garlic, shallot, chive and scallion. Onions are usually eaten simply raw or in salads, but they are mostly used as ingredients in warm, savoury dishes, but also for making pickles or onion chutneys. They can be baked, grilled, fried, roasted or sautéed. They are pungent if chopped and their chemical substances irritate the eyes. Onions can show an additional color after cutting, just like garlic does.

Onions are low in calories and have low amounts of essential nutrients like vitamins B1, B5, B6, B9 and C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. They are mostly composed of water. They benefit the heart and digestive health, have cancer-fighting compounds, help control blood sugar levels, they boost bone density and have good antibacterial properties. Onions can cause allergic reactions only when people get in direct contact with them in their raw form, once cooked these reactions do not occur anymore, due to the denaturing of the proteins while cooking.

When Can Babies Have Onions?

Onions should be introduced into a baby’s diet at the age of 8 months old. Some parents give onions to their babies earlier, once they start eating solid food. Some babies might have a sensitive digestive system, in which case it is safer to leave onions out of their diet, until they are older. It is recommended to introduce onions as well as garlic or scallions into a baby’s diet in small amounts. It is also better to cook them, because they will have a milder taste and also give a savory quality to food.

Garden Pea & Onion Soup

Ingredients: ½ cup cooked peas, 1 thinly sliced medium onion, 1 tsp unsalted butter, 1 clove, pinch of cinnamon, ½ cup water, ¼ cup milk or soy milk.

Heat a little butter in a saucepan and sauté the onion for a couple of minutes. Add the clove and cinnamon, then cook until the onion is tender. Remove the clove. Stir in the peas and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture into a food processor and puree until smooth. Return the pureed mixture into the pot and add as much water as desired, to get a “soupy” texture. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and stir in the milk.