A baby can start to be weaned with healthy fruit from the age of around six to eight months onwards.
Soft and ripe fruits, such as bananas, melon, peaches and avocados are an excellent choice and are easy to digest – it’s up to mum and dad to decide whether they wish to cut the fruit into small chunks or mash it or puree it initially.
Many child health experts recommend that most fruits should be cooked until a baby is about eight months of age, with the exception of avocado and banana. The skins of the fruit should be peeled or removed
Pureeing is fine for a limited period of time to introduce a baby to the taste of fruit – but it is best to move to mashed or solids as soon as you can to encourage a child to develop muscles in the mouth and master the art of chewing.
It is a good idea to introduce a baby to one fruit at a time, rather than a selection. This will allow parents to evaluate the child’s response to the specific fruit and also watch out for any potential – if unlikely – bad reaction. Also most babies need to try a new food several times before they learn to like it.
There are three key tell-tale signs which indicate a baby is ready for weaning. The first indicator is when the little one can remain in a sitting position, with his or her head held up nice and steady.
The second sign is when the a baby is able to co-ordinate its hands, mouth and eyes in order to look at food, pick it up and then place it in the mouth.
The third and final key sign is when a baby is able to swallow food. The child is not ready for weaning if it still pushes food back out its the mouth with the tongue.
It is important to discuss a baby or infant’s feeding and growth on a regular basis at check-ups with the paediatrician.
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(4451)Let’s take a look at a few popular choices of fruit for babies and infants.
Banana
Bananas are available all round the year in the UK and their soft consistency makes them an excellent choice for a baby being introduced to fruit. Bananas contain many essential nutrients and they are a great source of electrolyte potassium, which helps the development of muscles and regulates blood chemistry.
The humble banana is also rich in Calcium, Iron, Zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, Magnesium and Zinc. The Calcium in bananas is very beneficial to the development of a child’s bones and teeth.
Ripe bananas have a natural sweetness, providing plenty of energy for a baby’s growth and development. Ripe bananas contain pectin, a soluble fibre which aids digestion and prevents constipation. Well ripened bananas are definitely preferable as they contain more anti oxidants.
If a baby is recovering from a bout of diarrhea, bananas can play a key role in replacing lost electrolytes. Ripened bananas can be kept in a fridge and they are still completely safe to eat even when darkened patches develop on the skin. A mashed banana provides a simple and healthy treat for a baby. Some parents like to add a drop of milk or cream to a mashed banana.
Melon
Melon is a very good and sweet fruit which babies enjoy eating. Melons consist of around 90% water, which makes them very easy to digest. There are many types of melon including watermelon, cantaloupe, casaba, canary and honeydew. Some have seeds in the middle and some have seeds dispersed throughout the fruit.
This fruit is a good source of vitamin C, Potassium, Dietary Fibre, vitamin B6, Niacin and Calcium. Melons contain Beta carotene which gets converted in a baby’s body into vitamin A, which is very beneficial to a child’s vision.
Melons are grown at ground level and their skins should always be washed thoroughly before the fruit is cut up and served to a baby, infant or toddler. This will prevent a risk of the knife transferring any bacteria to the flesh of the fruit.
Apple
Apples are another popular choice for babies and infants. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. They are also rich in carbohydrates, sugars, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc and potassium, as well as being a great source of antioxidant compounds.
Apples contain two types of fibre – soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre is very beneficial in later life when children become adults function as it prevents the build-up of cholesterol in the lining of the blood vessels walls. Insoluble fibre regulates bowel movements by providing bulk in the intestinal tract. This holds water, which both cleanses the digestive system and also helps to transport food quickly.
There are many varieties of apples including Royal Gala, Cox, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Pink Lady and Empire. Apple skin must be peeled completely before feeding apple to a baby and care should be taken to remove the tough core completely.
The flesh of apples is firmer than some other fruits, such as bananas or avocados; so many parents opt to puree it initially when the child is very young. Soft boiling is another option to make apple easier to digest.
When a child is around a year old is it normally perfectly acceptable to feed apples whole, as the peel is very rich in fibre and anti-oxidants. Apples should be peeled for babies under the age of eight months to avoid the risk of upset tummies.
Avocado
Avocado is a great first fruit for a baby around the age of six months because of its soft texture and creaminess. Avocados are very nutritious and contain folate, potassium, and monosaturated fats, such as oleic acid. They are also a great source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that offers protection against a range of ailments and helps maintains overall health.
Avocados are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which makes them a wonderful choice for promoting a baby’s physical and brain development. When buying avocados, always try to choose ripe ones which are dark green in colour, with a bumpy outer texture. The outer skin should be slightly flexible when pressed with a finger, rather than very hard.
Apricot
Apricots are another delicious and nutritious option and, as with many other fruits, they can be introduced to a baby’s diet at around the age of six to eight months. Apricots are high in beta carotene, lycopene, vitamin A and vitamin C. The best apricots are those which are yellow or orange in colour, and soft in touch.
Apricots should be eaten as fast as possible. Some parents opt to bake apricots. You can bake apricots in a shallow dish with water, after halving and pitting the. This form of preparation increases the natural sweetness of the fruit.
Another method to prepare apricots is pureeing, steaming, boiling or blanching them by adding them to boiling water for a few minutes. Apricots have a soft skin which is easy to digest so it is not really necessary to peel them for older babies.
Papaya
The papaya is a highly nutritious tropical fruit which is rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibres and folic acid, sugars, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorous and several other minerals.
Papayas contain a substance called papain, which breaks down protein effectively. Papain is also believed to be beneficial in cleansing the digestive tract, and may also help control the levels of acid in the stomach. It is also thought to reduce the severity of reflux symptoms in babies and help relieve constipation. Too much of the same may have the opposite effect and lead to a bout of diarrhea.
Papaya is not high on the list of potential allergens but some children and adults who have a latex allergy have been known to develop an allergic reaction to some fruits, including papaya, mango, kiwi fruit and strawberry. This is known as latex-fruit syndrome. You should consult your doctor or medical professional if you have any concerns about your child on this subject.
Mango
Mango is packed with vitamin A and is abundant in phytochemicals and nutrients. The pulp of the fruit is very high in pre biotic dietary fibre, vitamin C, vitamin E, various minerals, polyphenols, provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin B6, vitamin K, other B vitamins and essential nutrients including potassium, copper and many amino acids.
The vitamin C in mango will help babies absorb more iron from the foods they eat. This is an excellent way to boost a child’s iron intake. You should only serve the sweet pulp of a mango to a baby. Unripe or sour mangos should be avoided as they may affect a child’s health. Parents should always de-seed mangos thoroughly before feeding a child the soft flesh.
It is suggested that mangos should be given to a babies after they have tried another type of fruit, such as bananas. It is a good idea to steam mango gently when first feeding mango to a baby. This assists in breaking the fruit down a bit.
It is recommended that parents should discuss with their paediatrician the best time for allowing their child to eat mango. The age of eight to 12 months is the average recommended range. It is advised to wait till the end of one year before introducing the mangoes, to handle any issues pertaining to mild allergies. As with other fruits, it should initially be served on its own to for three or four days to enable parents to watch for any allergic reaction.
Plums
Plums are very nutritious, sodium free and contain plenty of vitamins A and C. They stimulate a healthy cholesterol level and are high in fibre and natural sugars. Parents should choose good quality plums with no bruising, soft spots or cuts.
Dried plums, or prunes, are an option of older babies and infant and it is important to choose ones which are free of preservatives or chemicals. Plum puree which is made in a blender or food processor is a popular choice for babies in the UK.
Strawberry
The strawberry is the most popular type of berry in the world – this fruit tastes delicious and is very nutritious. There is, however, a very negative downside to strawberries – they are renowned for triggering allergic reactions. For this reason, there is solid medical advice to wait at least a year old before introducing strawberries to a child’s diet.
If a child suffers from asthma or eczema, extra precaution is needed before the introduction of any food that has been found to make the symptoms worse, such as strawberries. It is wise to check with a doctor or paediatrician first.
When you have established that your child is safe to eat strawberries, then there are many healthy benefits to be gained. They offer a range of valuable nutrients including vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin K, dietary fibre, manganese, folate, omega 3 fatty acids, copper, potassium and magnesium.
You need to be careful when buying strawberries, because they don’t have a long lifespan. Don’t make the mistake of buying strawberries which are a bit green in the belief they will turn red – strawberries don’t ripen any further once they’re picked. Instead, you should choose strawberries that are plump, firm free of mould and deep red in colour, with the green caps still attached. Really large strawberries look tempting – but it’s actually the medium sized ones that taste the best.
Other popular fruits are a healthy and tasty option for babies and infants include peaches, nectarines, pears, grapes, pineapples and blueberries.