Fruits (As Weaning Food)

Fruits are the best weaning foods as they are easy to digest. They should be mashed and then given. Seasonal fruits like papaya, chikoo, apples, bananas are very healthy.Mashed fruits are a good first weaning food. They are easy to digest and palatable to the baby. In this articleMashed BananasBoiled and Mashed ApplesStrawberry PureePear PureePeach PureePlum PureMixed Fruit PureeOther Seasonal FruitsPrecautions while Feeding Fruits to Your BabyMashed BananasBananas should be mashed, and then given as such or mixed with malai (cream) or milk. First start with a quarter banana and increase it every week until the baby accepts it.Boiled and Mashed ApplesYou can also offer apples instead of bananas to your baby. Take an apple and cut it into pieces, taking care to remove the centre core. Boil it and then mash it either with a spoon or in a mixer. Start with half an apple and increase it to the limit accepted by the child. It has been observed that many babies get constipation with apple. In this case, try other fruits like papaya.Strawberry PureeStrawberries are available in summers. They are loaded with vitamin B and C. You can make strawberry puree along with banana or you can add yogurt or milk to it. Your baby is surely going to love it.Pear PureePears are rich in fibre which is very good for the digestive system of your baby. You can club them-up with yogurt or milk to enhance its taste for your baby.Peach PureePeach is a delicious fruit with a unique taste. It is rich in beta-carotene and potassium. You can add banana or yogurt or both to enhance its taste.Plum PurePlums are also high fibre and their unique flavour and taste will surely delight your baby’s taste buds. It is also good for preventing constipation in your baby.Mixed Fruit PureeYou can take fruits like banana, chikoo, apple and other available fruits of your choice and blend them together into puree. Use only those fruits which you have already introduced to your baby to avoid the risk of allergies. As this puree contains many fruits it will be loaded with many nutrients for your baby and it will be tasty as well.Other Seasonal FruitsOther seasonal fruits like pears (to be prepared like apples), chikoo (simply mashed), papaya (simply mashed), mango (simply mashed) can also be given. It has been observed that papaya helps soften stools if the baby is constipated.Precautions while Feeding Fruits to Your BabyHere are some precautions that you must take while including fruits in the diet of your baby.Wash all the fruits properly before using them.Make sure that you deseed the fruits properly before feeding them your baby in order to prevent choking hazard.Introduce one fruit at a time and wait for at least 3 to 4 days before introducing the new one in order to check for allergies.Make sure that you mash the fruits or puree them properly so that there are no hard pieces of fruits left which may cause choking hazard.Always include seasonal fruits in the diet of your baby.If you have family history of allergy to certain fruits, avoid giving those fruits to your baby.If you notice that your baby is showing any kind of allergic reaction to certain fruit, stop giving it and immediately report to doctor.Fruits are very important for healthy growth and development of babies. They are loaded with essential nutrients. It is also not very difficult to feed fruits to babies. Therefore, instead of buying expensive baby foods, buy fruits for your baby. Discuss with your doctor about the fruits that you are going to introduce in your baby’s diet so that he or she can provide appropriate guidance on feeding fruits to your baby.