Around 6 months old, most babies are ready to try eating something besides breast milk or formula. You may have noticed your child holding their head up, sitting upright with support, and mouthing their hands or other objects. These are all good signs that Baby is ready to move on to more solid foods. Certain kinds of fruit are good choices at this age because they’re soft and tasty.
But even if Baby seems ready, the kinds of foods they try first matter. At this age, choking hazards are a concern, and you don’t want to give your baby any solid foods that they can&;t handle safely. When Baby is between 8 and 10 months old, they can start trying mashed or finely chopped pieces of soft fruits.
6 to 8 months: Top 5 baby-friendly fruits
If you’re unsure what foods to start with in these early months of adult food, try some of the following fruits. All can be pureed in a blender until smooth, and every single one is baby-approved for yumminess.
- Peaches: Peaches have vitamins C and A, as well as fiber which can help with digestion. You can also bake them or steam them before mashing, to get them super soft.
- Pears: These have fiber, copper, and vitamins C and K. They’re gentle on babies’ developing stomachs, too.
- Plums or stewed prunes: Both provide a lot of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Dried prunes by themselves aren’t safe to feed your baby – they need to be soaked, steamed, and pureed before your baby can try them.
- Banana: These can be just mashed into a DIY puree. Bananas are great for babies; they have fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese.
- Apricots: These will provide Baby with vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, copper, and fiber. The best way to prepare apricots for a baby is to cut them in half, remove the pit, and steam, boil, or bake them.
8 to 10 months: Top 5 baby-friendly fruits
At 8 to 10 months, babies are starting to get the hang of eating more solid foods, and babies’ bodies can handle a wider variety of pureed fruits. Here are five crowd-pleasers to introduce at this age.
- Mango: Mangoes are rich in nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and E, as well as folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and zinc.
- Grapes: Grapes have vitamin K, copper, and vitamin B2. Make sure to peel, de-seed, and mash the grapes.
- Strawberries and blueberries: Berries are acidic, which can surprise some babies’ taste buds. Remove any stems before you puree them, though.
- Cantaloupe or melon: Melons and cantaloupes have lots of nutrients, including vitamin A and C, calcium, and beta-carotene for eye development.
- Mashed or steamed pineapple: Pineapples have a high acidity content, so it’s worth going slow as you introduce them. Pineapple has vitamin C, manganese, copper, B vitamins, fiber, and folate – all very important and helpful for babies.
Fruits and vegetables typically do not cause allergies, and so can be introduced at a faster rate than other foods as long as your baby is tolerating new foods well. Make sure to refrain from adding anything like sugar or honey to the fruit. If your baby refuses the new fruit at first, don’t force things – give it another try in a few days or the following week. Just have fun with things and enjoy your baby’s first encounters with adult food.
Sources
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“Finger Foods for Babies.” KidsHealth. Nemours Foundation, 2016. Web.
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Mayo Clinic Staff. “Solid foods: How to get your baby started.” MayoClinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Jun 7 2016. Web.
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“First foods for babies.” LLLI. La Leche League International, 2016. Web.
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“Children and Food Allergies.” CPMC. California Pacific Medical Center, 2014. Web.
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“Effect of Avoidance on Peanut Allergy after Early Peanut Consumption.” NEMJ. New England Journal of Medicine, April 14 2016. Web.
