Cooked or raw fruits??

[~Alexa~]

So I started my lo on solids today.  I offered raw apple.  But, I think he wasn't able to eat it because it was chunky.  The ped said I should give it to him raw, but I was doing some research and I have seen that cooked fruits are better for puree.  What do you think about this? Did you start giving your los raw fruit or cooked fruit??

[Mimi 2]

I think that in the first few weeks the only raw fruits I gave dd/ds to eat were very ripe bananas & very ripe avocadoes.  Soon after that they had very ripe melons and then very ripe pears.  I think that raw apples would be harder to digest or even to mushed with the gums, kwim?  The only cooked fruit I gave was applesauce.

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Mimi!! I will try to cook the apple and make some applesauce!! So let me see if I get this right...all the fruits you gave your lo were raw? The only one you cooked was apple?

[Mama2boys]

yup and if sometimes the pear you have at home is not mushy and ripe, you can giev it a quick steam as well.

[L76]

Hi

I used to make puree from steamed fruit. Pear apple peach apricot nectarine. Anything really. Gave on own or with yoghurt or in porridge.

Steamed very lightly. Doesn't need long.

Also then tried steamed fruit fingers to soften slightly. Even now at 1yr my dd can struggle if too hard

HTH

x

[~Alexa~]

One more question....When you make the puree do you add some water to the fruit?

[Mama2boys]

depends..some fruit doe snot nee dthe extra water to make it the right consistency and soem does. you will ahve to see how it goes. But add water with a tsp so that you dont end up with too much.

i used to make a lot of the puree and freeze into small cubes and just thaw and give to LO. its a bit of a apin to make fress puree everyday. But for stuff like banana, avacado etc I'd do fresh.

and once your LO is familar and ok witha fruit you can also try mixing so say banana with some pureed apple or peach etc. It helps to intriuce them to simple yet complex tastes and flavours.

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Mukta!! That's a great idea.  So I'll be cooking once a week or so, and then having frozen purees will be easier!!

 

[Mimi 2]

Yes, the only fruit I cooked was apples or if the pears were not riped enough and ds really needed it (helped with constipation) then I will give it a quick steamed.  Both dd and ds were on the BLW approach so I didn't really do a lot of purees.  When you make your own purees then you use a little bit of water to thin it up.  When you need to thicken it up when serving you can add baby cereal.  The only thing you have to remember is to not use the water you used to cooked the carrots when you puree it.  

[~Alexa~]

Just the carrots, Mimi? Or should I not use any of the water where I cook the food?

[Mimi 2]

Yes.  It is not recommended to use the left over water from cooking the carrots because of the nitrates.  After the age of 8 mos then it is fine. 

Check out http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/stage1_homemade_baby_food_recipes.htm  The site has a lot of good and easy recipes for making your own baby food.  It also tells you what vitamins and minerals are in each food and the amount http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/vita_min.htm  I find it very helpful.  I used to make a lot of purees for dd until I switched over to BLW.

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Mimi!! I'll check it out!

[~Alexa~]

Mimi,
I just came to thank you, that webpage is terrific!!
Thanks

[Mashi]

I usually bake my fruit (apples, pears, peaches, plums),  and most of my veggies too (squash, sweet potatoes). The flavour is much nicer when baked (taste a spoonful of baked apple versus a spoonful of boiled or steamed apple, see which one you would rather eat!)

Baking not only keeps in the flavour but most of the nutrients as well.

And although it takes longer, I find it saves time in the end.  Compare peeling, chopping, boiling/steaming and then pureeing an apple, standing over the stove while it boils, taking it out of the water before it goes mooshy, etc.  Then compare that to chopping an apple in half, quickly cutting out the core, popping it in a baking dish with an inch of water and sticking it in the oven. Can come back to it 40 minutes later, gently scoop the apples out and leave them on a plate to cool.  Once cool, it pops right out of the skin and takes 30 seconds to mash with a fork.   Peaches and plums are especially easy this way as they are very hard to skin, but once baked, the skin comes right off. Or, when LO is a bit older (8mos) just puree the skin with the fruit as it's soft and just blends right in.

I've got some on the go right now!

[Mama2boys]

fantatic idea Mash. Wihs I had nown when LO was younger..maybe for the second when I do