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One of the great things about bananas for babies is how simple it is to turn them into convenient healthybaby food.Whether you are using the banana as baby led feeding starter food, mashed intoa puree, or even in recipes like banana muffins, banana pancakes or banana bread, babies will really enjoy the sweetness and soft texture.
Banana can be served to babies from 6 months and up (or whenever your baby shows signs of weaning readiness).
Banana For Baby Led Weaning By Age
Banana For 6 Month Old Baby
If you’re just starting weaning at this stage,a 6 months old baby will only be able to eat about 2/3-inch to 1-inch chunk of banana (or 1 tablespoon of banana puree) at a time. If you are choosing the baby led weaning style, rip a banana into“graspable shapes” about the size of your finger. Long enough so they can bite off what sticks out of their small hand (see pictures below how to split a banana without a knife).
Banana For 7-8-9 Month Old Babies
Once your baby starts to develop the fine motor skills, and is able to pick up objects between his or her thumb and forefinger, you can transition from finger size banana servings to smaller chunks (bite size pieces). At 8-9 months babies can handle from 1/4 to 1/2 of a large banana per day or about 5 to 8 tablespoons of banana puree (not including other foods). You can also incorporate bananas into pancakes, muffins, bread or porridge.
Banana For 9-12 Month Old Babies And Older
At this age babies get more confident with finger foods, and they can adapt and handle an entire small banana (per day) by themselves without the skin. It’s also a great time to introduce cutlery.
How To Cut Banana For Baby Led Weaning (As Finger Food)
If it is a large banana, cut the banana into thirds or if it’s smaller – into half, then you have 2 options:
- Splitting Banana: peel the banana and gently push it from top tip, down the middle of banana, it will naturally split into 3 finger sized pieces (this method is better than cutting it with a knife, it’s a lot less slippery).
- Banana Handles: another method after you cut the whole banana in half, is to cut the peel off the top half of the banana (about 1-2 inches) and leave the bottom peel as a handle.
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How To Serve Frozen Banana For Teething Baby
Frozen banana is perfect for baby teething pains. You can put a small piece of frozen banana into a food feederor make small frozen popsicles from banana puree, either way it’s very soothing for sore gums.
Which Banana Are Good For Babies?
Fully yellow bananas that separate easily from each other at the stem (which are indications of ripeness) is the best banana for your baby. When bananas are very ripe, they’re softer andmoredigestible. Unripe and green (or partially green) bananas can causeconstipation in babies. If banana is overripe, and thepeel turnsblackor brown (the inside is still unspoiled) – they are still very safe for babies.
Tip: If you purchased bananas that are still a little green, place the unripebananasin a paper bag (room temperature) along with a high-ethylene producing fruit (aripe bananaor apple) the ethylene gas will speed up the ripening process.
Related: Melon For Babies: Ways To Cut (BLW) Serve
How Much Banana Can A Baby Eat Per Day?
As long as there are no issues with constipation and your baby is also getting the right amount of breastmilk, and other category off foods, then it’s less likely the baby is overeating banana.
As they grows up, the amount of banana babies can have will change with time, so a 6 month old baby can start with 1/3 of banana per day (about 6 tablespoons of it’s a puree) and progress to 1/2 of banana (8 tablespoons) when he/she is 9 months old. By the time your baby is 12-16 months her/she can have a whole banana and up to one and a half.
Here is a reference table of how much banana can a baby eat per day / by age:
Banana Baby Food Ideas
- Banana puree (smooth mashed bananas) nothing else.
- Other foods to mix with banana puree (pear, blueberry, prune puree, kiwi, apple sauce, yogurt, baby cereal).
- Banana porridge (simply add mashed banana or puree to your preferred porridge).
- Banana smoothie (mix banana with another fruit and use milk as a blending liquid).
- Banana bread (without added sugar) suitable for babies 6 months +, toddlers and kids.
- Banana pancakes (great for babies 6 months +, for baby-led weaning and toddlers).
- Banana Oat Pancakes for babies 6 months+, BLW and older kids.
- Banana muffins with mashed bananas (gluten free and dairy free option).
- Banana carrot muffins with grated carrots and mashed banana.
- Sugar free banana cookies (for babies 9 months and older).
Banana Allergy In Babies
Some babies are allergic to bananas. To be more exact, it’s a hypersensitivity towards a specific protein found in it. This protein is also present in kiwi and avocado and latex, so make sure to avoid those as well.
The symptoms of banana intolerance or allergy includeitchiness, redness, local swelling, stuffy nose, wheezingdiarrhea, gas, vomiting, or in severe allergic cases -anaphylaxis (this is extremely rare though). The allergic reactions can happen immediately or within a few hours of consuming the fruit. The exposure to the allergen can happen also via breast milk, so the mother should avoid it too [1].
And the good news is childrenwho have only mildallergicreactions are significantly more likely tooutgrowtheallergy.
More Baby Led Weaning Ideas
- Strawberries For Baby Led Weaning (How To Cut/Serve)
- Carrots For Baby Led Weaning
- Avocado For Baby (BLW) Ways To Serve
- Sweet Potato Baby Led Weaning: Ways To Serve
- Cauliflower For Baby (BLW)
- Apple Pancakes For Baby / Toddler (BLW)
- Easy Baby Blueberry Muffins (6 months+ Dairy Free GF Option)
Banana For Babies – Baby Led Weaning Method
ThrivingNest
Ways to serve banana for babies. Whether you are using the banana as baby led feeding starter food or mashed intoa puree, it can be served to babies from 6 months and up (or whenever your baby shows signs of weaning readiness). Also check out tips on how to cut banana for baby led weaning as finger food.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes mins
Total Time 2 minutes mins
Course Snack
Cuisine Baby Food
Servings 2 or 3 servings
Ingredients
Banana For Baby Led Weaning (As Finger Food)
- 1 banana (ripe)
Instructions
How To Cut Banana For Baby Led Weaning (As Finger Food)
Make sure you wash the banana thoroughly before proceeding to cutting. If it is a large banana, cut the banana into thirds or if it’s smaller – into half.
Then you have 2 options:
Splitting Banana:peel one portion and gently push it from top tip, down the middle of banana, it will naturally split into 3 finger sized pieces (this method is better than cutting it with a knife, it’s a lot less slippery).
Banana Handles: another method after you cut the whole banana in half, is to cut the peel off the top half of the banana (about 1-2 inches) and leave the bottom peel as a handle.
Serve Frozen Banana For Teething Baby
Place a small piece of frozen banana into afood feeder(the size depends how large is the pocket). Itsconvenient and the small handle lets baby get a good grip.
Make smallfrozen popsiclesfrom banana puree (you will need 1 banana) and 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt (choose non-dairy yogurt if baby has dairy intolerance). Mix those 2 ingredients in a blender and pour into small popsicle molds. Freeze for about 5-6 hours.
Notes
Best Bananas For Babies
Fully yellow bananas that separate easily from each other at the stem (which are indications of ripeness) is thebest banana for your baby. When bananas are very ripe, they’re softer andmoredigestible. Unripe and green (or partially green) bananas can causeconstipationin babies.
Tip:If you purchased bananas that are still a little green, place the unripebananasin a paper bag (room temperature) along with a high-ethylene producing fruit (aripe bananaor apple) the ethylene gas will speed up the ripening process.
Recommended Banana Servings Per Day:
| 1/3 medium banana |
| 1/2 medium banana |
| 1½ medium banana |
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