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Fruits: from food diversification
Food diversification begins between 4 months and 7 months. Then baby will be able to start to taste its first fruits. These are cooked fruits, without added sugars, finely mixed in compotes. The introduction of raw fruits is done a little later when the digestive system is mature enough. The only exception: the banana. This can be eaten raw. As long as it is very ripe and mixed.
Baby’s Favorite Fruits
Baby’s favorite fruits are usually banana, apple and pear. But you can also try peach and apricot. Pick just one fruit per day so your child can get used to this new taste! At this age, the vitamin C contained in the fruits is not essential, since it is provided by the 2nd age milk. The compote can be mixed with the bottle if the baby refuses the spoon.
And the little pots? They meet very strict European regulations and take into account the immaturity of baby’s digestive functions. They are made with fruit guaranteed to be low in nitrates and are very fresh, since they are prepared shortly after picking. Infant fruit purees do not contain added sugar, except to correct the acidity of certain fruits (such as apricot). They are guaranteed without preservatives, coloring and artificial flavors.
Forbidden: kiwi and all exotic fruits, in order to avoid any risk of allergy.
Baby between 6 months and 1 year: a wider choice of fruits
Around 8 months, you can now try new textures like grated apple. You can also diversify fruit varieties offered to your child. Red fruits are welcome: raspberries in a compote, crushed strawberries in yoghurt. You can start mixing fruits he knows, for example, apple and pear, or peach and apricot. Give him one or two small jars spread over two or three meals or the equivalent in homemade compote. For fruit juices, choose only special baby juices, or a squeezed orange without the pulp and diluted in a little water.
When to introduce the first raw fruits?
From 9 to 12 months. Your child will discover his first raw fruits, but very ripe and mashed with a fork, or cooked, always without added sugar. Fresh or frozen, they must be mixed or crushed, and always skinless and seedless. Give him 200 to 250 g of fruit per day, or one serving at lunch and one at snack time. Forbidden: always kiwi and all exotic fruits because of the risk of allergy.
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Baby between 1 and 3 years old: vary the fruits
From 12 months to 2 years old., Your gourmet apprentice will discover strawberries, pitted cherries, pineapple, blueberries, blackcurrant, kiwi and all the exotic fruits that you can prepare in coulis, compote, soup or in thin strips. You can sweeten the compotes with a little orange juice. Vary as much as possible : up to 2 years, the little one accepts new flavors more easily. So enjoy it ! And give him three servings of fruit a day. Note: from the age of 1, he can consume the same fruit juices as you, if you take 100% pure juice.
Warning: do not give it no more than half a glass of juice and no added sugar instead of fruit for breakfast.
Around 2 years old: the first pieces of fruit
Now that your child’s chewing skills have developed, it’s time to introduce them to all the fruits, but cut into small pieces or strips, and still very ripe. Vary as much as possible: apricot, mango and melon for the beta carotene, grapes for vitamin B3, orange wedges, clementines, mashed kiwis for vitamin C. Also try some Dried fruit (apricot, date, fig, banana, prunes and grapes) cut into very small pieces. Dried bananas bring potassium, iron prunes. Fresh fruit salads are ideal for discovering the different flavors and harmonies of colors. The milkshakes, served chilled at snack time, will delight the little ones. Then mix fruits with growth milk. Fruit-based desserts offer many possibilities. For example, fry strawberries with a little honey and butter, make peach gratins and flavor fruit salads with chopped mint or vanilla.
After 3 years. He finally digests fiber and can eat whole fruit. Give him clementines, bananas …
Forbidden up to 4 years: small stone fruits and nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds, if they are not powdered.
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