Q: Is it okay to for my 6-month old to eat peaches? All the resources I’ve read says to cook fruit first.
A: When I researched introducing solids I found little data to support when to introduce certain foods, including the need to cook fruit. Feeding babies really comes down to common sense. You want to meet their nutrient needs and provide them with textures and tastes that are appropriate at different stages.
For example, apple sauce is good for a baby as raw apples are too hard. Once babies get older and can use finger foods you can grate apples without the skin.
At 6 months soft, ripe fruit without the skin is the perfect food. Fresh fruit not only tastes better but it prevents babies from getting constipated. Summer is the perfect time to try soft fruits with babies. For younger babies mash/puree it and spoon feed and for older babies cut it up into small pieces as finger foods.
For more on appropriate early foods for baby, see the following post:
After age 1 year, a great snack to try with them is Gudernoobs made by WooHoo Foods because they are vegan and raw and are high in omega-3s!
I gave raw fruit to my daughter when she was a little over six months old. With the harder fruits (apples, pears, nectarines, etc.) I simply pureed them in a food processor. It was convenient and cheaper than the jarred baby foods in the store. It was fresher too, since after it was pureed, I feed it to her. Oh, I cannot forget the most important things, it was nutritious, and tasted delicious too! 🙂
Can I puree raw fruits and veggies for baby? I mean the not soft, squishable produce? Or do I have to steam harder produce first? I have a really good food processor and a fine mesh sieve to ensure smooth texture, I just don’t know if I have to cook the foods first in order for baby to be able to digest it.
I would be careful about that and do it gradually — too much fiber may not be good for baby. Think back to when these appliances didn’t exist — babies ate softer foods etc. Also, fat and iron is important for babies so make sure to include other foods. We detail the nutrition in my book Fearless Feeding.
We fed our 5 mo old a pureed raw apple – peeling included (with just a bit of water). Is that ok? She loved it, by the way.