Most babies will light up with delight when they take their first bite of a strawberry. When can you add these berries to your baby’s menu, and what are the best ways to serve strawberries for young eaters? Strawberries can be a great food to introduce to your baby, and they are perfect for snacks or as part of a meal. Here’s everything you need to know about when to serve and how to cut strawberries for baby.
There’s nothing like strawberries’ sweet, nutritious taste when you’re introducing solids to your baby. They’re easy to prepare and great for your little one to snack on. Offer them whenever your baby starts solids – usually around six months.
How to Prepare Strawberries for Your Baby
How to cut strawberries for baby? There are multiple ways to serve strawberries to your little one. If you want to spoon-feed them, you can blend them until they’re smooth. Families following baby-led weaning (or a similar approach that involves introducing solids in the form of soft, easy-to-grab finger foods instead of purées) will need to prepare strawberries as finger food.
Feeding your baby fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to provide them with essential nutrients, and luckily they are easily prepared. For babies aged six months and up, ripe, juicy strawberries are soft enough that you can serve them raw. All you need to do is hull them and slice them into age-appropriate pieces but watch for underripe ones, though).
Aside from not being all that tasty, their firm texture could pose a choking hazard. Babies develop at their own pace, so the tips below can only serve as a guide for parents of babies who are starting to eat solid foods. When it comes to serving strawberries, remember to give your baby plenty of chances to try new things.
What Are the Benefits of Strawberries for Babies?
Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C, which helps to support your child’s immune system. Vitamin C also aids in absorbing iron, a mineral that babies and toddlers often don’t get enough of. Consider pairing iron sources like meat or beans with a side of strawberries. Most fruits, like strawberries, are packed with fiber. Additionally, strawberries are water-rich, so they’ll help toddlers stay hydrated.
Can Babies Be Allergic to Strawberries?
If you notice a red rash or hive-like bumps around your little one’s mouth after she eats strawberries, there’s a good chance it could be an allergic reaction. However, it’s more likely that her skin is slightly irritated from the fruit’s acidity.
Babies can get a rash from strawberries if they’re allergic, but it’s not usually harmful. If your baby doesn’t seem to be bothered by the rash, you don’t need to avoid strawberries. However, it might be worth discussing with your pediatrician, especially if the rash seems to bother them.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that any food can be an allergen. As for raw strawberries specifically, they aren’t a common allergen in kids under the age of three. Occasionally, raw strawberries can trigger oral allergy syndrome — a condition caused by cross-reaction between allergens found in both pollen, and raw fruits and vegetables.
Symptoms
However, babies and toddlers typically aren’t affected by this syndrome. All that said, it’s always important to be on the lookout for signs of a possible allergic reaction. Your baby or toddler might have a food allergy if, immediately or within an hour or two after eating, she experiences:
- Hives
- Itching
- Skin, lip, or tongue swelling
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Throat tightness or trouble swallowing
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or diarrhea
- Trouble breathing
If your child experiences symptoms of an allergic reaction, call your doctor right away. Allergic reactions can become more severe or even life-threatening (called anaphylaxis) if multiple body areas are affected. On the rare occasion that your child reveals signs of a life-threatening allergic reaction like trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911 right away.
Serving Finger Foods Safely
“How to cut strawberries for baby?” is a commonly asked question by many individuals. Choking hazards are a real risk for babies, as they are still learning to eat. Remember that your baby may gag as a way to expel dangerous pieces of food from his mouth. This is a natural defense mechanism and is completely normal. The gag reflex moves further back on his tongue as your baby gets older, making gagging less frequent. When your baby gags, don’t be alarmed – just watch quietly and know that your baby is eating normally. If your baby frequently gags and it seems to bother him or make him unwilling to eat, talk to your pediatrician.
Related: How to Make Baby Oatmeal
Conclusion
Delicious, sweet strawberries are an easy fruit and they’re a great choice for your baby. If you’re thinking about starting baby-led weaning, be sure to talk to your pediatrician first. He or she can help you determine whether or not your child is ready for this type of feeding and can offer advice on how to get started safely. If you have any concerns about your child’s oral-motor skills, chewing skills, swallowing skills, or anything else, speak with your pediatrician for guidance. If you’re spoon-feeding purées, you can simply blend raw strawberries in the blender and serve them.
