Weaning:Fruits and vegetables for baby - do they have to be cooked?When weaning baby at 6 months, many parents wonder whether they should cook fruits and veggies. It depends partly on his stage of development - and partly on the specific fruit or vegetable. Let's look at some of the reasons you may choose to cook produce for your little one... Reduce the risk of chokingMany raw fruits and vegetables do, of course, present a choking hazard to babies. Take a carrot, for example - in its raw state it's very hard and - unless your child is equipped with molars (back teeth) - he could easily bite off a piece that he's unable to chew. A cooked chunk of carrot, on the other hand, is nicely soft and makes a perfect finger food. An alternative to cooking fruits or veggies that you are concerned may present a choking hazard to your baby is to place them in a Teething Feeder ( read mums' reviews of the Baby Safe feeder). This allows him to gnaw away to his heart's content, with the mesh preventing him biting off any lumps (a sort of 'do-it-yourself' puree!). Another option is to try grating raw, hard vegetables very finely. Remember, though, that some raw produce - a ripe, juicy pear for instance - should not be hazardous to your baby. If it feels 'squashy' and soft, then it should not need cooking for babies from 6 months onwards. DigestibilityRaw fruits (with the exception of banana and avocado) and vegetables may be harder for your baby to digest than cooked ones. This is because fresh produce contains a substance called cellulose. The human digestive system treats cellulose as a waste product - meaning that uncooked fruits and veggies may give your baby diarrhoea. Cooking produce softens the cellulose or breaks it down completely, making the food much easier to digest. That being said, many babies do eat and digest raw fruits and veggies perfectly well from six months of age. Allergic reactionsSome sources suggest introducing cooked produce to your baby initially, because the cooking process alters the tiny amount of protein contained in fruits and veggies. This makes them less likely to cause allergic reactions. The theory is that - once you've safely introduced the food in its cooked form - you can then try introducing it raw (some pediatricians advise waiting until baby is around 7-8 months). ContaminationMany parents feel safer cooking fruits and vegetables for baby because heat destroys most food-borne bacteria. It's certainly true that produce may be contaminated by bacteria or pesticide residues and great care should be taken during preparation. So, you should always vigourously rinse any fruit or veg and/or peel it before feeding it to your baby. FlavourSome fruits and vegetables taste a little different once they've been cooked. In itself, this isn't a problem - but in the case of fruits like plums, peaches and nectarines - it can lead to the final product being too sour for your baby's palate! Always cook soft fruits with their skins and stones intact, then remove them before pureeing or serving. This helps the fruits retain their natural sweetness. In summary, the decision of whether or not to cook fruits or vegetables for your baby is yours to make. If you do offer your baby uncooked produce, it's a good idea to avoid introducing any other new foods for four days - that way, if your baby experiences any tummy upset, then you'll know which food is responsible! Suggestions for fruits and vegetables that may be served raw: banana *Please note that the foods marked with an asterisk are often introduced towards the end of baby's first year or later, because they are common culprits of tummy upsets or allergic reactions in younger babies. by Christine Albury About the author Christine Albury has four children (from 3 to 13) and has cooked for them all, so over the yearsshe's amassed heaps of recipes! Christine says"I'm committed to cooking with fresh and healthy ingredients and also to encouraging a sophisticated palate from an early age. I don't subscribe to the theory that baby food has to be bland - and, judging from readers' responses to my site (www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com) - many other parents feel the same! Instead, I suggest that parents experiment with herbs and aromatic spices (not salt) to create meals that are nutritious AND tasty! I also fully support recommendations that babies do not receive solid foods before 6 months of age and I do not provide recipes for babies younger than that."
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