Have you ever wondered how to feed babies banana during baby-led weaning? Babies tend to love bananas, which, when ripe, are an ideal texture for new eaters. There are many simple ways to serve babies banana as a finger food during baby-led feeding, and bananas also work well for babies when served mashed or pureed on a pre-loaded spoon or used as an ingredient in mixed dishes.
In the following blog post, we’ll explore the nutrition-related benefits of bananas for babies, baby-friendly ways to prepare bananas, and recipes for babies and toddlers that include bananas.
Are bananas nutritious for babies and toddlers?
Ripe bananas are a common and convenient first food for babies, as the texture is easy for babies to mash and swallow with gums, regardless of whether they have teeth. Bananas are high in potassium and fiber, quite nutrient-rich overall, and a great source of antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals including vitamins C and B6.
Luckily, most babies love the taste of ripe bananas, because babies are born already accustomed to sweet flavors, given that breast milk, formula, and even amniotic fluid are slightly sweet.
Bananas do not commonly cause an allergic reaction in babies and are not among the top 9 most allergenic foods, nor are they a common choking hazard for babies and toddlers, however, it’s always important to supervise when serving bananas (and any other food or beverage) to babies during meals and snacks.
Can babies and toddlers eat too many bananas?
It’s easy to serve babies and toddlers bananas often – even daily – given how easily accepted, affordable, portable, and delicious they are. I happen to also love that bananas come with their own recyclable packaging, making them easy to take with you when you and your baby are on the go.
That being said, it is important for parents and caregivers to prioritize offering babies and toddlers a diverse diet with a wide variety of foods so that they can receive all of the different nutrients they need to thrive and grow. If you find yourself offering banana on a daily basis, try to limit to once per day and work on building more variety into the rotation.
A common concern about bananas is that eating them is a risk factor for constipation, and while some studies do support this, other studies suggest that bananas may help keep things moving through the digestive tract. How the body reacts to bananas actually depends on the banana’s level of ripeness – the more ripe the banana, the less it may lead to constipation, and the more unripe (or green) the banana, the opposite, as greener bananas contain more prebiotics, which are types of dietary fibers that support the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut and promote colon health gut.
In any case, constipation in babies and toddlers is usually dependent on several different factors (such as liquid intake, activity level, toileting habits, etc.) as opposed to overdoing it on one particular food, so be sure to reach out to your pediatrician or dietitian if you have questions or concerns about your child’s bowel health.
How to prepare bananas during baby-led feeding
Banana is perfect for babies from the age of about 6 months, once the baby is ready for solid foods. If you prefer not to start with finger foods, peel, then mash the banana and serve on a preloaded spoon, or serve bananas mashed and mixed with baby cereal.
If you prefer to introduce banana via baby-led weaning, cut the banana in half widthwise, then peel halfway down so that you have created a "handle" that your baby can easily grip while taking bites from the banana flesh. Just keep in mind that if you offer banana to your baby with any part of the peel, it’s important to wash the skin well before serving in case it gets licked! If your baby eats down to the peel or drops some on the floor and wants more, remove the peel first before offering.
It’s also fine to offer adult pinky finger sized strips of ripe banana - if the strips are too slippery for baby to grasp, try rolling them in some ground flax seeds, ground nuts or chia seeds for better gripping as well as a bonus nutrient boost and some extra omega-3 fatty acids. The texture of hemp seeds, bread crumbs and shredded, unsweetened coconut are all viable options for this as well.
As babies and toddlers grow, you can continue to offer banana whole and partly peeled or start to experiment with offering banana cut into small bites. A small piece of banana offers a great way for toddlers to start mastering the skill of spearing foods with a little fork.
