Baby Led Weaning Strawberries: 5 Easy Steps to Prepare Strawberries for Babies | Kiddiesquare (2024)

Strawberries are tasty and attractive, and babies are drawn to it quickly because of its juicy and sweet taste. When babies are old enough for strawberry, then baby led weaning strawberries should be on your baby’s meal menu. Strawberries are rich in nutrient and a good source of Vitamin C, fiber, Anthocyanins, Quercetin, etc.

Baby led weaning is a self-feeding idea where parents allow their babies to feed themselves from a sliced/smashed strawberry or even strawberry puree placed before them. Strawberry is low in sugar and fat and added to a wide range of dishes. Give your kids strawberry for a meal or snack, rather than buying them some biscuits or any other processed food in the supermarket. It’s the best choice you can make to prevent obesity and other health problems.

Baby Led Weaning Strawberries

Baby led weaning strawberries are one of baby’s first foodsrecipes ideas. When parents decide to proceed with baby led weaningstrawberries, they should be mindful of three aspects: size, eating comfort,and texture.

Texture: baby led weaning strawberries should be soft enough to smash even with gentle pressure. Therefore, steam strawberries first to soften them before given to your baby.

Size: baby led weaning strawberries size also matters, both for safety (to avoid chocking) and easy picking of the food. If your baby is unable to pick up the food, what is the point then? Since a whole lot of 7 or 8 month-olds can’t pick food correctly, but holding foods with their entire palm. Cut foods in a rectangular form about the span and size of a grownup pinky finger to make it much easier to grab.

Ease and eating comfort: making it easy for babies to able to pick strawberries to feed themselves is essential. For certain foods, the use of a crinkle cutter can also be beneficial.

Nutrients in Strawberry

Strawberries are abundant in the following nutrients and are very beneficiary to your baby’s health:

1. Anthocyanins
2. Ellagic acid
3. Quercetin
4. Vitamin C
5. Fiber

1. Anthocyanins

This fortified micro nutrient with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties. In addition, they work as antioxidants that fights free radicals. An anthocyanin-fortified substance has long been used in herbal medicine to treat various disorders (as well as HBP, UTIs and colds). Recent work indicates that anthocyanins can also help prevent significant health problems, including heart disease and cancer.

2. Ellagic acid

Ellagic acids are micronutrient found in fruits andvegetables. Ellagic acid is known for its antioxidant properties that removestoxins from your body and protects against harmful molecules known as freeradicals. In addition to its antioxidant benefits, ellagic acid has shown itsability to fight cancer, inflammation, obesity, and other diseases.

3. Quercetin

Fruits, vegetables, and grains have quercetin a naturalpigment present in them. It has antioxidants and plays a vital role in helpingyour body combat free radicals, which they linked to chronic diseases. Besidesits antioxidant properties, they help to reduce inflammation, allergy symptoms,and blood pressure.

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C contains antioxidants that can strengthen yourbody’s natural defenses. An antioxidant can boost the immune system. They do soby protecting cells from harmful molecules called free radicals. These freeradicals are known to link to many chronic diseases.

Studies show that blood levels of antioxidants increases by30% when more vitamin C when consumed. Vitamin C helps the body’s naturaldefenses fight inflammation. In persons living with or without high bloodpressure, Vitamin C can lower blood pressure.

5. Fiber

There are fibers found in fruits, vegetables, grains, andnuts. Fiber can help you live longer. By increasing fiber in your diet, it willconsiderably improve or prevent health conditions such as diabetes, highcholesterol, obesity, and various digestion problems, like constipation, coloncancer, and diverticulitis, etc.

Strawberry’s Health Benefits

We always want the best for our babies as good parent,particularly when they are very young. Strawberries come with many benefits andone of the best choices for your children.

1. Care for the Eyes

The Vitamin C found in strawberry help to improve and takecare of children’s eyes. Vitamin C protects children’s eyes from free radicals,which are the only significant cause of eye-related issues. Additionally, itthe job of vitamin C to help strengthen the cornea and retina

2. Fights Scurvy

Strawberry is great source of Vitamin C; they provide excellentprotection for your baby against a childhood disease known as scurvy. When kidslack vitamin C in their diet, it leads to the problem of the teeth, so addingstrawberry in your children’s diet can help avert this problem.

3. Improve Immunity

Quercetin and Vitamin C in strawberries serve as an immunitybooster, improving your children’s immunity system against diseases.Strawberries have been found to protect children from health difficulties likeinfluenza, bronchitis or anemia and other terrible diseases triggered due to aweak immune system. One cup of strawberries has about 150% of vitamin Crequired by children’s daily needs; include strawberries in your child’s dailymeal should not be neglected.

4. Anti-cancer properties.

Strawberry is a rich source of micro nutrients like quercetin, anthocyanins, etc., which are known for destroying cancer-cell and also preventing their growth. Ellagic acids found in strawberry have anti-cancer properties that reduce cancer cell growth. They join forces to form good protection against the growth of cancer and tumors cells

5. Improve Digestive system

Fibers found in strawberry can better or improve digestionin babies. This fiber can reduce high cholesterol, diabetes in the body. Afiber deficiency in kids can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as diarrheaor tummy pain.

6. Reduces High Cholesterol

Strawberry is very rich in phytonutrients, like flavonoidsand Ellagic acids, which help to prevent any kind of heart disease in kids, aswell as reducing the risk of having high cholesterol.

7. Promotes Brain Health

Strawberry improves children’s brain health. Every parentwants their kids to be intelligent, smart. To improve and better your kid’sbrain functionality gives your children strawberries. Researchers have foundout that it is far benefiting to feeds children strawberries than any otherfood supplement.

8. Good Source of Calcium and Phosphorus

Calcium is vital for bone development in a child. It alsohelps in the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nerves. Phosphorous canimprove digestion, help repair cells, break down protein, and is responsiblefor regulating the chemical reactions that transpire in children’s bodies.

How to prepare Baby Led Weaning Strawberries

1: Select &Buying

When buying strawberries from the farmer market or supermarket, it is better to select and buy those that are ripe. An even red color without any green or white marks, is how a ripe strawberries should appear.

Look for fruits that are free from scratches, bruises, and other blemishes when you buy fresh strawberries. As strawberry are one such foods with higher residue of pesticides, but purchasing organic strawberries is the best.

2: Strawberries Should be Wash & Slice

Strawberries for baby led weaning should be washed properly with water three times and finally with white vinegar to kill bacteria.

Dry immediately after Rinsing with cool running water. Remove the stem and cut each strawberry in half, and remove the stems where there are any.

3: Steam the Strawberries

Gather the sliced strawberries and place the fruit in asteamer and cook for 4 – 5 minutes. Drain strawberries and rinse with coldwater for three minutes in a colander to stop the cooking process. Emptystrawberries into a strainer then rinse with cold water for about three minutesto halt the cooking process.

4: Chop the Strawberries

Slice strawberries further into small sizes or width of anadult pinky finger, depending on the desirable size safe for your baby. Mashthe strawberries with a potato masher for chunkier strawberry puree, which isperfect for babies at eight months or more.

5: Serve Strawberry

In Baby led weaning strawberries, the sliced or mashedstrawberries placed in smaller plates or bowl suitable for babies. To make mealfun and colorful, strawberries can be served along with sliced apple, avocado,pear, and other fruits.

Can Strawberries be given to Children?

You may be wondering if it is safe to give your baby strawberries. Before you introduce any new foods to your baby, it’s essential to check with a pediatrician.

Embarking on Baby led Strawberries is good and healthy for your baby, as long as the strawberries are cut into small, manageable pieces (one that baby can easily hold on to) and won’t cause choking.

The best time to start solid foods is around 6 – 7 months, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). By that age, most babies can now sit up by themselves and hold onto objects.

They have also developed the ability to spite out foreign substances out of their mouths (tongue-thrust reflex). Their intestines have developed the necessary digestive enzymes to break-down solid food.

No matter how healthy and tastier strawberries are, parents should be careful when adding strawberries to baby led weaning menu.

Strawberries have been discovered to caused allergic reaction to some babies. For safety, parents should give strawberries to babies that are a year old and above. History of allergies in the family also should be taken into consideration.

Precautions

It’s essential to contact a pediatric experienced inchildren’s diet before you do Baby Led Weaning strawberries with your baby.Most importantly, keep this in mind:

• Make sure your baby is ready, and not too early to start.
• Is your baby old enough to sit down?
• Avoid placing food in baby’s mouth with your fingers.
• Present meals to your baby in a clean and calm environment.
• Check the texture of food between your tongue and top of your mouth before presenting them to your baby.
• Make sure you continuously keep an eye on your baby when eating.

Wrapping Up

Parents need to consult a pediatrician for guidance and safety tips before embarking on baby led weaning strawberries. Strawberries could be allergic to some babies; knowing your family history with strawberries is essential.

Other than that, strawberries are healthy foods for babies, and they protect against disease and other health problems.