How to Serve Banana BLW
Learn how to prepare a banana for BLW so it’s easy for your baby to hold based on their age and development. There are four easy options here so you can pick the one that works best.
BLW Banana 6 Months
Babies that are just starting to eat solids at 6-7 months of age are not able to pick up foods with their thumb and index finger (what we call the pincer grasp), thus we have to make pieces of food big enough for them to hold and gum on. Because one of the principles of baby led weaning is that the baby has the choice to feed themselves.
4 Ways How to Serve Banana BLW
- Leave part of the rind on for baby to hold
- Cut into strips and roll in hemp hearts
- Cut into strips and roll in flax meal
- Mash into grooves in EzTotz Utensils
Nutritional Benefits of Bananas for Baby
Did you know that not all bananas are created equal? I’m saying that the nutritional benefit of bananas changes throughout the ripening process.
According to the National Library of Medicine in a 2021 study, the fiber content of bananas decreases as bananas ripen. In contrary, the sugar content increases as the banana ripens. Which makes sense since bananas are sweeter as they ripen. Unripe bananas also contain more prebiotic
If you’re worried about bananas causing your baby to be constipated, let it ripen a day or two and try it.
Additional Ingredients Nutrition:
Adding hemp hearts and/or flax meal to your blw banana adds nutritional benefit for your baby! Hemp Hearts pack a huge punch of iron which is essential around this age especially for breastfed infants. Both of them are a good source of omega-3’s which are great for your baby’s brain development. Omega-3’s are also a source of unsaturated fat which is the one touted for heart health. Fats are also great because they make food taste good and we definitely want food to be tasty for our baby.
BLW Banana 8-9 months (for those babies with a pincer grasp)
Around 8-9 months, babies start to develop their pincer grasp. therefore, they can pickup things in smaller pieces.
Pictured below is a yummy breakfast you could offer your baby. You could cut this into strips for a younger baby or bite sized pieces for an older baby.
You spread a *thin* layer of nut butter (spreading it thick can be a choke hazard) on 100% whole grain toast, mash or cut bananas into pieces and sprinkle with hemp hearts. This is of course, pending you have introduced wheat and nut butter separately as they are 2 of the top 9 allergens.
More BLW Banana Recipes
Bored with just bananas and want to try a new banana recipe? Try these banana pancakes…
FAQs
There are a couple of ways to serve bananas for baby led weaning based on how old your baby is. You can serve it in strips for younger babies 6-9ish months and pieces for older babies who have developed a pincer grasp.
Bananas are a great baby-led weaning food because they are quick and easy to prepare, they pack a nutritional punch and they can be easily combined with other foods.
Bananas are naturally soft enough to mash with your thumb and index finger indicated that are not a choke hazard for babies.
Choking should not be confused with gagging, which is a completely normal and learning experience for babies.
PIN THIS IDEA FOR LATER
