8 fun ways you can serve fruit for your little one
It probably doesn’t need to be said but eating a variety of fruits is one of the BEST ways to ensure your little one is getting a good range of nutrients. We are lucky to have access to so many different types of fruit in the supermarket these days, it can be hard to know what to choose sometimes!
Just like adults, children need to have at least 5 appropriate-sized portions of fruits and vegetables per day (generally speaking a portion is what fits into their hand).
Aim for 2 portions of fruit initially once your baby has started weaning. You can start with a small amount as you can always offer more.
For a 16 month old an example of serving sizes is as follows:
- 1/4 pear
- 3 strawberries
- 1/2 kiwi fruit
- 1/4 apple
- 3 cherries or grapes (quartered lengthwise)
- 1/2 tangerine
- 1/4 banana.
You even can serve fruits as they are (make sure you cut them appropriately so they are not a choking risk). Solid Starts has some great infographics regarding the best way to prepare/serve most types of fruit!
Fruit is also great to offer at breakfast with yoghurt or alongside porridge, toast or cereal and with milk. It can also be offered at snack time (not all children need or want snacks!) or as a dessert with something like yoghurt.
8 fun ways you can serve fruit for your little one
To ensure you and your little one never get bored of eating the same fruit…
We asked our expert chefs at V&Me for 8 fun ways you can serve fruit for your little one!
You could mash some fruit e.g. banana with some dairy-free yoghurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon or vanilla.
Sliced banana with some dairy-free creme fraiche
Freeze banana slices (or other fruit) and then blend with dairy-free milk to make a deliciously thick no added sugar ice cream
You can also use the above to make a smoothie bowl and add extra nutrients with some desiccated coconut, seed butter or milled seeds, and fresh fruit
Fruit Bowl from V&Me
Blend some fruit with a bit more dairy-free yoghurt/dairy-free milk alternative and some vanilla to make a smoothie and this can be frozen into ice lollies (great in the summer).
Get your little one used to the taste of fruit by making a dairy/egg-free added sugar banana cake, pancake or other fruit muffin (at V&Me we serve some lovely dairy-free/egg-free fruit-based bakes).
Make a homemade chia jam (no added sugar) to be used on porridge or mixed with yoghurt
A fruit compote – no added sugar but simply stew down your fruit of choice with some water and spices (mixed spice, vanilla or cinnamon) and serve on dairy-free yoghurt. These compotes last great in the fridge or freezer!
Top tips for serving fruit for babies in general!
Keep offering them!
Just because they pull a face doesn’t mean they don’t like what they’re eating! Keep exposing them to the food. Most children need to try something at least 8-10 times before they will accept
Role modelling is really important!
So many children are left to eat alone and they have no one to watch or learn from. Nursery can be really helpful in this sense but even just trying to share meals on the weekend is a great start for you to start role modelling.
Other strategies to help with food refusal include food-based play, which is a great way to increase confidence in touching and handling foods with no pressure to eat. Involving children in decisions around food (when they are old enough), preparing food, laying the table and deciding what to cook/bake/grow can all increase the likelihood of them wanting to eat it in the end.
Fruit and vegetables are particularly difficult to get children to accept so incorporating ideas in the form of a story and learning about how they feel, smell, appear, and where they come from, is a really good way of building up exposure.
Babies & young children are very good at picking up on parental anxiety and pressures to eat. Try not to watch your baby intently (it’s quite off-putting) – you need to stay with them (obviously) so that you can keep them safe but try to get on with your own meal.
Constant encouragement or commenting about food and what is/or isn’t being eaten is a form of pressure and you might be surprised by how much of a difference it can make to be relaxed!
Some fruits to watch out for when feeding your baby:
Some fruits e.g. plums may cause gastrointestinal discomfort (bloating and gas) and may lead to looser stools.
Just watch how much you give off these types of fruits and how often. Fruits that won’t lead to this include blueberries, clementines, kiwi, oranges, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, cantaloupe melon, grapes and slightly under-ripe bananas.
If you are worried your little one isn’t eating a good variety of foods in general then you should speak with your healthcare provider or arrange to see a children’s dietitian.
If you are short on time and inspiration to serve your baby the variety they need, why not try V&Me’s baby meal delivery service?
From a rotating seasonal menu, our team of dedicated chefs prepare a different daily menu from scratch every morning and deliver it straight to your doorstep.
It’s the perfect way for busy London parents to ensure their little ones are getting all the variety and freshness they need to build healthy eating habits. And the best part is it’s totally guilt-free!
No preservatives, no salt, no sugar – just fresh, whole ingredients cooked exactly as you would do at home.
How to sign up?
If you’re a London parent and you want to join the growing number of mums and dads getting fresh baby food deliveries to their doorstep, click the link below and get your first delivery now!
We are now delivering to almost all central London postcodes, including popular areas like Westminster, Herne Hill, Parsons Green, Chiswick, Shoreditch, Fulham, Camden Town, Putney, Brixton, and Kennington.
