Baby Food - fruits

I'm making most of my own baby food. I've been using the wholesomebabyfood.com website. It says that most fruits should be cooked. Is this really necessary? When I use my Munchkin feeders, my LOs eat peaches, nectarines, plums, etc that are uncooked. When I'm not using the mesh feeders, why do I need to cook these fruits and puree them? It seems easier to just mash a really ripe peach and spoon feed, like you do with bananas. Today I peeled, mashed, and spoon fed really ripe pluots (plum/apricots). The babies seemed fine with it. Is this okay?

 

if your babies are doing fine with it than i would say yes it's okay! cooking the food is just to soften it up so it's easier for babies to chew. if the fruits you're using are easily mashed, plus you're using the mesh feeders, than i don't see why you would need to cook them.

 

If they are eating them already, there is absolutely no reason I can think of that they have to be cooked. Just mash 'em up & feed them!

 

I agree with the pp and would just mash them up.

 

I had to cook mine to get them to blend smooth enough for my boys. Jake had an awful time with his gag reflux and I couldn't even do the mesh feeders until they were 10 months. I think the cooking is just to soften them to make a puree (stage 1/2) and mashing is equivalent to stage 3.

 

Sounds like they are doing great with what you are doing, so I would stick with it!

 

cooking also breaks down the sugars a bit and makes them easier to digest. but honestly if they're doing well on raw fruit and they've been doing solids for a while it's probably not necessary.