Apples puree is considered the best type of feeding for an infant. Pediatricians advise one of the first to introduce it into the baby's diet, since apples are a source of vitamins and rarely cause allergies.
Applesauce - a source of vitamins for a small child
The benefits of applesauce for a child
The selection of applesauce is now varied. You can buy a complementary food product in a store, or you can make applesauce for babies from fresh apples with your own hands. It is prepared both for quick consumption and for vitamin preparations for the winter.
Important! Pediatricians warn that applesauce tastes best for babies, so you need to introduce it into complementary foods after vegetable dishes. The kid, accustomed to delicious food, rejects vegetables and cereals.
Composition and nutritional value
Apples compare favorably with other fruits in the presence of vitamins and minerals. They are popular with mothers who care about the health and nutrition of their children. Nutritionists advise to introduce them into the diet of all newborns, since the fruits are saturated with vitamins A, B, C. They have antioxidants to strengthen the immune system, there is a large percentage of iron necessary to increase hemoglobin, as well as potassium and calcium, which are involved in the formation of the skeleton.
How to choose the right apples in the store
Choosing the right apples for your mashed potatoes at home is not difficult. The main thing is to heed the advice of experts. Children's nutritionists believe that for a mother deciding how to make applesauce for a baby, fruits grown on her own plot are useful. If you have to buy apples in stores, then the following are best suited:
- Domestic varieties - green "Simirenko", with light peel "White filling", with sourness "Antonovka". They are rich in nutrients and very rarely cause allergies.
Important! Local apples are good because they are adapted to a certain region, but they can only be purchased during the harvest season. During storage, fruits lose vitamins, so they are used for homemade puree only freshly picked.
Apples of domestic varieties are recommended for feeding small children
- Imported fruits can be purchased at any time of the year, but pediatricians advise you to be very careful with them, since they are treated with a chemical composition during transportation, which can harm a child.
Council. When buying apples, you don't need to focus on appearance. Often an indicator of the naturalness and natural purity of fruits is their unpresentability.
At what age to give applesauce
The first complementary foods are introduced from 5-6 months, the "artificial" are offered additional food earlier, and the baby, who is on the guards, receives complementary foods later.
Despite the fact that applesauce is one of the first to be introduced, pediatricians advise offering it to children gradually, after becoming acquainted with other products with a less pronounced taste. Therefore, it is recommended to give applesauce to a child:
- Not earlier than six months;
- After successful feeding with cereals and vegetables;
- In case of constipation or other stool disorders (as recommended by a pediatrician).
Is it suitable for the first feeding
Due to its sweet taste, applesauce is not suitable for the first feeding. It is recommended to introduce apples into the children's diet from about 6 months, after assimilating vegetable dishes from squash, carrots and potatoes. With artificial feeding, it is allowed to steam an apple for babies from the age of five months.
How to make applesauce the right way
Preserving fresh applesauce will provide a supply of natural vitamins for the winter. A self-made product can become an alternative to ready-made mashed potatoes, homogenized, adapted for the child's body. Many young mothers want to feed their babies with natural products. Recipes on how to make mashed apples for babies can be found on children's sites.
You can make healthy applesauce at home
Blender cooking
To cook an apple in a blender, rinse it thoroughly, scald it with boiling water and remove the skin. Having cleared the fruit in this way, it is cut into pieces, the grains and partitions are removed. Then the prepared product is ground in a blender. For children with sensitive digestion, it is better to boil a crushed apple in a water bath.
Council. Do not use a meat grinder to grind the fruit, as its parts may not be rinsed enough after the meat, and microbes will get into the fruit puree.
Important! Pediatricians warn that if a baby develops loose stools after a raw apple, it is necessary to switch to heat treatment. For example, it is useful to make mashed apples baked in the microwave.
Applesauce recipe
If parents want to stock up on complementary foods for babies from their own apples, then it is best to prepare canned puree. It is easy to make according to proven recipes:
- Peel 1 kg of green apples from the peel, seeds and core, finely chop and grind in a blender.
- Place a homogeneous mass in a saucepan, pour 0.5 liters of water and bring to a boil.
- Cook over low heat for twenty minutes. Nutritionists advise adding a tablespoon of sugar to the puree.
- After heat treatment, the finished product is placed in sterilized jars. Store the puree in a dark place.
If an apple is steamed for a baby, you do not need to add sugar, the fruit contains fructose to meet the needs of the baby.
Council. At home, mashed potatoes do not need to be prepared for future use, since the fruit retains its valuable substances in a freshly prepared form.
Applesauce for complementary foods by month
According to the rules of nutrition at the beginning of complementary feeding, the daily portion should reach 60-65 g. When the mother is convinced that the child absorbs the product well, the portion gradually increases.
Applesauce can be offered to babies after they have tasted vegetables.
How often to give applesauce
It is best to switch to fruits in baby food after the child has tasted vegetables. Complementary feeding begins with a minimum portion - half a teaspoon in the morning, so it is easier to track the baby's reaction to a new dish.
The amount of puree by month
For mothers, a table has been compiled of the child's daily need for applesauce in different months, which it is useful to adhere to to avoid negative reactions:
- 65 years are offered at 6 months;
- at 7 months, 75 g is enough;
- at 8 months, the baby eats 85 g;
- from 9 months to a year, 100 g is enough for a child.
What can be combined with
Important! Nutritionists recommend starting a baby's acquaintance with fruit with a one-component fruit puree, then different fruits can be mixed.
You cannot combine an apple with exotic fruits such as mango, so as not to provoke an allergic reaction. It is more useful to make a choice in favor of fruits that bear fruit in a given area (pears, plums, apples) in order to make a multi-component puree.
Potential Problems With Applesauce
When feeding a baby with applesauce, sometimes problems arise that worry young parents. It can be bloating, loose stools, and regurgitation. The most negative reaction is considered to be allergy to complementary foods. In such cases, it is recommended to immediately exclude it from the menu and contact your pediatrician.
Important! For parents' peace of mind, it should be noted that most often reactions arise not because of a new product, but because of the wrong selection of apples. Red and sweet varieties should not be offered to your baby.
Signs of allergies
It is believed that applesauce is well absorbed, has a positive effect on the digestive tract and rarely causes allergies. However, studies show that some children suffer from apple allergies. This is due to the fact that the child has not yet formed the immune and digestive systems. Allergic reactions to apples are classified as food, so they have common symptoms.
Parents need to know the main symptoms of reactions:
- Rash on the skin and mucous membranes;
- Scratching the skin;
- Stomach upset;
- Abdominal pain, urge to vomit;
- Swelling in the mouth;
- Redness of the eyes and watery eyes.
Apples correctly selected and cooked do not cause allergic reactions in the child
Apples are deservedly called the fruit of health and are considered useful for babies, as they strengthen the immune system and are a preventive measure. Even with the manifestation of allergic reactions, you do not need to completely abandon apples, later you can use green varieties in a processed form.
