Banana
Unbelievably messy, somehow. We are talking about a simple, friendly, almost smiley yellow banana after all. Honestly, this is best served to a naked baby, but if not I would seriously recommend a combination of fabric and pelican bibs. Banana turns a particularly revolting and utterly permanent black colour on clothes, so cover up well.
I find the best way to serve a banana to my little monkey is to chop it in half across the middle and then peel it down the sides as if it were two bananas. I try not to expose more than about an inch and a half of the fruit, because otherwise it breaks off, and I snip off the excess skin with scissors. If I don’t, the baby eats the skin and much as I buy fancy-schmantzy fair trade organic bananas I still don’t think the skin is that desirable for her to eat.
The good thing about doing it this way is that the baby can hold onto the dry skin and eat the flesh without dropping it. She loves banana, and looks unbelievably cute while eating them (see photographic evidence, in particular Miss G).
I have read that bananas can make babies constipated, but then I have also seen them touted as a cure for constipation so who knows? Ask your health visitor (pfffshaaahaahaw!) or instead use your cunning and well-honed maternal instincts to decide if banana has a detrimental effect on your wee one. The nappies are a big clue.
Post Script
About the nappies… someone posted in a complete panic on Mumsnet that their baby appeared to have contracted thread worms and that she had phoned NHS Direct. About fifteen people responded with a calm ‘er, did you give her a banana?’
I’d completely forgotten the shock of seeing your first banana nappy, when Babybear got hers I actually rang my mum. Vile, I tell you, vile. And wormy.
Also, just to let you know that Babybear has long since graduated from the ‘skin-on’ method of banana consumption and now that her grip and dexterity has improved she just takes half of it at a time.
| Tweet |
Of course! Thank you for this! We peeled the banana, skin right off and of course the poor thing couldn’t get a good enough grip to enjoy the thing! We’ll try with the peel on next time! :)
It is unripe bananas that cause constipation i.e. green or plain yellow bananas.
Once the black dots begin they are ripe and can cure constipation.
Thank you for this comment! We have been battling bread roll-induced (thanks, grandma) constipation for the past two weeks and it just so happens that I have them bananas lying around with black spots now as I didn’t give any to JB because I feared they would make things worse! Will now try the spotted ones and hope for the best!
My little Naomi LOVES bananas! She likes them any way she can get them but especially likes them extra ripe and frozen. I guess it soothes her gums too(teeth are coming in). I cut them up and place the peices on wax paper and freeze them solid. then I pull out a peice at a time and she gums it through a mesh teether until the banana is gone.
what a brilliant idea! Will have to try this out as my little one just loves his mesh teether.
Urrrrgggghhhh! We have just started BLW with Eva and I’d completely forgotten how messy banana can be! Cause y#know, the 3yo can demolish one with no mess at all. So I gave one to the baby just before nursery pick-up. This was a ROOKIE mistake. Be warned. Bananas are for controlled situations… ;)
[…] to decide if banana has a detrimental effect on your wee one. The nappies are a big clue. Source: Banana – Baby Led Weaning Reply With Quote « Previous Thread | Next Thread […]
I use the skin on method with great success. My 8 month old can eat half a banana with very little mess. But the banana also has the wonderful ability to split into three segments if you apply gentle pressure to the tip/end. You suddenly have less slippy, finger-sized pieces. Brilliant!
I remember the first time i saw someone doing that, Ali… A BABY FOOD MIRACLE right in front of my eyes!
Just a word of caution… if you are not giving Lil’ One bananas that are certain to be pesticide-free and with washed skins, DON’T let them hold the outside nor touch it yourself followed by touching the fruit itself. Banana skins are notoriously absorbant of pesticides and other materials.
Thanks for that about the skins – i can’t get organic ones where I live so will not give in skin anymore.
Can you give a 11 month old baby green bananas? I was thinking about making them into banana fries coated in coconut oil and baking them until tender. Has anyone given their babies a cooked green banana any other way? Thanks!
Gosh, that sounds DELICIOUS. What would make you think that you can’t give it to her, is it the green-ness?
[…] just getting a handle on eating, leaving the peel on is perhaps the best way to serve them banana. Simply chop the banana in half (with the skin still on), peel down the skin about an inch and a half, and let baby eat/play with […]