Feed Pears for Constipation in Babies
Pears are one of the best anti-constipation foods so a Pear Baby Puree was my favorite way to relieve digestive problems for my baby when we started solids.
A lot of times when family and/or friends saw me buying apples and pears for my son's baby purees, they'd ask me why I bother with both when they're really similar. Why not just use apples since they have a broader spectrum of use?
The reason is baby constipation.
Pears (and other so-called "P" fruits) can do wonders for your kids' digestive systems at the beginning of starting solids when it's just getting accustomed to something new.
So pears were a must-have in our house in the first few months of starting solids. And pear baby purees were the easiest thing to make when my son had those issues. Or maybe just as prevention. Either way, it worked.
For that reason (and many other nutritional ones) I wanted to share with you this quick and easy way to make the perfect pear baby puree that can prevent a lot of sleepless nights (and days) due to tummy aches.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Nutritional Benefits
- How To Make Pear Baby Puree
- Possible Pear Baby Puree Variations
- More Puree Recipes You May Like:
- Recipe
Ingredients
To make this Pear Baby Puree, you'll need the following ingredient:
Pear (obviously): if you have the option, choose organic.
It's not necessary for a 6-month-old baby because you'll be removing the skin which contains most of the pesticide residues. However, if you'll be serving older babies/toddlers and will not be removing the skin (since it is not required for babies 8 months and older), organic ones are a better option.
The reason we recommend removing the skin (and cooking fruit for that matter) is that babies' digestive systems are not yet capable of fully digesting the skin and uncooked fruit which may cause gastrointestinal problems.
Nutritional Benefits
Pear:pears are a real nutritional bomb. Especially the skin (hence why organic can make so much difference). Research has shown that the pear skins can contain 3 to 4 times more phenolic compounds than the flesh.
But why is that so important?
Because these phenolic compounds can provide a whole lot of great benefits for our body.
They can act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and even anti-carcinogens.
Apart from phenolic compounds, pears are also a great source of dietary fiber and vitamin C but also copper and vitamin K. So a real nutritional bomb.
How To Make Pear Baby Puree
Wash and peel. Especially if you have a non-organic pears it'll need a thorough washing and peeling of the skin. This is to ensure that no pesticide residues go into our Pear Baby Puree.
If you have organic ones, then peeling might not be necessary unless you're offering to a child younger then 8 months.
Babies that have just started eating solids could have a hard time digesting the skins even in puree form, which might cause tummy issues that can easily be avoided.
Cut.This Pear Baby Puree requires thermal processing (e.g. cooking, steaming, baking, etc.) and will later be processed into a puree so it really doesn't matter how you cut the foods.
I just cut it into chunks so that they fit into my baby cooker but if you're baking, steaming, or boiling, I'd say bigger pieces will do.
Process. I prefer steaming as it is the process that retains the most nutrients in foods. And the best investment I made into my baby's nutrition was buying a baby cooker. I have this one but really any that steams and blends (2 in 1) is perfect.
You can also boil (don't put too much water) or bake in the oven.
I don't really like baking because it dries up the food too much so they don't have that nice creamy texture in the end. If steaming or boiling, make sure to keep the water to add to the puree if needed.
Cool. I prefer to let it sit and cool for about 10 minutes before blending. But if you're in a hurry you can blend immediately.
Blend.Put the pear in the blender and blend until a smooth consistency is reached. You might need to add some water (teaspoon by teaspoon) to reach a smooth puree consistency although I never had to. The pear was always just moist enough to provide that consistency.
Possible Pear Baby Puree Variations
Mashed. If you're over the puree stage or transitioning from purees to finger food then this recipe is great if you modify the "how-to" part. You'd still want to follow all the how-to instructions until you reach the "blend" part. Instead of blending simply mash and mix.
Lumps. If you're just a step away from finger food, you can also blend or mash one half of the cooked/steamed/baked pear and the leave the rest in pieces and then mix. That way your child will get used to new textures.
Finger food. Pear can also be great finger food. When cutting it before steaming/boiling/baking, choose longer and thinner sticks if your baby is still on the palmar grasp or cut into cubes if they've mastered the pincer grasp. Check out our post on How to Transition to Finger Foods.
More Puree Recipes You May Like:
- How to Make Baby's First Apple Puree
- Zucchini Sweet Potato Puree
- Buckwheat Pear Puree
- Beetroot Raspberry Pudding
- 5 Recipes To Relieve Constipation
Recipe
How to Make Pear Baby Puree
Easy, nutritious and a perfect anti-constipation puree - this Pear Baby Puree is one your baby will love.
- 1 pear
-
Peel and wash the pear and cut into cubes.
-
If you have a baby cooker, set the baby cooker and steam. If you are steaming with a steamer basket, place the cut up pears in the steamer basket over a pot filled with water and turn the heat to high and cover the pot. Should take about 10-15 minutes.
-
Remove the pears and place in your blender.
-
Blend until you get a nice puree consistency and keep adding water tsp by tsp if you need it to be more smooth.
Calories: 101 kcal Carbohydrates: 27 g Protein: 1 g Fat: 1 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g Sodium: 2 mg Potassium: 206 mg Fiber: 6 g Sugar: 17 g Vitamin A: 45 IU Vitamin C: 8 mg Calcium: 16 mg Iron: 1 mg
Let us know how it was!
Source: https://www.creativenourish.com/how-to-make-the-perfect-pear-baby-puree/
0 Response to "Feed Pears for Constipation in Babies"
Post a Comment