How To Introduce Baby Led Weaning Banana To Babies
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Bananas For Babies
The good news is bananas are a great baby-led weaning ingredient because they’re naturally sweet, soft and easy for little hands to hold, making them safe for a baby-led feeding finger food; they also contain important nutrients like potassium, vitamin B6 and fibre to support growth and digestion. Great for baby’s diet and a 6 month old baby.
Their creamy texture means they can be offered mashed, in thick slices or as a finger-food wedge without much risk of choking, and they work well as a base or binder in many banana recipes—think simple banana muffins, fluffy banana pancakes or even a gently baked banana that intensifies the sweetness.
Versatile and widely available, bananas are an affordable, no-fuss option to introduce new flavours and textures while allowing babies to explore independent eating.
Are Bananas Ok For Baby at 6 Months Old
Bananas are great for babies from around six months old and are popular for a new food and first time food for baby-led weaning because they are soft, naturally sweet and easy to mash with little teeth or gums; they provide useful nutrients such as potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, and their low allergenic profile means they rarely cause reactions.
Offer ripe baby banana slices (the ones with brown spots) at these early stages or thick sticks that baby can hold to help practice self-feeding skills, and watch for choking risks by ensuring pieces are an appropriate size and texture—overripe bananas may be too soft and sticky, while unripe bananas can be cut into manageable shapes.
If introducing solids alongside milk feeds from 6 months old, start with small amounts and observe for any signs of intolerance or allergy, and consult your health visitor or GP if you have a family history of food allergies or any concerns for any medical advice.
Ingredient information
Bread - I have used a wholemeal bread for this recipe which is a great idea for nutrition, but you could use a soft white bread for those that are 6 months old. A great way to introduce babies to bread.
Whole banana - Bananas are a great ingredient for baby led weaning. They can be mashed, sliced or baked for a great baby led weaning meal for all ages.
Peanut butter - I have used a 100% smooth peanut butter for the recipe as this kind of peanut butter has not got any added sugar or salt.
Flaxseed - These are great for added nutrition and great to sprinkle on top of porridge or plain Greek yogurt.
Serving suggestion
This is a great recipe if you needed a make ahead lunch or even a snack!
You can easily make the banana topping and leave in the fridge for up to 3 days or use the ingredients as and when you may need to.
You could serve the banana topped bread as part of a lunch so some examples of additional lunch items could be, sliced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, cheese batons, sliced bell pepper, sweet potato or some Greek yogurt.
Feel free to remove the peanut butter for peanut allergies.
When you start to wean you could mix the mashed banana with a little breast milk or for dairy free babies some soy milk or oat milk for a creamier texture.
For older babies and young children you can serve into bite-sized pieces usually from around 8-9 months old.
Other healthy recipes you may like: French toast, Hummus rolls or Cheesy roll ups.
Storage instructions
The bread can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container.
If you wanted to freeze the bread, you will need to make sure that the bread has cooled down at room temperature before transferring to either a freezer bag or airtight container.
You can freeze into individual portions if you prefer (cut into strips). Ensure that the bag/airtight container is labelled with the item and the date. I use masking tape to label the airtight container.
To defrost the bread, leave in the fridge overnight and make sure that it is fully defrosted before serving.
Once the bread has been defrosted you will not be able to reheat or re freeze..
Equipment used to help with this recipe
Airtight container - I much prefer the click-shut lids on these containers compared to others. They are also dishwasher and freezer safe and BPA free, so very suitable for food use.
Recipe | How To Introduce Baby Led Weaning Banana To Babies
How To Introduce Baby Led Weaning Banana To Babies
This is a great recipe for baby led weaning from 6 months old. The recipe can be a breakfast, lunch or a snack for baby and older kids.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Start by peeling your fresh banana.
- Take your peeled banana and mash half of the banana in a small bowl. Slice the other half of the banana and set aside. You can leave out the sliced banana from 6 months old.
- Take your slice of bread and spread the peanut butter over the slice of bread.
- Top the bread with the mashed banana followed by the sliced banana if using.
- Sprinkle over the flaxseed and serve.
- Cut the bread into strips from 6 months old.
Notes
You can leave out the smooth peanut butter if you prefer and just use the mashed banana from 6 months old if you wanted to test for an allergy to bananas.
If you wanted to use an alternative nut butter you could use a smooth almond butter or even a seed butter such as sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter. All great options for a healthy snack.
Hope you and your whole family enjoy!
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This is an easy sugar free ice lolly recipe for those hot summer days or just for a nice, cooling treat! Suitable for baby-led weaning and for older kids too.