Apples are all-season fruits, and having them as your baby’s first food has a lot of health benefits. Pureed apples are easy to digest and filled with nutrients your baby needs as they grow. It is one of the most common choices as early baby food. It can be served pure or mixed with a range of other purees. Luckily, making apple purees are easy, and they are the safest food for babies to try. Read on this article for an easy guide on how to puree apples for baby-feeding.
Apple Puree and Its Health Benefits
Babies typically can start eating a variety of fruits at the age of six months. The best way to introduce the fruit is to have a cooked and pureed form. It lets babies enjoy the various health-promoting properties of apples.
After introducing rice cereal, fruit purees are next in line for the baby’s taste sensations. An apple puree is easy to be prepared and freshly served pure or mixed into rice cereal. Apple puree is cooked apples that are pureed until even textured and smooth.
Apples are an excellent choice for one of an infant’s first food. They are a great source of fiber, potassium, antioxidants, vitamin C, K, and B6. Apples are great at improving gut health, having cancer-fighting antioxidants, preventing inflammation, and fighting heart disease. Apples may also be added to almost any baby recipe. As a good parent, you should know how to puree apples for the baby for many health reasons.
Below are the specified benefits that your baby gets by consuming an apple puree:
- Ideal healthy weight: Regular apple consumption reduces the risk of obesity among children. Experts said that the positive effect of apples on weight could be observed in children as young as two years old.
- Gut health: Apple puree is smooth on the baby’s digestive system because of its soft texture. It also provides dietary fiber that helps maintain healthy gut microbiota.
- Immunity: Apple puree can help strengthen the immune system due to the presence of micronutrients, such as vitamin C.
- Overall health: Apple puree contains considerable amounts of essential micronutrients and bioactive compounds that possess antioxidant.
How to Make Apple Puree
You can make apple puree by baking through different ways such as slow cooking, steaming, or pressure cooking. This apple puree recipe is so easy to make, and you only need to have one medium apple, 1/2 cup of water, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder. Here are the steps on how to puree apples for baby:
- Step 1. Start with washing the apple with clean water, and peel-off the apple’s skin. Then remove the seeds and dice the apple into small cubes.
- Step 2. Transfer the chopped apples into a large pan. Add a little water and cinnamon. Water must be just enough to help them steam.
- Step 3. Next, place a thick bottom pan on medium heat and put the diced apples in it.
- Step 4. Pour potable water to cover the apples completely. You have to make sure the heat is not too high.
- Step 5. Cover the pan with a lid, and for about 15 minutes, let the apple pieces cook on simmer.
- Step 6. After 15 minutes, it’s time to remove the lid and see if the pieces of apple are completely tender. To test its texture, insert a knife through the apple pieces.
- Step 7. When you feel that the apple pieces are already cooked, you may turn off the heat and remove them from the pan. Cover and simmer the apples for about 15 minutes. The apples should be very soft and should start to break up.
- Step 8. For convenience, use a big spoon to mash the apples thoroughly. Put into a blender and blend to the desired consistency, and you can finally serve it to your little one.
You can also add water to thin the puree. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, mash the apples with a fork or potato masher. As a parent, it is fulfilling to know how to puree apples for babies and serve them freshly during feeding time. Get more tips on baby food.
Conclusion
Parents will be happy to see their babies grow and develop healthily. Knowing how to puree apples for baby is a must to feed this nutritious food to your baby. We hope that we have taught you how to make the perfect apple puree for your little one. A serving of fresh apple puree is always tasty and healthy.