An incredibly versatile food that’s great at every stage is an apple. Full of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and antioxidants, apples are a great finger food to give your baby. However, they are also one of the top choking hazards for children under 3. That’s why we’ve put together this helpful guide on how to safely serve your little one apples through those early years.
6-9 months
As your baby begins their weaning journey, they’ll most likely be inexperienced in the skills of grabbing and chewing. However, this doesn’t mean they have to avoid food like apples – it just means you have to be careful how you serve it
One way that you can serve apples to your 6-9 month old is as a puree. To do this, simply cook the apples until soft, then blend them with a little water until they’re the desired consistency.
Alternatively, you can make some baby-safe finger foods by steaming or roasting some apple wedges until they’re very soft. The best way to test whether they’re soft enough is to lightly press on them with your fingers – you should be able to smush them with ease.
9-12 months
By the time little ones are around 9-12 months old, their pincer-grips will be developing, so it’s a good time to venture further into the world of solid food. Be sure to do this in tiny, baby steps, and start off with some very finely grated raw apples.
12-18 months
Past the first year mark, many children will be ready to move on to apple slices. Be sure to peel the skin off of the raw apples, before cutting it into very thin slices.
18-24 months
At this point, your little one is far from those early days of purees and liquids, and they’re getting a much better ‘grasp’ of how to grab and chew their food. Peel your raw apples, and cut them into thin circles – roughly 1cm thick.
24 months +
Cut into triangles and serve on the rind after removing the seeds. You can also freeze your triangles to make melon ice lollies to help with teething.
