Babies go through multiple baby food stages. If you have a baby in the weaning stage and wish to introduce new flavors and foods to them, you could try cherry purees for babies. Cherries contain a high amount of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidantiSubstances that may prevent or slow down some types of the cell damage caused due to harmful molecules called free radicals. . Thus, they are good for developing your baby’s immune system and act as a nutritious baby food. However, you cannot risk giving whole cherries to your baby as they might be a choking hazard. Thus, you could add them to your little one’s diet by making them purees. Read on to know about the procedure of making cherry puree and its benefits for your little one.
However, you cannot risk giving whole cherries to your baby as they might be a choking hazard. Thus, you could add them to your little one’s diet by making them purees.
Read on to know about the procedure of making cherry puree and its benefits for your little one.
Key Pointers
- Cherries can be safely consumed by babies around eight months of age.
- Cherries are rich in essential nutrients such as vitamin C, calcium, carotenoids, and fiber that aid in growth, development, and improving cardiac health.
- The antioxidants cyanidin and anthocyanins found in cherries can help reduce oxidative stress and cell damage in the body.
- Pureed cherries can be added to the baby’s diet along with a combination of fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Health Benefits Of Cherries For Babies
As with any new food you introduce to your baby, it is important to first speak to your baby’s doctor before introducing cherries. You can start giving your baby cherries from around eight months once your doctor gives the go-ahead. Here are some health benefits of consuming cherries for babies (1):
- Provide antioxidants: Cherries contain potent antioxidants like cyanidini, anthocyaninsi, vitamin C, and carotenoidsi. These bioactive compounds can help fight free radical damage and offer various health benefits, including fighting infections, diseases, and inflammation.
- Promote gut health: Cherries are a hydrating fruit that also has fiber. 100g of cherries contain 82g of water, and its skin has insoluble fiber. Both water and fiber can help add bulk to the stool and maintain healthy bowel movement.
- Support bone development: One cup (155g) of pitted sour cherries contains about 24.8mg of calcium (2). Babies require calcium to develop strong bones and aid muscle function. Consuming cherries as a part of a well-balanced diet can help your baby meet their daily calcium requirements.
- Support overall health: Eating cherries also lowers the risk of stroke and other heart-related ailments in later years because of their rich potassium content. Sweet cherries are also high in vitamin C, carotenoidsi and fiber, all of which can prevent cancer in later years.
In addition to these benefits, cherries contain melatonin, serotonin, and tryptophan, all of which aid in good sleep (1).
Nutritional Value Of Cherries
Given below is the nutritional composition of 100gms of raw, red sweet cherries (fresh) and 100gms of raw red sour cherries (fresh) (2) (3):
| Name | Raw, red sweet cherries (per 100gm) | Raw, red sour cherries (per 100gm) |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 82.2g | 86.1g |
| Energy | 71Kcal | 50Kcal |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 16.2g | 12.2g |
| Protein | 1.04g | 1g |
| Sugars, Total | 13.9g | 8.49g |
| Calcium, Ca | 12mg | 8.49g |
| Magnesium, Mg | 12.1mg | 9mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 23mg | 15mg |
| Potassium, K | 230mg | 173mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.276mg | 0.1mg |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 10.4mg | 10mg |
| Folate, total | 20.7µg | 8µg |
Source: US Food And Drug Administration
How To Make Cherry Puree For Baby
Here are a few recipe ideas to help you make cherry puree for your baby:
1. Simple Cherry Puree
You will need
- ½ pound cherries
- 1 cup of water
How to
- Pit the cherries and remove their stems.
- Place them in a pan and cover with the water.
- Let it boil and then simmer for another 10 to 20 minutes till the cherries are tender. Let it cool and blend in a food processor.
2. Cherry and apple puree
You will need
- 1 cup cherries
- 3 medium peeled and diced apples
- A dash of vanilla essence – optional
- 1 cup of water
How to
- Pit the cherries and remove the stems.
- Place the fruits in a pan and cover them with water. If you are using the vanilla essence, add a few drops of it in the pan now.
- Let it boil. Once done, steam it gently and cook more till the cherries turn tender.
- Once it is cool, puree in a blender.
3. Cherry puree with oatmeal
You will need
- 1 ½ cup of cooked oatmeal cereal
- 1/4th cup of cherry puree
How to
- Mix the oatmeal cereal and the cherries together.
- Stir them thoroughly or blend in a food processor. Voila, and you have your baby food blend all ready.
Quick tip4. Cherry puree with banana
You will need
- 1/4th cup of cherry puree
- 2 small bananas
How to
- Place the bananas in a bowl and mash them properly using the back of a spoon.
- Add the cherry puree and mix it well. You can mix them well using a spoon or do it in a blender.
5. Cherry puree with a dash of cottage cheese
You will need
- ½ cup fresh cherries – make sure you wash them well and remove the stems
- 1 cup of cottage cheese
How to
- Place the cherries in a microwave safe bowl and heat them for about 30 seconds. Add them in a food processor and blend till they have the texture of smoothies.
- Add the pureed cherries over cottage cheese and serve to your baby.
- As a variation, you can also serve the cherry puree on cheese slices.
6. Cherry puree with sweet potato
You will need
- 1/4thcup of cherry puree
- 1 small peeled and diced sweet potato
How to
- Steam the sweet potatoes till they are entirely tender. Alternatively, you can also bake them in the oven for about 60 minutes.
- Mash the sweet potato and mix with the cherry puree.
Quick tipSharing an interesting baby food recipe of peach and cherry, Debjani Moitra, a mother and blogger, says, “I decided to make her (her babygirl Parisha) a delicious vegetable-fruit combo with Peach so that she gets to enjoy this yummy fruit as well… This puree is loaded with essential nutrients from carrot, peach and cherry. It is deliciously sweet and flavorful.” She further share the recipe saying, “Take a small pot, add the Carrot, Peach and Cherry in it. Add 1 cup of water, cover and cook till everything is well cooked and tender. Allow them to cool down then transfer to blender cup. If the cherries are not seeded, mash them with your fingers and throw out the seeds (I do this step with frozen cherries as well to make sure there aren’t any seeds). Blend until smooth, adding a tablespoon of water till it is smooth enough for your baby. Serve and let them enjoy the goodness! This puree can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 days (i).”
Precautions To Take When Feeding Cherries To Babies
Babies aged six months and above can consume ground, mashed, or small pieces of completely pitted cherries as a part of their weaning diet (4). Here are some precautions you should take when feeding your baby cherries:
- Buy organic cherries from a trusted store or market, as they are one of the top “Dirty Dozen” fruits with high pesticide levels (5).
- Select fully ripe cherries. Wash them thoroughly and remove all pits to eliminate any choking hazards.
- Cook the cherries until soft. Mash or puree them to a smooth, lump-free consistency to avoid any risk of choking.
- Initially, feed the baby small quantities, say a teaspoon or two of cherry mash or puree. Once the baby appears comfortable, gradually increase the feeding quantity as desired.
- Discontinue feeding if the baby looks uncomfortable. You may try feeding after some time. However, if the problem persists, consult a pediatrician.
- Serve thinly sliced pieces of cherries to older babies and toddlers for self-feeding (6).
- Do not add sugar or other sweeteners to cherry mash or puree (7). If using canned cherries, choose options without added sugars or preservatives.
- Do not give cherry juice to babies below one year (8). First, it can be too acidic and may cause stomach discomfort or digestive issues. Secondly, juicing fruits removes the fiber and concentrates the sugar content.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I prepare cherries for my baby?
Cut preserved and de-stemmed cherries thoroughly before adding them to soft meals like yogurt, cottage cheese, oats, or chia seed custard. For a finer consistency, you may also mash the minced cherries. You can also let your baby eat the finely diced and mashed cherries.
2. Can cherries cause diarrhea in babies?
There are no scientific studies that prove cherries cause diarrhea. However, it is advised that you may feed your baby cherries to relieve constipation (9). Make sure you do not overfeed cherries to your baby, as they may affect them adversely.
3. Can babies be allergic to cherries?
Not much information is available to tell you if your baby could be allergic to cherries. Although, a few studies advise that if your child has a latex allergy, then cherries should be avoided (10). Consult a pediatrician if you see any allergy symptoms after feeding cherries to your baby.
4. Are cherries constipating for babies?
Not many studies say whether cherries can cause constipation in babies or not. These fruits may help in relieving constipation as they may make the stool loose (9). You may consult a doctor if you see any signs of constipation after giving cherries to your baby.
Cherry purees for babies can provide them with a lot of beta-carotene that boosts the immune system. Giving whole cherries can cause digestive problems, and seeds have a possible choking hazard for young children. Homemade fruit purees for babies like cherry puree are easy to prepare and safe for babies. They act as natural and organic baby food. You may boil the cherries and make puree after they cool down. You can give cherry puree food alone or with apple puree, oatmeal, banana, or sweet mashed potato. You may initially give smaller amounts of cherry puree to look for allergies and later mix it with other ingredients that the baby is already eating.
Infographic: Flavourful Cherry Purees Foods For Babies
A weaning baby requires nutrients from food sources along with breast milk. Cherries are sweet and sour fruits with several nutrients that can help provide adequate nourishment to your baby. The infographic below provides ideas on including cherries in your baby’s diet.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Illustration: Tasty Ways To Introduce Cherry Puree For Baby
Image: Dall·E/MomJunction Design Team
Cherries are packed with amazing health benefits! Learn about the 13 amazing health benefits of cherries you need to know through this informative video!
Personal Experience: Sources
MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. Carrot Peach and Cherry Puree;https://lifewithoutalu.blogspot.com/2021/05/carrot-peach-and-cherry-puree.html
References
- The Cherry on Top: 8 Health Benefits of Cherries.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-cherries - Cherries, sour, red, raw.
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173954/nutrients - Cherries, sweet, dark red, raw.
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2346399/nutrients - An Integrative Approach to Feeding Your Baby: Starting Solids and Baby-Led Weaning (Baby-Led Solids).
https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/files/webfm-uploads/documents/outreach/im/handout_baby-led_weaning.pdf - EWG’s shopper’s guide The Dirty Dozen™
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php - When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods.
https://www.cdc.gov/infant-toddler-nutrition/foods-and-drinks/when-what-and-how-to-introduce-solid-foods.html - Sugar: How Bad Are Sweets for Your Kids?
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sugar-how-bad-are-sweets-for-your-kids - AAP Recommends No Fruit Juice for Children Under 1 Year.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/AAP-Recommends-No-Fruit-Juice-for-Children-Under-1-Year.aspx - Constipation.
https://www.childrensmn.org/educationmaterials/childrensmn/article/15343/constipation/ - Latex Allergy and Foods.
https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/allergies/latex-allergy/latex-allergy-foods/
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