Avocado For Baby’s First Food: All You Need To Know + 9 FAQs
Starting your baby on solids can be nerve-wracking. I remember the combination of fear, excitement, and questions I had regarding my baby’s first foods.
If you’ve chosen avocado to be your baby’s first food, then I’m sure you have lots of questions about that.
In this article, I’ll share why Avocado is a great choice as a first food for your baby, especially if they’re doing baby-led weaning.
I’ll show you how to prepare them, some simple recipes, and how to cut them appropriately for your baby depending on age.
I’ll also answer some common frequently asked questions about avocados for babies as well.
Let’s get started.
Are Avocados Good For Babies?
Avocados are a great first food for babies because they are soft, smooth, and easy to digest. They are also a good source of healthy fats, B vitamins, zinc, fiber, vitamins C and E.
The Vitamin C in avocados helps boost your baby’s immune system. The Vitamin E it contains acts as an antioxidant to help your baby’s body get rid of damaged cells that release cancer-causing “free radicals” in the body (source).
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When to introduce avocados to a baby
Avocado can be given as a baby’s first food as soon as they’re ready to start solids, which is around 6 months of age.
One thing to note is that its slippery nature makes it difficult for babies to hold it and feed themselves. So it’s best to mash it into other food to make it easier for your baby to eat it.
How to prepare avocados for baby
Mash them and serve them on toast
One of the easiest ways to prepare avocados for your baby is to mash them.
When mashed, you can make them into guacamole and spread them on teething rusks like this one on Amazon. My kids loved eating spreads with them when they were starting baby-led weaning.
You can also mix them into other things like eggs, pancakes, and muffins
Puree them for your baby
Avocados can be pureed for your baby if you’re not doing baby-led weaning.
You could also provide your baby with a first-stage spoon like this one from Amazon to help them feed themselves.
Both my kids enjoyed using them for scooping. It’s the best I’ve found on the market for babies just starting BLW.
Slice them and offer them directly to your baby
If you don’t want to mash them, you can slice them and offer them directly to your baby. Just know that they may get frustrated if the avocados keep slipping from their hands.
Something I like to do in this case is sprinkle some chia seeds or shredded coconuts on the avocados to help provide some texture so babies can grip them.
Mix them with other foods
Avocados can also be added to other foods, such as oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, muffins, eggs, etc.
Safety tips for feeding avocados to your baby
Avocados should be ripe and soft before feeding them to babies. Be sure to remove the pit and skin before serving.
How To Cut Avocado For A Baby
Feeding Avocados To 6-9-Month-Olds
You can serve avocados to your 6-9 months old by cutting them into large spears. Make sure you peel the avocados before serving them to your baby so they don’t eat the skin.
If the avocados are difficult for your baby to grab, you can sprinkle some finely ground nuts, shredded coconuts, or chia seeds on them to help add some grip.
Make sure that the nuts you feed your baby are ones they aren’t allergic to because nuts are a common allergen.
Feeding Avocados To 9-12-Month-Olds
Around 9-12 months old, you can feed avocados to your baby by offering them small bite-sized chunks.
At this age, they’ve started to develop their pincer grasps which enables them to pick up small pieces of food with their fingers.
You can help them practice this skill by feeding them smaller chunks of food. If they become frustrated, it’s okay to switch to large spears of avocados for a while and try again some other time.
Feeding Avocados To 12 Month Olds And Above
Around 12 months of age, toddlers have the skill to easily feed themselves. So you can serve them smaller pieces of avocados with no problems.
You can also mix it with other foods and offer them utensils to feed themselves with. This is a great skill to practice at this age using avocado recipes.
Avocado Recipes For Babies
Wondering what to put on avocados or what to mix it in for your baby? Below are some recipe ideas.
- Avocado pancake
- Avocado egg toast for BLW
- 3-ingredient Baby-led weaning guacamole
- Avocado blueberry oatmeal
- Avocado Salad for baby
FAQs About Avocados for Baby’s First Food
Is avocado brain food for babies?
Avocado is a “brain food” for babies because they contain omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in avocado help improve the brain’s memory, learning, cognitive well-being, and blood flow to the brain (source).
Is avocado good for babies every day?
Avocados are a great source of nutrients for your baby, so you can feed avocados to them every day if you want.
If you do feed it to your baby every day, make sure you vary the way you serve it. Some simple ways to serve avocado include avocado egg toast, avocado pancakes, etc.
Is avocado easy to digest for babies?
Avocados contain lots of fiber which make it easy for babies to digest. The fiber they contain also helps prevent constipation and promote gut health.
When can babies eat avocado?
Babies can eat avocados as soon as they’re ready to start solids, which is around 6 months old. Avocados are nutritious and a great first food for your baby.
Is avocado safe for babies?
Avocados are very safe for babies to eat. They contain lots of nutrients like healthy fats, B vitamins, magnesium and so much more (source).
This makes avocado not only safe for babies to eat but also recommended in their diet.
Does avocado cause constipation in babies?
Avocados do not cause constipation in babies. They actually do the opposite.
They contain a lot of fiber (about 14 grams in every avocado). The fiber they contain helps promote gut health and prevent constipation in babies.
Will avocado help a baby gain weight?
Avocados will help a baby gain weight when consumed every day. Avocados are high in good fats called oleic acid. They are also high in fiber and calories. All these things will help your baby gain weight if consumed regularly. Source
How often can I give my baby avocado?
You can give your baby avocados as often as you’d like. Just make sure you switch up the way you prepare and serve them to your baby so they don’t get bored with it.
Try these avocado recipes
Does avocado give babies energy?
Avocados give babies energy because they contain healthy fats and high calories. Fat is a form of stored energy that the body uses as a backup when we need it. So feeding your baby avocado will give them this stored energy.
Finals Thoughts About Avocados For Babies
Avocados are a great first food for babies that can be enjoyed in many different ways. I hope this article has provided you with enough information about feeding avocados to your baby.
