Avocado For Baby (BLW) Ways To Serve
Learn how to cut and serve avocado for baby and baby led weaning method. Whether it’s pureed, mashed or cut into chunks it makes a nutritious baby food for babies (starting around 6 months), toddlers & older kids. Make a large variety of avocado baby puree combinations and recipes with different textures or finger foods adjusted by age.
Benefits of Avocado For Baby
- It helps to meet the baby’s dietary needs: avocado are nutrient-rich, low in sugar, high in fiber, also fat-soluble antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids. It’s also a great staple food for babies on GAPS diet.
- Promote long-term health: the fatty acids in avocados allow for greater absorption of fat-soluble nutrients, either inherent in the fruit or from other foods eaten with avocado. In infancy, fat should comprise about 50% of energy intake in order to provide adequate energy for baby’s rapid growth and brain development.
- Provides higher key developmental nutrients and increases satiety : Avocados deliver essential nutrition and energy in a small portion size that a baby is more likely be able to consume in one sitting. A 1-ounce (30 g) serving of avocado is higher in nutrients compared to a serving size of the most popular transitional feeding fruits (like apples, pears, bananas, grapes, strawberries, and peaches).
- Help build good dietary habits: avocados, being introduced as first baby food could help to avoid an early preference for sweet foods, which may influence eating behaviors later in life.
- The fiber content helps the development of a baby’s gut microflora: avocadoes help increase the microbial diversity that break down fiber and produce metabolites that support gut health.
Avocado For Baby Led Weaning
For babies familiar with baby-led weaning first foods avocado is one of the most preferred fruit for curious babies due to its squishy texture. Even for those babies who prefer purees, it’s creamy texture and mild flavor make avocado an ideal first food.
Related: Melon For Babies: Ways To Cut (BLW) Serve
When & How Do You Introduce Avocado To Baby (BLW)
You can introduce avocado in baby’s diet as early as 6 months, when he/she is ready for complementary solid foods (additional to breast milk or infant formula).
It can take time for your child to adjust to the new taste and texture. There is a probability your baby might cough, gag, or spit up. But don’t get discouraged continue offering until your baby’s oral skills develop.
When introducing avocado for the first time to your baby, try to pick a ripe avocado.
This post may contain affiliate links. To read the disclaimer policy See This.
The ripe ones usually have a darker skin color and a lightly soft flesh but it must not feel “mushy” to the touch. If it’s not ripe, it may represent a chocking hazard, and if it’s too ripe, then it might not hold it’s shape well in the baby’s hand. Try a small piece with a fork, if it’s difficult to mash then it’s not ripe yet.
Related: Banana For Babies – Baby Led Weaning Method
Ways To Serve Avocado To Baby
- If it’s too ripe the best way is to serve it pureed (by itself first) or with other puree combinations according to stage, for example like this avocado prune and cauliflower puree, or incorporated in smoothies, pancakes and muffins.
- Also you can add in other recipe to render a softer texture like:
- And if it holds it’s shape (soft enough to mash between 2 fingers) then you can cut into thick strips (size of you little finger) and serve it as finger food. To make is less slippery you can cut it with a crinkle cutter.
Related: Strawberries For Baby Led Weaning (How To Cut/Serve)
How To Cut Avocado For Baby
- Since it has a mushy texture, I like to use a crinkle cutter to cut it into thick strips (about 2 inches long). The wavy shapes helps reduce slipperiness so the baby could hold the slice longer. Or you can leave a piece of skin on the strip, to make it less slippery.
- You can also dust the outside of the avocado with finely ground breadcrumbs to make it easier to hold.
- Once your baby starts to develop the pincer grasp (around 9 – 11 months) and use fingers, you can serve the avocado – diced (cubed).
Avocado & Baby Constipation
Avocado is a rich source of beneficial unsaturated fats as well as insoluble and soluble fiber, so it can actually help to relieve constipation. However the movement of the baby’s stools can slow down in case of improper balance of foods (cold, hot, wet, solid).
Also keep in mind that gastrointestinal problems like constipation or diarrhea can also be caused by food allergies, so make sure your baby is tolerating the avocado well, before introducing.
Avocado Allergy?
Avocados are considered to be among the least-allergenic foods. The cause of babies reacting to avocados is most likely due to lack an enzymes (and bacteria) that is required for proper digestion of avocado. This usually goes away once the gut microbiome develops and is getting more diverse.
Only people who are allergic to tree pollen and latex could potentially react to avocados. Because the proteins found in avocados are structurally similar to those found in natural rubber latex.
FAQ Feeding Avocado To Baby
A six month old can have about 2-4 teaspoons per day, as long as he/she is having other foods included in the menu. In total a baby at this age should have about 3-4 tablespoon of food per day.
Those who are unable or choose not to breastfeed, you can start giving solid foods (including avocado) at 5 months. Otherwise the babies should be exclusively breastfeed for about 6 months.
There is no need to cook avocado for babies. Cooking progressively destroys fiber and nutrients and you want to keep them.
There is no harm if your baby is having a portion of avocado everyday. As long as she/he is accepting and eating other foods as well, there shouldn’t be an issue.
Avocado Baby Puree Combinations
- Use one or two of the fruits: apple / applesauce, banana, kiwi, blueberry, pineapple, mango, tomato, lemon.
- Use one or more of the herbs: basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, spinach etc.
- Use a protein: turkey, chicken, eggs, yoghurt, beans, shellfish (all pureed).
- Use one or two of the vegetables: broccoli, kale, peas, cauliflower, asparagus etc.
Baby Recipes With Avocado
- Mix in Purees such as this prune avocado & cauliflower puree
- Turkey and avocado patties
- Soft chicken meatballs with avocado
- Avocado toast strips (make an avocado toast and cut into graspable strips);
- Add mashed avocado to a dip;
- Serve as pasta sauce (avocado puree, lemon juice and touch of water to thin it out).
- Use as butter substitute in muffins and pancakes.
- Mix into smoothies.
Related: Avocado Baby Food Ideas + Puree Combinations
Avocado For Baby (BLW) Ways To Serve + Recipes
Ingredients
Avocado Puree For Babies (6 months+)
- 1/4 avocado (aprox. 4 tablespoons)
- 3 tbsp liquid (breastmilk, stock, water or formula)
Thicker & Chunkier Mashed Avocado (6-7 months +)
- 1/3 avocado (aprox. 5 tablespoons)
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed or other preferred liquid)
Avocado Slices / Strips As Finger Food/ BLW (6 months+)
- 1/2 avocado ( sliced into strips)
- 1 tsp ground seeds, nuts, or breadcrumbs (if you want them coated)
Avocado Puree Stage 2 (8-9 months+)
- 1/4 avocado
- 1/4 cup other puree (see puree combinations in the notes below)
Avocado Cubes (9-10 months+)
- 1/3 avocado (cut into cubes)
Instructions
Avocado Puree
- Place the avocado flesh and the liquid in the blender and mix on low until is smooth. Add more liquid if you want it runnier.You will need a very small blender or a handheld blender to do this. Otherwise make a larger batch and freeze in ice cube trays for later.
Mashed Avocado
- Mash the avocado flesh with a fork onto a plate. Mash until you reach the desired consistency, thinning with liquid as desired (or no liquid). You can use some lemon juice as the liquid. No salt is necessary until 12 months.
Avocado Slices / Strips (Plain or Coated)
- Cut an avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh with a spoon. Place on a board face down and cut the avocado half into smaller slices. Use crinkle cutter for a wavy shape.Serve to baby as it is or coat with something to reduce slipperiness.
Avocado Puree Stage 2 (8-9 months+)
- Place the avocado and the desired fruit / vegetable / herb/ or protein, add a bit of water, stock or breastmilk (or any preferred liquid) and blend until smooth.
Avocado Cubes
- Once your baby starts to develop the pincer grasp (around 9 – 11 months) and use fingers, you can serve the avocado – diced (cubed).
Notes
Avocado Puree Combinations:
- use one or two of the fruits: apple, banana, kiwi, blueberry, pineapple, mango, tomato, lemon.
- Use one or two of the herbs: basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, spinach.
- Use a protein: turkey, chicken, eggs, yoghurt, beans, shellfish (all pureed).
- Use one or two of the vegetables: broccoli, kale, peas, cauliflower, asparagus etc.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only and not intended for medical advice. Please refer to my full disclaimer for more info.
©ThrivingNest. Content and photographs are copyright protected and need prior permission to use. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to other websites and any social media is strictly prohibited. Sharing and using the link of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated!
My baby loved the avocado and kiwi combination! )
That’s wonderful, actually the mild taste of avocado pairs really well with the sweetness and tartness of kiwi 🙂