Assorted fruits are an integral part of the festive table at any event. Often after a holiday, the housewife has to think about how to rationally use the remaining fruit. One option is to make a delicious puree. For example, banana puree is loved by adults and children. It has a delicate sweet taste and great benefits for the body.
Features of fruit puree
The skill of preparing such a fruit delicacy is very useful, because bananas in the form of puree can be stored much longer than in their natural state. The peculiarity of crushed fruits lies in the variety of options for their use. Banana puree can be used as jam, sandwiched between sandwiches. It also goes well with baked goods, which is why it is added to buns or pies. And, of course, no one will want to skip breakfast if the morning porridge is served with the addition of banana jam.
Fruit puree is popular because it is so easy to make at home. All you need is fruit, a little sugar, a glass of water and the desire to cook. Everything in the recipe is natural, there is nothing unnecessary, which is what is required from baby food products. Therefore, banana puree is a favorite treat for children under 2-3 years old.
Beneficial features
Everyone knows that fruits are healthy because they are filled with vitamins. The valuable substances contained in fruits invariably end up in the puree prepared from them. Banana delicacy contains B vitamins, which have a positive effect on the nervous system. The puree also contains vitamin A, which is known to be needed to maintain one hundred percent vision.
Among the properties of banana complementary foods, it is worth noting that it is hypoallergenic. This is very important for children's food products, as well as for creating the diet of people suffering from food allergies. Shredded bananas are recommended for consumption by workers exposed to physical and psychological stress, as they enrich the body with energy.
Despite the caloric content of the banana product, it is easily digestible.
Recipe
Before you start cooking banana treats, it’s worth considering some nuances. First of all, the fruits must be selected. You need to be careful when choosing bananas, as they tend to turn black in a short time. Therefore, if the purchase of fruit has already been completed, do not delay preparing the dish. For children's delicacies, it is better to choose slightly unripe bananas, without darkening on the peel. Cooking must be carried out strictly in accordance with the recipe so that the puree retains the beneficial properties of the fruit.
There are many different recipes for making purees with all kinds of additives. The choice of option depends on who the dish is intended for. Most often, mashed bananas and apples are made as baby food for the winter. This recipe is very simple.
For this you will need:
- 1 banana;
- 2 apples;
- sugar;
- jar of water.
First of all, you need to take two apples, peel them and remove the cores. Then you should cut the apples into small pieces and put them in a pan with water. The apples should cook covered for 7 minutes. If the fruits become soft, then the ingredient is ready.
After this, add 1 peeled banana to the pan, which is cut into rings 7-9 mm thick. Then you need to add 2 tablespoons of sugar and mix everything thoroughly. The fruits are cooked for another 4 minutes.
The resulting fruit mass should be crushed using a blender or a conventional puree masher. The resulting mass should be brought to a boil and cooked for another 3 minutes. The foam that forms on the surface of the puree is removed as it accumulates.
Finally, containers for storing treats are sterilized separately in boiling water. After this, the dish is immediately preserved for the winter. In this form, it can be stored for up to a year in a dark, refrigerated room.
Variety of complementary foods
Every young mother comes up with her own way of preparing banana puree for her child. As it turned out, baby feeding can be done using additives such as:
- boiled water;
- boiled milk;
Water is added generously to banana complementary foods if the child is very small. It is easier for infants to take food in the most liquid form possible. To achieve the desired consistency, the puree is diluted with boiled water.
If the child is one year old, it is permissible to dilute the treat with milk. To do this, you need to drain all excess water and replace it with boiled milk.
In order to get an even more interesting taste of the puree, you can add orange juice to it. This can be done only by making sure in advance that the child is not allergic to citrus fruits. In this case, you can also use raw chopped bananas.
Other options
In some cases, banana puree can serve as the basis for a delicious dessert. Its preparation takes a little longer, but this delicacy will not leave any taster indifferent. Squeeze the juice of one medium-sized lemon into the prepared puree and add 1 spoon of honey. The resulting mass should be whipped for 30-40 seconds.
Finally, you need to fry the peeled hazelnuts in a frying pan and let them cool. After this, you need to grind the nuts in a blender until crumbs. Then you should put the puree in a beautiful bowl and decorate it with nut crumbs on top. Dessert is ready.
You will learn more about how to make banana puree in the following video.
We try to give young children only the most delicious and healthy food. When compiling a children's diet, I would like to pay special attention to fruits. One of the healthiest fruits is banana. It is believed that this tropical fruit can be given even in infancy. Children love bananas and are eager to try this food. Naturally, it is customary to give a banana in the form of puree as the first complementary food. In this connection, a number of questions arise. How to make banana puree for babies? At what age can you offer your baby a banana in this form for the first time? What benefits or harms are there from eating this fruit in childhood?
Banana puree for babies: from what age?
Opinions differ about when banana puree becomes an acceptable food for a baby in the diet.
But more official sources say that banana puree can be given to babies as early as 6 months of age.
Banana regulates digestion. But it is worth noting that the fruit has a slight laxative property. Banana cannot be considered completely safe in terms of allergenicity. If a child has a tendency to food allergies, it is better to postpone the first acquaintance with banana puree for a couple of months. There will be nothing wrong if the baby tries this delicacy at 8–9 months. Also, you should not rush to include banana puree in your baby’s diet if the baby suffers from colic or has problems with bowel movements (constipation, diarrhea). If the baby’s body tolerates the introduction of new food perfectly and is not prone to negative reactions in the form of food allergies or indigestion, at 6 months you can safely try banana puree. Moreover, such food is very useful for babies. Banana is nutritious, tasty and high in calories. Mashed banana can be an ideal snack or even a meal on its own for a baby.
How to prepare banana puree for babies?
You can buy banana puree at the store. Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of children's fruit nutrition. But many parents prefer to prepare meals for their children themselves. This is a great choice. After all, if a mother has the time and desire to prepare delicious and healthy food for her children, this is justified and true.
So, how to properly prepare banana pulp puree for babies? There is nothing complicated here! The recipe for this product is incredibly simple. To prepare you will need:
- Ripe banana;
- Blender or fork;
- A little breast milk or formula (optional).
All you need to do is mash the peeled banana pulp well until smooth. If the puree is offered to a very baby (6-8 months), you can add a few drops of breast milk or formula. But this is optional. Banana is soft and tender. The puree will taste great and be easy to eat without any additives.
Banana puree can be prepared using a blender. But even with an ordinary fork you can easily mash the pulp to the desired consistency.
You should know that banana puree prepared for infants must be consumed immediately after preparation. For the next meal you need to prepare a fresh dish. Bananas contain a lot of iron, so without the peel they immediately begin to darken due to the oxidation process. Well, accordingly, a peeled fruit that has been lying around or its mashed pulp will have an extremely unappetizing appearance. And it’s not safe to give your baby a stale product.
Banana puree: benefits and harm for babies
Banana is a valuable and nutritious product for the human body. The fruit is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, E, B. Bananas also contain healthy fiber, starch, and sucrose. It is worth considering that banana is a high-calorie fruit that contains easily digestible carbohydrates. Children with a tendency to gain excess weight or a predisposition to diabetes are not recommended to include banana or banana-based puree in their diet.
Also, banana puree should not be given to children suffering from intestinal disorders, food allergies and gastroenterological diseases.
Often, after guests arrive, many of us are left with bunches of bananas on our tables that we couldn’t eat. It’s a pity to throw them away, and you won’t be able to store them for future use. However, there is an effective way to save such fruits with darkened skins, but not darkened inside - make banana puree from them, which can be stored for a week in the cold, layering sandwiches or desserts with it, adding it to pies or creams. It will be an excellent addition to boiled porridge for breakfast, because eating porridge with such a delicacy is a pleasure!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of bananas (4-5 pcs.)
- 50 ml water
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice
Preparation
1. Peel the bananas, cut into wide slices or circles - as you wish. To prepare the dish, you can choose any variety of such fruits.
2. Place the banana slices in a container with a non-stick bottom: a saucepan, cauldron, etc. Pour in hot water, lemon juice and pour in granulated sugar. Lemon juice can be replaced with a pinch of citric acid - it will prevent the fruit from darkening during cooking. Since bananas contain water, you don’t need to add a lot of liquid to the container, otherwise you will get juice, not puree. Place the container on the stove and bring its contents to a boil.
3. Boil the puree on low heat for about 10-15 minutes so that the banana slices become soft and juicy.
4. Grind it with an immersion blender, after removing the container from the heat. Try to act carefully so as not to burn yourself, as the puree will be very hot. If you don't have a blender, simply press the boiled bananas with a boiled potato press. Let the banana puree cool at room temperature or take it out into the cold.
Banana puree is a product obtained through mechanical processing of fruits. Outwardly, it looks like a homogeneous mass of pale yellow color (see photo), which has a taste and aroma characteristic of bananas.
This product is simply ideal for baby food, but should be given from the age of 5 months.
Beneficial features
The benefits of banana puree lie in its chemical composition, since almost all the beneficial substances that are in the fruit itself pass into it. This puree supplies the body with energy, so it is recommended for use by people who are subject to regular physical and psychological stress. Banana puree is an easily digestible food, but also high in calories.
It contains vitamin A, which is necessary for vision and collagen production. The puree also contains B vitamins, which have a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system, which helps cope with insomnia and fatigue.
Banana puree is an anti-allergenic product, which is important for children and people prone to food allergies.
When you consume the product, your body begins to produce a happiness hormone, which helps improve your mood. The puree also has the ability to lower blood cholesterol levels. Bananas strengthen the immune system, which increases the body's protective functions against the negative effects of viruses. When consumed regularly, puree improves the functioning of the digestive system. In addition, banana puree improves the functioning of the heart, liver and brain.
Banana puree is an effective aid in treating severe cough. In folk medicine, there are several proven recipes using banana puree, which help cure a cold in a few days. Let's look at some of them.
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Composition of the product |
How to cook? |
How to use? |
|
Banana puree with cocoa and homemade milk |
In banana puree (from one banana), you need to add six teaspoons of cocoa powder and pour in about two hundred milliliters of hot boiled homemade milk, stirring well. |
Take a banana milkshake in the evening before bed, preferably warm, for about five days. |
|
Banana with honey (first recipe) |
You need to mash one banana, pour about two hundred milliliters of boiling water into it and add one a teaspoon of natural honey. Stir the cocktail well and let it brew for about thirty minutes. |
Take fifty milliliters every three hours. |
|
Banana with honey (second recipe) |
First, you should mash a ripe banana, pour in one teaspoon of natural honey, a teaspoon of mint tincture and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Beat the mixture with a blender until smooth. |
To get rid of a sore throat and sore throat, you need to take a medicinal cocktail three times a day, two teaspoons for five days. |
|
Banana with milk |
You need to mash a ripe banana fruit, pour about one hundred milliliters of boiling homemade milk into it, and also add one teaspoon each of powdered sugar and butter. The resulting mass should be whipped using a blender until smooth. |
Drink a banana milkshake once a day every day until the cough stops. |
|
Banana with plantain alcohol tincture |
Pour plantain tincture into the whipped banana puree and stir thoroughly. |
Drink three teaspoons one hour after meals. Not allowed to be given to children as it contains alcohol. |
|
Ripe banana and boiled water |
Peel two ripe bananas, cut off the ends, mash the fruits and pour two hundred milliliters of very hot water. Place the fruit mixture on the stove and boil, stirring continuously. As soon as the fruit mixture begins to bubble, the container can be removed from the heat. |
Drink daily for about five days. The banana broth should be warm. It cannot be stored for a long time, so you need to prepare a new drink every day. |
|
Ripe banana with water and granulated sugar |
Pour about two hundred milliliters of boiling water into the crushed banana and add two teaspoons of granulated sugar, stir the mixture well and let stand for about thirty minutes. |
Take one hundred milliliters every two hours for five days. |
However, in addition to using traditional recipes, you need to contact your pediatrician to prescribe an additional list of necessary medications.
It should also be remembered that eating bananas is not recommended for those children who have obesity, diabetes, allergies to the product, constipation, or high acidity of gastric juice. In addition, experts advise eating bananas only after meals, and not on an empty stomach.
Use in cooking
The use of banana puree in cooking is very diverse; it is not only an excellent independent dish, but also an addition, for example, to porridge. It can be used as a filling for baked goods and also for desserts. You can make milkshakes and other drinks using banana puree.
For variety, you can complement the taste of the puree with various fruits and berries. Bananas go well with many of them.
How to make banana puree at home?
Since manufacturers increasingly use various preservatives and other food additives to prepare banana puree, it is better to prepare it yourself at home.
To ensure that the puree is of the highest quality and healthiest, choose ripe fruits without dark spots. To obtain banana pulp, you can use any of the usual utensils: a grater, a fork, a blender or a sieve. The fruit just needs to be peeled and ground into a homogeneous mass. That's all, homemade puree is ready. You don't even need to add sugar.
If you want to vary the taste, you can add a small amount of orange or lemon juice.
How to make it for a baby?
To make banana puree for your baby, you need to take one ripe banana. (it should be yellow in color, without any dark spots), wash it well, peel it, cut off the ends, take a little ripe pulp and mash thoroughly with a fork or chop using a blender. Then you need to pour a little warm breast milk or formula milk into the banana puree and mix well.
It is best to give your baby fruit puree to try after the main meal so that his appetite does not deteriorate. You should also remember that you need to start introducing new complementary foods only after six months, starting with a small teaspoon, to monitor the baby’s reaction. If within two days the baby’s condition has not worsened, allergies or constipation have not appeared, then you can continue to give banana puree. If there is any negative reaction from the child’s body to a new product, you should refrain from fruit puree.
Banana puree can also be varied with other fruits, which will also be beneficial for the baby.
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Banana puree |
Cooking method |
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With apricots and porridge |
Pour four tablespoons of boiled hot water into a shallow container and throw in two washed apricots. After two minutes, the fruit can be peeled and the seeds removed from the pulp. Peeled apricots need to be cut and crushed, and then add a little water and boil for about ten minutes, stirring constantly. Then the apricot puree should be mixed with half a ripe banana and chopped using a blender. The finished fruit puree should be added to ten grams of ready-made baby porridge and stirred well. |
|
With apples |
To make fruit puree, you will need half a sweet apple, which should be washed and removed from the skin and seeds. Then put it in a small container, add fifty milliliters of water and boil for about seven minutes. Next, add half a banana to the apple and puree using a blender. |
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With apple and juice |
Suitable only for children over nine months of age. You need one sweet apple, which should be washed, peeled, seeds removed and grated. Then add applesauce to one banana and grind with a blender, and then pour in two tablespoons of any fruit juice and stir well. |
Recipe for preparing for the winter
The recipe for making banana puree for the winter is quite simple. To do this, you must first squeeze the juice from two ripe lemons. Then you should take one kilogram of ripe bananas, wash them well, remove the skins, finely chop them and put them in a blender. We do the same as with bananas with two sweet apples. Add lemon juice to the chopped fruits and grind with a blender. Pour the banana-apple puree into an enamel-coated pan, add about six hundred grams of granulated sugar and about four hundred milliliters of water. Boil for thirty minutes over low heat, stirring continuously. Distribute the finished fruit puree into sterilized containers and preserve.
You can also freeze banana puree. To freeze, you need to wash ripe bananas (the quantity is at your discretion), peel them, and chop the fruits with a blender. Pour lemon juice into the banana puree (one tablespoon of juice is needed for two hundred and fifty milliliters of puree), mix well, and then pour the puree into a plastic container with an airtight lid. Store in the freezer for no more than four months.
Harm of banana puree and contraindications
Banana puree can be harmful to people who have an individual intolerance to the product. This product has few contraindications:
- excess body weight,
- diabetes,
- digestive disorders,
- allergy.
After 6 months, a period of acquaintance with “adult” food begins for the baby, and every mother strives to pamper the baby with new tasty and healthy products from the adult table. Despite this, it is important to introduce cereals, vegetables, and protein products according to a scheme agreed upon with the pediatrician. After six months of age, it is possible to use fruits in children's diets. As a rule, bananas become the favorite tropical fruit of many kids. This fruit has a distinct sweet taste and pleasant aroma. In order for the tender pulp to benefit the baby, the mother needs to figure out at what age to start dating, how to choose the fruit and prepare healthy banana puree.
Eating a banana is beneficial for both children and adults. The fruit is characterized by a unique composition, rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements. It contains a lot of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, C, E, B6 and fiber. The combination of these components determines the positive effect of the fruit on the child’s body.
Systematic consumption of the fetus affects the processes in the baby’s body as follows:
- improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- increases fermentation;
- raises the level of hemoglobin in the blood;
- strengthens bone tissue;
- increases the body's immune strength;
- improves the condition of the skin and mucous membranes;
- normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Banana is a high-calorie food. 100 g of pulp contains 100 kcal. If the fruit is green, the figure is 108 kcal, and in dried fruits it is 298 kcal.
These tropical fruits are part of the group of hypoallergenic products. Allergies to fruit are rare. Most often, negative manifestations are associated not so much with the composition of the fruit, but with the use of chemical components to extend shelf life and improve appearance. If an infant tries pulp for the first time, it is important to carefully monitor the baby’s well-being throughout the day. It is worth refusing to consume overseas fruit in case of violations. Negative reactions in this case may include diarrhea and an allergic rash. This situation requires a mandatory visit to the pediatrician and appropriate treatment. It is worth remembering that if you are allergic to banana, cross-allergic reactions to gluten and plantain pollen are possible.
Despite the significant benefits of this tropical fruit, there are cases when it can harm children. You should not treat this high-calorie fruit to an obese child, diabetes mellitus, or toddlers with gastrointestinal disorders. High glucose levels can cause bloating.
Rules for introducing complementary foods
It is necessary to choose a fruit for cooking based on its external characteristics. The most important factor is color. You should not buy green fruits, because they contain the harmful substance tannin, which causes fermentation and gas formation in the large intestine. Overripe bananas are also not healthy because they contain excess glucose. Preference is given to bright yellow fruits without spots or damage. It is better to buy a slightly unripe fruit and leave it for several days to ripen.
Bananas should be stored in a dark and dry place at a temperature of 10–15 degrees. Do not leave them in a bag or put them in the refrigerator.
If the child is healthy and has already received complementary foods, you can give him a raw banana, scraping out the pulp with a spoon. Experts recommend thermally treating the fruit the first 2–3 times and blending it using a blender. You can steam the fruit for a few minutes or cook it in the usual way; young mothers often use a slow cooker. Exposure to high temperatures is necessary to eliminate harmful substances and make food more prepared for the child's imperfect gastrointestinal tract.
Dr. Komarovsky believes that for children who do not experience digestive problems, banana complementary foods can be prepared without heat treatment.
Banana goes well with pumpkin, apple, sour berries and fruits. Banana puree can be added to fermented milk products: cottage cheese and yoghurt. The exotic fruit goes well with oatmeal, semolina and rice porridge. After 7 months, you can introduce the baby to multi-component puree based on the yellow fruit.
It is not advisable to store the finished mixture: the puree becomes gray and loses its beneficial properties. The maximum time in the refrigerator is 1 day; an open jar of industrial banana puree can be stored for no more than a day. Bananas can be harvested for the winter, made into puree, jam, preserves, dried and even dried. However, there is no need for such preparations, because the fruit is on sale all year round, which allows you to prepare banana puree and other dishes for babies from fresh fruits.
At what age is banana introduced into a baby’s diet?
Pediatricians and children's nutritionists note that fruit purees are offered to the baby after introducing him to vegetables and grains. Having tasted the sweet pulp, the baby may not want to eat the blander zucchini, pumpkin or. The first attempts at introduction are made after familiarization with applesauce and not earlier than six months. The best age to start eating tropical fruit is 8–9 months.
You can give a banana to a baby, following the principles of introducing a new product. If the little one begins to get sick, is preparing for vaccination, or is planning to move to a new place, it is better not to experiment with the menu. You should introduce a new fruit step by step. The first test is carried out in the first half of the day. Give your baby half a teaspoon. During the day, observe your baby's behavior. Gradually the portion can be increased. At this time, it is better to prepare the banana in the form of a homogeneous puree, for which you can dilute the fruit pulp with breast milk (if the baby is breastfed) or formula milk.
How much puree you can give to your baby depends on his age. At 8 months, a toddler can eat 3 tbsp. l. puree or half a whole fruit, provided that it has already teethed. A one-year-old toddler eats half or a whole banana (no more than 60 g per day). It is worth remembering that familiarization with a new product ends with breastfeeding (with breastfeeding) or formula.
Effect on the gastrointestinal tract: strengthens or weakens
The fresh pulp strengthens the baby's stool. If a child suffers from constipation, then it is better not to aggravate the situation and not to use fruit excessively in the baby’s diet. If a child has a tendency to loose stools, a serving of raw banana will help stabilize the gastrointestinal tract. Obviously, the fruit should not be used as a remedy for diseases accompanied by constipation or diarrhea. Heat-treated banana-apple puree has a laxative effect. It is important to understand that, despite accepted norms, a child’s body may not react at all to the appearance of a banana in the diet.
Recipes
There are many banana recipes for children. Try different options, choose the most suitable recipe and make your baby’s diet varied and healthy.
Baby's first banana puree
For cooking you will need one ripe fruit.
- Choose a suitable fruit, pour boiling water over it, remove the peel.
- Cook half a banana for 5-7 minutes in a water bath, double boiler or slow cooker.
- Grind the pulp with a blender or mash with a fork.
- Add breast milk or ready-made formula, give a uniform consistency.
Apple banana puree
- To make a healthy sweet dessert, use ½ apple and ½ banana.
- Peel the apple and remove the seeds.
- Cut into pieces and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
- Add banana to the boiled fruit and beat with a mixer.
- You can dilute the puree with low-fat yogurt or kefir.
Banana curd pudding
Children over 1 year old will love curd pudding with banana. You can give treats provided you are not allergic to the components of the dish. To prepare the pudding you will need:
- 600 g low-fat cottage cheese;
- 4 eggs;
- 100 ml milk;
- 2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 2 tbsp. l. semolina;
- 1 banana.
- Beat eggs with sugar.
- In a separate container, combine cottage cheese, semolina and milk.
- Add peeled and diced banana to the resulting mixture.
- Grease the mold with oil and place the dough on it.
- Bake the dish for 40–50 minutes at a temperature of 160 degrees.
Banana is the favorite fruit of children. As you age, you can prepare new treats using bananas. The child will definitely like the chocolate-banana manna, cocktail and homemade yogurt with exotic fruit. For children who have a cough, you can prepare a delicious banana jelly without adding starch.