Avocado as a first food for babies
One of my most recommended first foods for babies is an avocado. Avocados are super nutrient dense - they are a great source of healthy fats and are much higher in energy than other fruits and veggies- which is great for babies who have high energy needs. They also have lots of other nutrients like calcium, phosphate, potassium and magnesium. And vitamins A, B, C, E and K
I also love avocado as a first food because they turn very soft when ripe. If you catch them before they get too ripe- and become a gooey mess- you can cut a slice off for baby can practice holding and have a little munch on (perfect for baby-led weaning). They slices can sometimes be a little slippery so you can try dipping a slice in some ground seeds, ground nuts or some desiccated coconut. Another option would be to leave a little bit of the skin on a slice at the bottom for baby to grab.
If you decide to offer purees first then some ripe avocado can be be easily mashed with a fork (no blending required- yay!)
To check if an avocado is ripe you can use the squeeze test to check it before peeling: if an avocado is firm, it’s less ripe - if it’s soft, it’s on the riper side!
YOU NEED
One half of a ripe avocado
Optional: some mixed ground seeds like linseeds and pumpkin seeds
TO MAKE
Slice the avocado in half lengthways
Use a spoon to peel the avocado flesh away from the skin and remove the stone. Cut into slices.
AVOCADO FINGERS
Option to dip the avocado slices in the ground seeds to create some grip and give a nutrition boost.
Offer a few of the avocado slices for your baby to explore with their hands.
MASHED AVOCADO
Take 1-2 slices of peeled ripe avocado and mash with a fork. You can add a splash of babies regular milk if you want a smoother texture
BABY-LED WEANING TIP
Load some of the mashed avocado onto a spoon, place it in front of your baby and allow them to grab it themselves!
Above: Mashed avocado pre-loaded onto a spoon for baby-led style weaning :)
