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Expert Q&A
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| By Peggy O'Shea Kochenbach Registered Dietitian | ||
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How should I prepare banana for my baby?
For first eaters, select very ripe bananas and mash them into a very soft consistency. Even though bananas are soft and many parents don't consider them to be a choking hazard, they are. Bananas can also be somewhat "paste-like" in consistency, which can contribute to the choking hazard. Therefore, it may also be helpful to stir in some breast milk or baby formula (whichever the baby is used to) in order to make the consistency more easily tolerated. It is important to remember that for the first several months of life a baby has only had a 'liquid' diet, and this shift in mouth and swallowing function can also take some development.
As Baby grows, bananas are a wonderful "finger food," but banana slices should not be given whole. For a toddler, it is important to make sure that bananas are not cut simply in slices [circles] but that they are then cut in half and even in half again so that they are not likely to get lodged in the esophagus, as they are swallowed if not chewed properly.