Baby s get a sudden burst of independence where they want to feed themselves and will turn their nose up at anything coming towards their mouths on a spoon. There are many foods that can be cut into manageable pieces so that baby can feed herself, give you peace of mind that she s getting proper nourishment, and save you money when you no longer have to purchase expensive jar food. Mandarin oranges are a delicious source of Vitamin A and C, they are inexpensive and soft enough for baby to gum. Take the orange segments out of the can and break them in half or thirds to make them the perfect size for baby to eat. Alternately in the fruit department, canned peaches are also soft enough for babies to eat.
Pears tend to be too hard.
When you are buying canned fruit, be sure to choose those packed in natural juice and not the sugary syrup that baby just doesn t need. Bananas can be a good choice as well, in fact if baby is teething, a frozen banana can bring relief and nourishment at the same time. When the bananas are frozen, they will be less likely to break off into large chunks. Ocean Spray has many varieties of dried fruits sold in zip-lock packages now that are soft enough for little beginners as well, including plums, apricots and cranberries. Always check the nutrition information on the package when buying fruits for baby to make sure they aren t just empty calories.