First, slice off the crown and bottom, peel the skin with a sharp knife, core it, and chop into rings (you can also cut the pineapple in quarters around the core). Once that's done, roughly chop the rings into small wedges.
If it smells sweet, it should be just right. Cut the stem and base off the pineapple. Then quarter the fruit. Core each quarter across the whole length and remove the skin, as if you're removing the skin from a fish.
If they're teething, cut large slices of pineapple to “chew” on for relief from teething pain. When your baby is ready to bite the fruit, cut it into pieces of size of your fingertip or into thin strips they can hold. This helps to prevent choking as your baby navigates new food sizes and textures.
Offer pineapple sliced into wide, thin strips — think the size of your index and middle finger together — for your baby to palm and gum.
When can babies eat pineapple? Pineapple may be introduced as soon as your baby is ready to start solids (which is generally around 6 months of age) as long as it's finely chopped or sliced into thin strips. Note that pineapple is acidic, which can cause or worsen diaper rash.
Yes, your 15-month-old should be able to eat pineapple without issues. The key is cutting the pineapple into small pieces in case they were to swallow it whole. The pieces of food should be no bigger than one-half an inch. Children should always be sitting down and supervised by an adult while eating.
The NHS recommends that you either blend soft, ripe pineapple into a puree, or mash it for your baby to eat. This goes for any kind of fruit when weaning (though harder fruits may need to be cooked a little in order to be softened). You can also serve pineapple as finger food once your baby is ready.
Pineapples are loaded with vitamin C, and dietary fiber which makes a healthy food for toddlers and kids. It's also a good aid for digestion. Fresh pineapple juice is best to offer during summer and when your kid is constipated as its work as a best remedy to cute constipation.
Pineapple can be served to babies six months and older if you want to introduce them to new textures and flavors. But before you try out the above recipes, learn how to prepare the pineapples to prevent choking and help the baby familiarize its taste.
Best Tips for Cutting Food for Kids
Offer larger pieces so they can practice taking bites around 16/18 months. For raw veggies and hard fruits (like apples), start with shreds, then matchsticks, and paper thin pieces. Save baby carrots and other very hard raw veggies until age 4+.
Slice the pineapple in half lengthwise. Lay down each pineapple half on the flat cut side, and cut it in half lengthwise again. Remove the core by cutting it out at an angle. Slice each quarter in half lengthwise, then turn it and slice in the other direction to create pineapple chunks.
Is pineapple hard to digest for babies? The fruit is perfectly safe for infants. However, it is a citric food that can be quite acidic for a baby to digest. Though they are very nutritious, many babies might not be able to digest this fruit.
Pineapple is another great fruit that may help to promote digestion and ease bloating and constipation. Pineapple like mango contains vitamin C that may help to naturally promote digestion, and it also contains bromelain that is an enzyme that specifically helps to promote digestion of protein.
These would be a surprise for you, but pineapple is a potent cough aid. Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapple that has anti-inflammatory and mucolytic (break down of mucus) properties. These two characteristics of bromelain make pineapple an excellent food to help relieve a cough.
It's not a bad idea to at least rinse your pineapple before cutting it. Because your knife touches both the shell and the flesh, it's good to make sure that the shell is nice and clean. We wouldn't worry too much about washing it with soap, though – a good rinse under running water should be just fine!
12-18 months old
Cut into small pieces (perfect for utensil practice!) Soft and large so the child has to take bites, such as a whole ripe banana. Sliced or shredded. Cook resistive foods requiring a lot of chewing until soft or serve in ruler-thin slices, shreds, or diced.