Fruits must be COOKED to start?

I have seen on several websites that fruits and vegetables (sometimes with the exceptions of banana/avocado) must be cooked at first when starting solids. One site said until 8 months! I have the baby-safe feeder / teething feeder, which my 5 month old loves and handles great! With that, I don't have to worry about choking. Is there some other reason (digestion?) that I need to cook fruit (example: peaches, pears, grapes?) before I put them in there?
I'm thinking that cooking will just add to the sugarness of them? As a side-note, DS does have some allergies, if that would make any difference!

Thanks,
Valerie

[nfowife]

I didn't cook fruits. I did puree them but for things like pears I would just peel and puree and they were fine.

[MarisaSF]

I can't think of a fruit where "they" would say to cook it except to make it not a choking hazard. If you have a baby safe feeder, uncooked peaches and pears would do well in there. Cut up the grapes (some people peel them too) and you don't need the feeder. Cook apples to make them soft.
Have fun!

[DebbieJ]

Never cooked any fruits here!

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/sty...onths-bfar.jpg

[mariza]

I just always assumed it was due to allergies. I steamed everything until about 10 months (then I just got lazy). My brother is allergic to raw apples. I don't get it, but he can eat apple pie, or any cooked version of apples just fine. If your DC already has allergies I would check with your allergist before giving raw fruits.

[juliasmom05]

I think it is just a digestion issue. Cooking the fruit helps break it down and makes it easier to digest. If DS's stomach can handle the raw fruit, then there really is no reason to cook it.

Marci

Mom to Julia 4/05

[jillc]

I think it's supposed to make the fruits & veggies more easily digestible & therefore easier on Baby's tummy.

We used Mommy Made & Daddy, Too for our "recipes", and for the most part, followed their advice & cooked almost everything, at least for DD's first couple months of solids. I loaned it out to a friend, or I'd go look up the reasoning.

Most often, the cooking method was steaming - quick & easy. The favorite around here was pureed steamed pear slices (pearsauce) - YUM!

Hope this helps a bit.

Have fun!
Jill

[JTsMom]

From wholesomebabyfood.com

Why do you have recipes to cook fruit? Am I able to puree raw fruits and feed them to my baby?

Most pediatric sources recommend cooking fruits that will be fed to an infant until that infant has turned 8 months old. Bananas and avocado are an exception. For infants who start solids prior to 6 months old, cooking fruits is recommended. Cooking fruits breaks them down thus enabling easier digestion in an immature tummy. The "skins� of the fruits should always be peeled, especially prior to 8 months old!

Infants who are fed fruits that have been pureed raw may not have any issues with digesting those fruits. There should be no life threatening health risk to baby fed raw fruits however, you may find baby has some digestion and tummy troubles. This should pass once the fruit itself has been passed.

Depending on the doctor to whom you are speaking, this recommendation may vary with age. Some doctors may say cooking fruits is not necessary at all.

HTH,
Lori