Bananas are a good food for your baby to self-feed, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.

6+ months: Handheld banana with some peel, long strips (can be rolled in crushed puffs), or a puree: This helps baby grasp it better since bananas are slippery and can be hard to grab. You can offer purees and still allow your baby to lead the way with self-feeding by placing some spoonfuls directly on your baby's tray or bowl to let them explore on their own, or you can hand them a pre-loaded self-feeding spoon. 

9+ months: chunks or long strips: Babies are developing their pincer grasp at this age so chunks can be a great way for babies to practice. If bananas still seem to be slipping out of your baby’s hand, rolling them in crushed puffs, nuts or hemp seeds can help your baby grasp them.

Banana for Self Feeding

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Servings: 1-2 servings
Age: 6+ months 

Ingredients

• 1/2 ripe banana

Instructions

1. Handheld Banana: Cut a 4-5 inch section of banana off from the top. Cut off the peel, leaving roughly 1-2 inches of exposed banana. Do not cut all the way through the banana, just the peel. Then you can remove the peel away and hand the stem of the banana to your baby.
2. Chunks of Banana: Peel half of a banana and using your fingernails, break the banana into chunks along the seem of the banana. It should easily break into chunks. 
3. Rolled Banana Strips: Cut a banana into strips and roll them in a little bit of topping of your liking such as, crushed puffs, finely chopped nuts or hemp seeds. 

Notes

Age: 6+ months

Yield: 1 serving 

Puree for Self-Feeding: Yes, it can be done! You can offer purees and still allow your baby to lead the way with self-feeding.

• Place a few spoonfuls of purees directly on the tray or in a bowl for your baby to dip fingers into. Model how to dip your fingers into the puree and bring them to your mouth, to taste some.
• Offer your baby a pre-loaded self-feeding utensil and hold it out for them to grasp or set on their tray. 
• Use a solid food as a dipper. You can also offer a soft stick-shaped piece of food, such as a soft roasted carrot or bread lightly toasted and cut into strips to dip into the puree.

Nutritional Information

Bananas are a great first food for babies because they are loaded with essential nutrients for a growing baby and can be eaten whole, mashed, or mixed into baked goods. They are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese and potassium, and they are high in vitamin B6.

• They are a good source of potassium which helps maintain hydration and a normal heartbeat. 
• The fiber in bananas can help prevent constipation and bloating
• They are also a good food to serve when your baby has an upset stomach
• They are high in carbohydrates which give energy