Strawberries 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.

Whole and Large (6+ months): As long as the whole strawberry is not small enough to fit in your baby’s mouth and is soft and ripe, you can offer whole strawberries. Whole strawberries will be easy for babies to pick up using their palmar grasp. 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. 

Thin Sliced, Chopped into Small 'Pea" Size Pieces, or Quarters(9+ months): As your baby develops their pincer grasp, offer chopped mango to help give them some practice.  

Strawberry for Self-Feeding

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

Ingredients 

• 2-3 strawberries

Instructions

1. Cut and serve in an age-appropriate way. 

Notes

Age: 6+ months

Yield: 1-2 portions for baby

Storage: cut strawberries is best eaten right away. 

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

Strawberries are super nutritious and are a great first food for your baby because of the different ways your baby can enjoy them- plain, in yogurt or oatmeal, smoothies, frozen treats, etc.

• They are high in vitamin C; in fact one cup contains about 180% of the recommended Daily Value for kids, making it an excellent source of this vitamin. 
• They’re also a good source of fiber for digestion
• They contain potassium, folate, and numerous antioxidants. 
• A majority of strawberries are made up of water, so they are a great food to keep your baby hydrated.