Prunes are not only a delicious treat, which contains a storehouse of useful elements, but also serves as an excellent remedy for constipation. It is easier for an adult to fight this ailment: he drank a suitable pill - and the problem was gone. But how to help your baby? Prune puree for babies is an excellent tool in the fight against problems of the gastrointestinal tract. When you can introduce your child to this product and how to cook a healthy dish at home, you will find out right now.
Product benefits
Prunes are a product that is great as a preventative measure for digestive problems. In addition, this dried fruit is a natural antioxidant containing a large amount of potassium. In this useful product, almost the entire complex of microelements and vitamins contained in fresh plum is preserved. Besides the fact that mashed prunes for babies helps to cope with constipation, there are many more advantages:
- Plant fiber contained in the product improves digestion.
- Thanks to the vitamins of groups B, A and C, the children's body grows and develops correctly.
- The pectins that make up prunes help eliminate pathogenic bacteria from the body.
- Organic acid improves metabolism.
In addition, regular use of the product normalizes blood pressure, improves blood microcirculation, strengthens the immune system, reduces the likelihood of multiplication of salmonella and E. coli, and also serves as a prevention of the development of oncology in adults and children.
Contraindications
Thus, prune puree for babies is a good helper, which gently cleanses the intestines and provides the baby with useful substances. In addition, this product in rare cases can cause allergies. But despite this, in some cases, the use of prunes should be abandoned:
- when diagnosing diabetes in a small patient;
- prohibited with overweight or high propensity to gain it;
- it is not recommended to use the product for pregnant and lactating women the first three months;
- it is not allowed to give the baby this product if at the moment he has diarrhea or a high tendency to this is noted;
- in case of allergy to dried fruit.
It is worth noting the fact that excessive use of prunes causes diarrhea, which helps to eliminate not only unnecessary substances from the body, but also useful ones.
How to choose a quality product?
Many mothers prefer to cook various dishes for their babies on their own. Speaking about how to make mashed prunes for babies, we note that the important aspect is the choice of product. Qualitative fruit can be recognized according to the following characteristics:
- Prunes should have a rich black color. The brown color indicates that the product was scalded with boiling water and has a bitter taste.
- The best option is a product with stones, it lends itself to long-term storage and retains more nutrients.
- Preference should be given to a matte shade, since glossy and shiny fruits indicate that they were processed with glycerin or wax.
- Prunes should not stick to hands and leave marks.
- A quality product, when in water for about thirty minutes, begins to fade.
- It is worthwhile to refrain from buying hard fruits, since during a long cooking all the positive properties evaporate.
Cooking yourself
Many mothers know the healing properties of prune puree for infants with constipation, but not everyone trusts store products. Some manufacturers add rice starch to their composition for a more viscous consistency, which can give an allergic reaction. To be completely sure of the quality of the product, it is better to make mashed prunes with your own hands. The cooking process does not take much effort and time, but in the end it will guarantee a tender and tasty dish. Next, we will tell you how to make mashed prunes for babies. To prepare it, you will need only two ingredients: prunes and purified water. The work process is as follows:
- Pre-dried fruit must be thoroughly washed, pour boiling water and let it brew for at least three hours.
- When the fruits are soft, you can proceed to cooking. The liquid in which prunes were infused should be drained and poured with a small amount of new and clean water (about 150 ml).
- Then it is necessary to put a container of prunes on the fire and cook for twenty minutes.
- It is necessary to remove the skin from each fruit, and in order for the mashed prunes for babies to have a uniform consistency, it is worth using a blender, a strainer or a meat grinder.
- The final step is grinding. As a result, the mass should turn out without lumps. Dilute thick mashed potatoes with a decoction of prunes.
As it turned out, it’s not at all difficult to make mashed prunes for babies with their own hands. It is only necessary to observe certain rules when introducing complementary foods. So, if the baby first tries this product, the number of dried fruits in mashed potatoes should not exceed three berries.
Prune Broth
Before introducing prune puree into the baby’s diet, experts advise starting with a decoction of this product. It is easily prepared at home, for this it is necessary:
- Rinse thoroughly with about five dried fruit.
- Put in a pan and pour 200 ml of cold water.
- Immediately after the broth boils, it must be removed from the heat.
- Let it brew and cool to room temperature.
A couple of teaspoons of this healing drink will help the baby cope with acute respiratory infections and constipation.
Introduction Features
Most babies suffer from problems in the gastrointestinal tract. As a rule, the deplorable emptying situation is interconnected with breastfeeding. As a prevention of constipation, it is advisable to add a small amount of prunes to the diet. Tasting of any new product should be carried out in the morning and monitor the health of the baby for a couple of days. Feeding the baby this dried fruit in the evening is fraught with sleepless nights. Prune puree for babies should be served at room temperature and only fresh. Every mom should know that mashed potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator. To get the maximum benefit from dried fruit, it is important to give crumbs only fresh dishes. Despite the fact that the taste of prunes may like crumbs, you should not use it daily, as diarrhea or an allergic reaction can occur. Nutritionists and pediatricians recommend eating this product no more than twice a week.
Since how many months?
Prune puree for babies will be a useful and tasty treat, but still do not rush with the introduction of the product. Many manufacturers of baby purees recommend using prunes starting at four months. Pediatricians, in turn, believe that the child’s body is ready to digest this product from six months. This view is also supported by the World Health Organization. It is worth noting that some parents decide on their own to give mashed dried fruits to their children much earlier than the specified time.
For the smallest
If the baby has not yet reached the recommended age for using prune puree, then alternative methods exist for this case. In order for the desired result from the fetus to appear, a nursing mother can eat it herself in small quantities. With mother’s milk, components that are important for the normal functioning of the intestine will be transferred to the baby, and he will be able to get rid of feces without effort. In addition, you can limit yourself to prunes compote. It is recommended that you give half a teaspoon of the decoction to the baby or drink it yourself. In any case, after use, it is necessary to monitor the reaction of the baby.
Options for finished mashed potatoes
Those mothers who do not know how to make mashed prunes for babies prefer to buy them in a store. To date, the assortment on the shelves is distinguished by its diversity. Therefore, choosing a product can be difficult, and then reviews come to the rescue. Prune puree for babies, according to mothers, is an excellent tool for normalizing the intestinal tract. Prunes puree of the following brands are considered popular among parents.
"Grandmother's basket"
Many mothers are satisfied with the quality of the product and its reasonable price. It is also noted that the kids like the taste of mashed potatoes, so they eat it with pleasure. The product has a rich dark brown color and a pleasant sweetish taste. Few parents advise giving the baby as a first meal due to the thick consistency.
Fruto Nanny
This jar of prunes pleases parents with an acceptable ratio of price and quality. The product contains neither starch nor sugar, which indicates its naturalness. Puree on consistency of medium density, has a slightly sour taste. But most importantly, it performs its main function - it has a laxative effect and normalizes the intestines. Specialists noted that this product is ideal as an early feeding.
Gerber
The price of the product is slightly higher than the previous options. The composition contains only two ingredients - prunes and water. Many mothers note the pleasant and restrained taste of mashed potatoes, which many babies like.
Thus, prune puree is an indispensable tool for the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract. The product itself has a pleasant and sweet taste, which will be a treat for the baby. And what is better: to cook puree from prunes itself or to purchase a finished product - only to mom.