Finger Foods With High Fiber For Babies and Toddlers.
A few days back my daughter suffered from severe constipation. It was heartbreaking to see her in discomfort. In spite of having vegetables and fruits in her everyday diet, she still couldn’t go.
It turned out that she couldn’t digest whole milk well. So for some time, her dairy intake had been stopped. Now, for every meal, I made sure that whatever she ate gave her lot of fiber along with other nutrients.
Besides fruits, I started giving her raisins, dried figs, and dates.
Raisins:
Raisins can be offered to a baby as early as 8 to 9 months. I used to add raisins to fruit purees and serve those to my daughter.
Once she mastered her pincer grip and chewed food with her gums, then I started giving her whole raisins without cooking them. That was after she turned 1-year-old. Raisins are a good source of protein, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber.
Since raisins are made from grapes, it is advisable to buy them organic. As they come under “dirty dozens”. While offering raisins, I made sure that she drank water after she ate those.
Drinking water helped flush out any raisins particles sticking on to her teeth to keep cavities at bay.
Dried Figs:
I am a great fan of Figs and thankfully my daughter loves them too. She loves munching on them. I introduced her to dried figs at around 9 months.
Similar to raisins, I used to mix those with her fruit purees. Now at 18 months, she gets these as a part of a yummy sweet snack. I cut them into her bite-size pieces, similar to the size of a raisin to avoid choking.
Dried figs have a high fiber content. They are packed with potassium and minerals, along with vitamins and antioxidants. Commercial grown dried figs can be treated with sulfites to extend their shelf life. So it’s better to go for Organic Dried Figs.
Dates:
I grew up having Dates, as a sugary treat instead of chocolates. It was my go-to snack when I craved for something sweet, especially during winter time. I introduced my daughter to this sweet dry fruit at 16 months.
Before giving it to my daughter, I wash the dates well and get rid of the pit. Then mash it a bit so that its flesh turns soft. Finally, I cut them into small pieces to make sure she doesn’t get choked on any piece.
Dates, to have a high fiber content which helps in digestion. It is also a good source of energy and sugar as well as vitamins and minerals. Dates are sometimes treated with sulfites, so again buying Organic Dates is advisable.
Dried Prunes:
Dried Prunes too can be one of the choices for finger food for toddlers. They have a high fiber content which helps relieve constipation. Prunes are a good source of potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Since, they are treated with sulfites as well, so it’s advisable to go organic version.
These are today’s Finger Food ideas. All the three above can be served with other food items. I like to mix them with Organic cereal or fruits for munching. So next time, when little tummy is giving you a hard time. Try serving these to your toddlers.
Important Note:
Talk to your baby’s Pediatrician before starting any new food.
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What a brill post. I’m going to pass this info on to my sister in law who’s 18 month old LOVES food, I dont think her little one has tried dates yet 🙂
Thank you Ash, I am glad you found this post helpful. Dates are really yummy little treats. 🙂