Pears, the sweet bell-shaped fruit, can be consumed raw and cooked. It is a popular ingredient in most delicacies such as jams, jellies, juices, and cider. Nevertheless, you are bound to wonder if you could consider pears for babies. Pears offer many important nutrients for an individual’s healthy growth and development. They are also rich sources of fiber and other phytochemicals that possess medicinal properties, which may treat constipation and other illnesses. When consumed the right way, professionals suggest that pears have several benefits (1). Read on to know about the right age to feed pears to babies, its health benefits, and a few recipes. We have also included a few tips for their selection and storage.
When Can Babies Start Eating Pear?
Babies can consume pear as part of a balanced weaning diet from the age of six months (2). If you wish to start feeding pear sooner, consult your pediatrician first. You can initially feed peeled and cooked, steamed, or stewed pear as a puree or mash for easier chewing and digestion. It would let your baby adjust to the fruit’s texture, taste, and digestibility. Once the baby gets used to the fruit, you can mix pear with the mash or puree of other fruits and vegetables. Gradually, the baby can eat peeled and bite-sized pear pieces as finger food. You can also make delectable pear recipes, such as soup, to add variety to your baby and toddler’s meals.
Nutritional Value Of Pear
Fresh, whole pear is a good source of dietary fiber, several micronutrients, vitamins C, K, copper, potassium and functional compounds that offer long-term health benefits (3). One slice or chunk (25g) of raw pear can provide the following nutrients to the baby (4) (5) (6). AI = Adequate intake – nutrient level assumed to ensure nutritional adequacy Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture and Oregon State University
Possible Health Benefits Of Pear For Babies And Toddlers
Pear is a nourishing fruit that can enhance the nutritional value of your baby and toddler’s meal. Feeding pear in moderation could offer these notable benefits.
How To Choose And Store Pears?
Proper selection and storage of pear ensure your baby reaps its benefits optimally. Here are some simple tips to follow.
Tips for selecting pear
Pick pear with a light yellow to green-colored skin and free from bruises, torn skin or spots.
Select ripe pear if you plan to use them within a couple of days. If not, select pear, which is firmer, and look unripe.
A fully ripened pear will be firm to touch. Gentle pressure around the stem if yields, it means they are just ripe. Softness anywhere else indicates over-ripening.
Tips for storing pear
Unripe pear can be stored at room temperature in a clean bowl or basket on your kitchen counter for up to a week for ripening. The ideal room temperature for the pear to ripen is 70°F (21°C). This should be stored whole and not cut.
Place ripe pear in freezer bags and store it in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer, away from aromatic vegetables, such as onions.
Uncut ripe pear stored in a bag within the freezer stays edible for five to 12 days. The temperature of the freezer should be at or below 40°F (4°C).
Freeze pear by cutting it into thin slices and dabbing the pieces with lemon water to prevent enzymatic browning. Store the slices in a BPA-free plastic freezer bag.
Precautions To Take While Feeding Pear To Babies
Here are some steps to ensure the safe intake of pear in babies and toddlers.
Begin feeding peeled, cooked/steamed/boiled, and mashed/pureed pear to your baby. Cooking/steaming/boiling pear is necessary for pureeing and mashing the fruit easily. Once the baby is digesting pear comfortably, you can begin adding it to other foods.
Follow the three-day wait rule and do not feed any other new food to your baby. It will help you determine if the pear suits your baby.
If your baby looks uncomfortable after eating pear, stop feeding the fruit immediately, and try later.
Introduce the fruit in small quantities of one to two teaspoons. Once your baby is comfortable, you may gradually increase the amount to a tablespoon to two.
Stay alert to the signs of sensitivity, intolerance, and allergy. If your baby has a family history of food allergies, consult a pediatrician before introducing pear.
A baby can be allergic to raw pear if they are allergic to birch pollen. It is known as pollen-food syndrome, a cross-reactive allergic reaction. It could cause allergy signs, such as skin itching and inflammation of the mouth and throat. These signs may appear within five to 15 minutes after ingesting raw pear (10). However, an individual can tolerate cooked pear in such cases.
Although uncommon, true pear allergy is possible. An individual with a true pear allergy cannot consume raw or cooked pear. Its symptoms can range from mild (wheezing, nausea, hives) to severe (anaphylaxis) appearing after touching or eating a pear. An individual allergic to pear may often develop an allergy to apple, apricot, melon, banana, hazelnut, and carrot.
For toddlers, serve peeled, bite-sized chunks of pear as finger foods. Ensure you remove the seeds and stem and thinly slice the pear chunks to prevent choking. As they grow older, encourage them to eat a pear with the skin to gain more nutrients.
Discourage toddlers from drinking pear juice unless advised by a pediatrician to treat or manage an ailment, such as constipation. If you wish to use pear to manage an ailment, serve a whole pear in age-appropriate ways instead.
Tasty Pear Recipes For Babies And Toddlers
Below are some easy-to-prepare, delectable pear recipes that you can try for your baby and toddlers.
1. Pear puree (6 months+)
You will need:
½ ripe pear (peeled, cored, and deseeded)
How to prepare:
2. Pear and carrot mash (6 months+)
You will need:
1 baby carrot (peeled and chopped) 1 small pear (peeled, cored, deseeded and chopped) ¼ cup water ½ tsp jaggery powder ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
How to prepare:
3. Pear porridge (10 months+)
You will need:
30g rolled oats 1 cup water ½ cup breast milk or formula ½ cup pear mash ¼ tsp dried fruit powder Pinch of cinnamon powder
How to prepare:
4. Pear yogurt (10 months+)
You will need:
1 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt 1 cup pear mash ¼ cup mango pulp ¼ tsp jaggery powder Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon powder
How to prepare:
5. Pear and butternut squash soup (12 months)
You will need:
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup butternut squash (halved, peeled, and deseeded) 1 cup pear (peeled, cored, deseeded, and diced) ¼ cup coconut milk 1 shallot (quartered) 1tbsp fresh ginger (grated) ¼ tsp dried oregano and thyme Pinch of nutmeg powder
How to prepare:
