When can babies have bananas? (2024)

You can give babies mashed banana as soon as they start eating solid foods, usually around 6 months. Bananas are a popular first food for a reason – their natural sweetness makes them a favorite for babies while their versatility offers a perfect grab-and-go snack option.

Are bananas good for babies?

Yes. Bananas are a good source of potassium, vitamins B6 and C, fiber, and magnesium. Because of this combination, as well being easy to prepare, convenient to carry, and tasty, they're considered one of the best first foods for babies.

Although berries and leafy green vegetables might get all the attention for their antioxidant properties, bananas actually contain more. This is helpful for babies because antioxidants can boost brain health while helping with tissue repair.

Another plus is that bananas have been shown to decrease constipation and help with digestion – as long as they're ripe. As bananas ripen, the amount of digestible fiber in them increases, which can help with constipation and aid in digestion. On the other hand, less ripe bananas (more green in color) have more undigestible starches, which can be constipating or make your baby's poop firmer.

A heads up if you haven't fed your baby bananas before: Some of the undigested material from bananas can show up as black flecks or black "strings" in your baby's poop. This is common and harmless; it's simply the center part of the banana.

Can babies be allergic to bananas?

Although some allergic reactions to bananas have been reported, it's rare to be allergic to the fruit, and it isn't considered a common allergen.

That said, bananas may be a trigger if your baby has food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, a type of gastrointestinal food allergy that affects mainly babies and young children. If your baby tends to throw up or have diarrhea soon after eating a particular food like soy or grains, talk to your pediatrician.

And it never hurts to be aware of the symptoms of a food allergy. Some symptoms include hives, itchy skin rashes, swelling, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you notice any of these symptoms in your baby after eating food, let their doctor know. If your baby has symptoms that involve multiple parts of the body (such as hives with vomiting or diarrhea), it could be an anaphylactic reaction.

Other signs of an anaphylactic reaction are throat tightness, breathing problems, wheezing, lightheadedness, and loss of consciousness. If your baby shows signs of an anaphylactic reaction, call 911 or go to an emergency room immediately.

When introducing a potentially allergenic food, experts recommend giving it to your baby at home, rather than at daycare or a restaurant. Serve it for three to five days before offering another new food. That way you can monitor your baby for a reaction and know what's likely causing it.

How to serve babies banana

You can offer your baby slices of banana or mash up the fruit and serve it on a spoon. Bananas also pair well with other soft fruits in a fruit salad, to give your baby a range of flavor and texture options. They're also great blended into a smoothie with other fruits and yogurt.

Like avocados, bananas are easy to serve because there's no cooking or pureeing required – just mash with a fork and you're good to go.

Once your baby is older and eating finger foods, you can add mashed banana to pancake batter and make small pancakes that your baby can pick up and eat. Or try mashing up a banana and serving it on bite-size pieces of toast.

If you're trying baby-led weaning, bananas are a common first food. Try giving your baby spears of ripe banana that they can pick up and gnaw on, but make sure the banana is ripe enough that your baby can easily mash it between their tongue and the roof of their mouth.

Try these recipes with bananas for your baby:

1. Mango and banana puree
2. Tropical fruit salad