How to serve pineapple at 6 and 9 months
Ages are approximate; go by your baby’s skills.
Ages are approximate; go by your baby’s skills.
6+ months
Wash the fruit and remove the skin, tough eyes, and firm core. Blend the peeled, soft flesh into a puree. If it remains firm or fibrous, cook until tender and blend again.
Wash the fruit and remove the skin, tough eyes, and firm core. When your baby can grasp food and bring it to their mouth, offer only soft, peeled flesh in long, graspable pieces. If it does not squash between your fingers, cook it until tender. If the pieces are too slippery for your baby to hold, offer mashed flesh on a pre-loaded spoon.
9+ months
When your baby can manage soft pieces, offer small, soft pieces from a spoon, removing the skin, tough eyes, core, and tough fibers. Cook until tender if needed.
Once your baby has developed a pincer grasp, offer small, soft pieces with the skin, tough eyes, core, and tough fibers removed. Cook firm flesh until tender.
Choking risk
Remove the skin, tough eyes, and firm core. Hard or fibrous pieces can be difficult to chew.
Keep your child sitting upright and stay with them throughout the meal.
Allergies
Allergic reactions to pineapple are possible. Some people with latex allergy also react to this fruit. This does not mean every child will react; if your child has a known latex allergy, discuss introduction with an allergist.
Vitamin C
100 g of fresh pineapple has 47.8 mg of vitamin C, nearly the full daily amount for babies 7 to 12 months old.
That’s USDA data; babies 7 to 12 months old need 50 mg of vitamin C a day, according to the NIH. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from plant foods, so pineapple pieces pair well with cereal or beans.
Pineapple and poop
The AAP lists pineapple among the fiber-rich foods that help with constipation once your baby eats solids, along with prunes, pears, peaches, and kiwi. According to USDA data, 100 g of pineapple has 1.4 g of fiber. The AAP suggests seeing your pediatrician if constipation lasts more than a week or you see blood in the stool.
Canned pineapple
Canned pineapple is quite different from fresh. Per 100 g, according to USDA data:
- fresh pineapple — 9.9 g of sugars and 47.8 mg of vitamin C;
- canned in juice — 14.5 g of sugars and 9.5 mg of vitamin C;
- canned in heavy syrup — 16.9 g of sugars and 7.4 mg of vitamin C.
Canned pineapple keeps only a fifth to a sixth of the vitamin C and has more sugar even without syrup. If you buy canned, choose pineapple packed in juice, or better yet, offer fresh.
Sources · 12
This page is based on guidance from health organizations:
- NHS — From around 6 months
- Norwegian Food Composition Table — Pineapple, raw
- NHS — Preparing food safely for babies
- CDC — Choking Hazards
- NHS — 7 to 9 months
- Anaphylaxis UK — Latex allergy
- AAAAI — Food Allergy
- USDA FoodData Central — Pineapple, raw, all varieties
- USDA FoodData Central — Pineapple, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids
- USDA FoodData Central — Pineapple, canned, heavy syrup pack, solids and liquids
- NIH ODS — Vitamin C
- AAP HealthyChildren — Abdominal Pain in Infants
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Decide on introducing foods, especially allergens, together with your pediatrician.
