Babies can eat bananas from 6 months, when they start solids. At 6 months: half a ripe banana, fully peeled, to hold in a fist, or mashed on a preloaded spoon. Why so big: babies this age grab with the whole hand, so a finger-sized piece with a bit sticking out of the fist is easiest to hold and gnaw, and gnawing helps them learn to chew. Feeding themselves carries no more risk of choking than being fed with a spoon; always stay with your baby while they eat.
- Other names and forms
- Cavendish banana
- Start
- 6 months, when solids begin
- Common allergen
- Not one of the nine major allergens
- Textures
- Mashed and finger food
How to serve bananas by age
6 to 8 months
Half a ripe banana, fully peeled, to hold in a fist, or mashed on a preloaded spoon. Why so big: babies this age grab with the whole hand, so a finger-sized piece with a bit sticking out of the fist is easiest to hold and gnaw, and gnawing helps them learn to chew. Feeding themselves carries no more risk of choking than being fed with a spoon; always stay with your baby while they eat.
9 to 11 months
Soft pieces about 1 cm to pick up, or a long spear from a peeled banana split lengthwise in three. Why smaller now: between about 9 and 12 months babies learn to pick food up between thumb and finger, and small soft pieces let them practice. Babies who don't move on to lumpy food by about 9 to 10 months are more likely to have feeding difficulties later.
12 to 17 months
Bite-sized pieces, a long spear, or a peeled half to bite from.
18 months and up
A whole peeled banana to bite from while you watch.
Sito shows this card at your baby's exact age, for 583 foods.
Nutrients
USDA figures per 100 g (Bananas, raw): iron 0.26 mg, zinc 0.15 mg, calcium 5.0 mg, vitamin A 3.0 mcg and vitamin C 8.7 mg. Household measures from USDA: 1 half is about 59 g, 1 tablespoon (mashed) is about 14 g and 1 whole (medium) is about 118 g.
Starting Solids in the Sito app
Sito is our app. From 4 months, the home screen is Starting Solids: the signs of readiness, how to serve each of 583 foods at your baby's age, and a quick log for every taste. Spears to grip or mashed on a spoon, each food's card shows the shapes that fit your baby's age, and swipes ahead to how it changes as they grow.
The Allergen Ladder takes 9 common allergens, one at a time, with a check-in after each. At 12 months the full app opens on its own: meals from a photo, 18 nutrients, and how to cut every food until age 4.
Every first food, served right
Add your baby and Starting Solids opens at 4 months.
FAQ
When can babies eat bananas?
From 6 months, when your baby starts solids.
How do you serve bananas to a 6-month-old?
Half a ripe banana, fully peeled, to hold in a fist, or mashed on a preloaded spoon. Why so big: babies this age grab with the whole hand, so a finger-sized piece with a bit sticking out of the fist is easiest to hold and gnaw, and gnawing helps them learn to chew. Feeding themselves carries no more risk of choking than being fed with a spoon; always stay with your baby while they eat.
How do you serve bananas to a 9-month-old?
Soft pieces about 1 cm to pick up, or a long spear from a peeled banana split lengthwise in three. Why smaller now: between about 9 and 12 months babies learn to pick food up between thumb and finger, and small soft pieces let them practice. Babies who don't move on to lumpy food by about 9 to 10 months are more likely to have feeding difficulties later.
How do you serve bananas to a 12-month-old?
Bite-sized pieces, a long spear, or a peeled half to bite from.
Sources
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- USDA FoodData Central: Bananas, raw
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Zinc
- AAP HealthyChildren: Movement Milestones: Babies 4 to 7 Months
- CDC: Important Milestones: Your Baby By One Year
- ESPGHAN: Complementary Feeding: A Position Paper by the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition (2017)