We cook compotes for babies: from apples, from dried fruits, from prunes

Mother's milk is undoubtedly the most useful and balanced food for an infant, but at the same time, we must not forget that the baby also needs to be watered. Compote for babies, just like drinking water and natural juices, is one of the most important components of the diet. Delicious fortified compositions made from fresh fruits, dried berries, prunes or dried apricots perfectly quench thirst, normalize water balance, saturate tissues with a number of necessary components. It is only necessary to understand when and what composition can be given to the baby, what is the best way to cook it and how to do it correctly.

At what age can compotes be introduced into the baby's diet?

In the first month of life, children are recommended to drink only clean drinking water, because. an unadapted organism can react violently to any unfamiliar component. From the second month, according to indications, it is already possible to give a little tea from chamomile or fennel. Starting from three months, pediatricians are allowed to offer natural or children's juice from apples, apricots and pears to little ones. Only at 6 months is the time for compote for babies. Here you need to act according to the following rules:

1. After six months, it is better for children to give drinks from fresh fruits or berries.
2. After a year, you can already try a drink made from dried ingredients. This is especially true in winter, when the components on store shelves do not please with their taste and composition. Thanks to the natural sweetness, it will be possible to do without sugar, which increases the risk of tooth decay in children.
3. At first, compotes should be diluted with drinking water. Only when the child gets used to them, the use of a pure drink is allowed.

Given the rich chemical composition of compotes, babies are allowed to give them during feeding or immediately after it.

The benefits of natural drinks and the rules for their preparation

Despite the natural composition of home-made compotes, many parents still doubt whether it is worth giving a drink to a child under the age of one. The solution will become obvious if we consider all the advantages of compotes for babies:

• Even after undergoing heat treatment, the product contains an impressive amount of vitamins necessary for the normal functioning of the baby's body and strengthening his immunity.
• Both fresh and dried fruits contain special components that have a beneficial effect on digestion by stimulating the reproduction of beneficial microflora. Without fail, compote of apples and raisins or prunes and dried apricots, as one of the main drinks, should be considered by mothers whose children regularly experience constipation.

Tip: If compote has to be introduced into the menu before the baby has tried complementary foods, then it is recommended to soak the ingredients cut into small pieces for an hour in cold boiled water. This will eliminate excess aggressive components and make the drink a little softer.

• The children's body is quickly dehydrated, while not every baby can be persuaded to drink plain water. In this case, the introduction of compote for babies into the diet becomes a real salvation.
• No less useful is a slightly warmed fortified composition when the little one has a cold and needs to drink plenty of water.

Fruit or berry compote for a child of 6 months must be prepared, adhering to the following rules:

1. Like all new products, compotes are introduced into the diet gradually, starting with half a teaspoon.
2. Initially, the child should be given a drink prepared on the basis of one product already tested by the baby, for example, green apples. Additional ingredients are introduced gradually, between them you need to wait at least two weeks.
3. Fresh ingredients can be boiled for no more than 10 minutes, dried - about half an hour.
4. Adding sugar to a child's drink up to a year is highly discouraged. If the finished version turns out to be too sour, you need to either change the ingredients or introduce a little fructose, but we will definitely consult a pediatrician about the supplement.

Recipes for making compotes for babies are very simple. The main thing is to choose high-quality components without traces of damage.

Recipes for simple and healthy compotes

Regardless of how many months the child begins to receive compote, it must be prepared from seasonal products. If it's winter, then you should think about dried ingredients. It is better, of course, to start with apples (they can be prepared in advance). Recipes for compotes that are suitable for children under the age of one year are as follows:

• Classic dried apple compote. We sort through the slices of dried fruits, wash them at least five times in warm water. Bring some water to a boil in a saucepan and add the fruit. Cook for at least 20 minutes, then insist until cool. The volume of water will have to be selected independently, based on the saturation of the drink.

• Dried apple drink prepared in a thermos. Put a few slices of dried apples in a small thermos and pour a glass of boiling water. We insist for 12 hours. In the morning, pour the dried fruit compote for the baby into the pan, add another glass of boiling water and cook everything over low heat for about 10 minutes.

• Fresh apple compote. We take a ripe green fruit of medium size, thoroughly wash and clean from the peel and core, cut into slices. Pour the components with water and cook for about 10 minutes, after which we let the compote cool naturally. When this happens, we filter and you can give the baby.

• Composition of dried apricots and raisins. A few pieces of dried apricots (it is better to cut it into quarters) and raisins are washed, placed in a bowl and poured with boiling water. We insist for at least 6 hours, after which we filter through cheesecloth. Boiling this product is not necessary, but you can try this option.

• Plum compote. Berries pour boiling water and defend for five minutes. Then we drain the water, wash the fruits at least 3 times in warm water. In a saucepan with boiling water, dilute a little sugar (or fructose), mix. When the composition boils, add the berries, bring the mass to a boil and boil for at least 20 minutes. The fruits should soften. Such a compote of dried fruits for babies is especially useful for the baby's tendency to constipation and other manifestations of digestive problems.

After the baby gets used to these drinks or after reaching a year, they can be diversified by introducing additional ingredients, for example, pears, apricots, figs. The proportions can be very different, it all depends on the quality of the products and the preferences of the baby.