If you’ve ever introduced a breastfed baby to rice cereal, you already know what I’m about to tell you: solid food is constipating for babies. Oh boy! Perhaps if you’ve taken detours down the path of formula and overripe bananas before getting to table food, it might not be as ummm — how to put this delicately? — obvious. But I have a go-to remedy for a baby with blocked bowels: PRUNE Baby Food!
Prunes have a ton of fiber and are fantastic to prevent and alleviate baby constipation. Even prune juice is effective (so I mix that with powdered cereals). I always kept squeeze pouches of prunes stocked in my cabinet when my babies were small and toothless, and I often made homemade prune baby food.
Recipe for organic prune baby food in about 15 minutes
Ingredients
- One bag of organic dried plums from the bulk or dried fruit section
- 2 cups of water (enough to cover prunes in the pot by about an inch)
Steps
- Rinse the prunes and put in a saucepan
- Add the water
- Bring to a boil
- Simmer for about 10 minutes
- Cool before putting in blender (or use an immersion hand blender to puree right there in the pot)
The result will be a thick paste. Serve cool or a little bit warm.
Optional Mix-ins for Prune Baby Puree
I add the finished product to applesauce to make it last longer and taste more familiar. You can also add your prune sludge to other foods such as yogurt or rice cereal. Whatever your baby likes is fair game, and I’m in favor of creative combinations.
Don’t have time to make your own Puree?
Amazon has a ton of varieties. Plum Organics is my go-to choice. You can grab them here.
If prunes aren’t enough to fight constipation…
One of my sons was consistently constipated after he began solids. He required more than what good ol’ prunes could help with, so we supplemented all the high-fiber food choices with a spoonful of Miralax daily for a YEAR (ask your doctor about dosages) to keep thing moving along.
Let me know if you ever want to hear more of my high-fiber baby food stories; I’d love to hear yours!
