Why Take the Skins and Peels Off?

Partly because of pesticides, but mostly due to choking. Small children and babies can not chew the skins and peels. My daughter is 5 and still has trouble because her front teeth have fallen out.

A baby's stomach does not have the ability to digest these things. It can sit in their stomach and rot. It can also move around and even clog the opening to the bowels. So, if the professionals say to do something across the board they might have a valid reason.

So, peel the stuff. It has more density and it not digestible for little ones.

I'm wondering if it has anything to do with possible pesticides?

Nothing sits in babies (or your) system and rots. That's just silly!

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/peel-fruits-vegeta...

I left them on and if I could get them pureed it was more nutritous for the baby. I feel the same way you do.

I did it for the first month or two, but then stopped. My reasoning wasn't about pesticides because I gave him all organic, but about fiber and digestion. Since I was worried about his system handling foods for the first time relative to breast milk. Since there isn't really much fiber in breast milk I wanted to take it slow when introducing him to solids. Fruits have a good bit of fiber even without the peel, so I wasn't sure how his little tummy would handle the skin on top of it all. But by the time he was 7-8 months old I was including it because of the extra vitamins and minerals in the skin.

I don't if that's why your book tells you to do it or not, but that was my reasoning.

It's tougher and not easily digested.

If you scrub them and wash them thoroughly before processing it should be fine.
Somewhere I read that everyone eats about 6 lbs of dirt over their lifetime.
If potatoes, carrots, root vegetables and other crops (even spinach and celery) are not washed completely, I could easily believe it.

Myabe they're hard for the baby to digest, just my thought.

I think it's a texture thing. If you can get them pureed good (no lumps, etc.) I'd go for it. Maybe the "recipes" were made before the time of excellent food processors or with people who didn't have access to them?

Just watch the nitrates in your carrots and green beans (if I'm remembering correctly). You don't want to puree using the cooked water, like you can with other foods.

My dd has multiple digestive issues, so I have some experience with this. One of the reasons they tell you to peel fruits and vegetables for babies is because some babies cannot tolerate the peels as well and have some mild problems with digestion, and you never know if your baby is going to be one of them. A perfectly normal baby can sometimes have some trouble with reflux and then as their system matures, they grow out of it. Some babies will need more help.

As for the comment about food sitting in your system and rotting being silly, it is not silly. It is serious. My dd has a condition called gastroparesis, where the food does indeed just sit in her stomach and ferments and grows bacteria. It is the farthest thing from silly. It's awful. Some babies have mild gastroparesis, and some have reflux that can be somewhat alleviated by feeding babies fruits and vegetables that are peeled, and pureed or cooked.

So until your baby is older and you begin to understand if he/she will have gas, lots of burping, tummy aches, etc., it's best to remove the peels. Yes, you'll lose a little nutrition, but not enough to matter.

Most peels on vegetables are indigestable even for adults, take peppers for example. If you still want some benefit from the skins just steam with skin on and then strain it.

Because, Molly, not all printed information is entirely accurate. Sometimes you just need to do the research yourself, get an alternative answer. I mean a second opinion from an alternative health aspect, because it sounds as if you're thinking in terms of healthier choices, etc. Make sure tho that you also choose organic, because there are lots of veggies and fruits sprayed with pesticides and you wouldn't want to feed that to your baby any more than you'd be willing to ingest it yourself. Not everything a doctor or book tells you is totally accurate. So get that second viewpoint! YOU GO, GIRL!!!!!

Hey Molly---I say leave them on. If you are pureeing them, they should be ok. I would just pick out the bigger chunks, if there are any, that you think might be a problem for your little one to swallow. The peels contain the largest proportion of the nutrients found in those foods. It is the peel of the tomato that keeps it from getting sunburned. It is the peel of the tomato that helps to protect us from sunburn. Actually, a cherry tomatoe has more nutrition, as do wild blueberries, because they have a larger peeling to 'insides' ratio.

It is true that pesticides, etc are concentrated on the surface of the fruit/veggie. You can go to www.ewg.org and print their list of 100 fruits and veggies that are ranked in order of contamination. So it is more important that some foods are organic than others need to be.

Having said that, I work with a Naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition and she teaches that it is more important to eat non-organic fruits and veggies than none at all. The status of the immune system, which is dependent on a varied, plant based diet and supportive lifestyle habits, is more important than 'avoiding' or eliminating toxins. I'm not saying just eat anything, but not to worry if some things are not organic, if you otherwise have a balanced diet. Eliminate what you can, when you can, but I think the nutrients gained far outweigh any potential problems for you and your family.

Please contact me if you have any questions about what I've suggested here. I have research and documents to help you decide what's best for your family. Good luck...be well. D.

depends on the skin type tey can choke.

I know you probably have your answer already, but first I am SO PROUD of you for doing this! Its the one choice that I made for my son I am happy to brag on - I did not buy a single jar of baby food!!! And you know what? Not once did I peel the skins! Guess what? My kid is one of the few that will dig into his fruit, skin and all. Bonus, you save money. Double bonus, its easier to serve organic food. Triple bonus, you can make foods that you don't see in jars like acia berry (well, not fresh, but they sell them frozen and you can mix them with pear or apple). Any way, good luck! I really enjoyed making the food and my son eats just about anything (I think maybe) as a result.