Pineapple: Pineapples do not ripen after harvest, so most are considered to be fresh at the supermarket. To pick a good one out, pineapples should be heavy for their size, well-shaped, and fresh-looking with dark green crown leaves. Shells should be dry, crisp and range in color from greenish-brown to golden brown. If you smell the base (stem end) of the fruit, it should smell sweet but not over-ripe.

Not All Fruits Are Created Equal
Almost all fruits are healthy for your baby, but there are few things that should be avoided, and we wanted to point them out to you:

1. Juice is not a complete substitute for fresh fruit. While the labels on juice bottle might have cut little photos of fruits, they don’t have the same nutrition as a piece of fresh fruit. You can substitute one fruit serving for juice per day, but no more.

2. Berries and citrus fruits are common allergens, and it is recommended to avoid introducing them until your baby is over 12 months - and even longer if you have a family history of a food allergy.

3. Grapes, cherries and other small fruits are choking hazards. You can introduce these fruits at the ages in the chart, but they need to be skinned and cut into small pieces. Your baby will not be ready for whole grapes or cherries until he or she is 2 to 3 years old.

Toddler-friendly Recipes
Once your baby is older, and you have introduced a nice variety of fresh fruits, you may want try some of these neat and simple toddler recipes:

Fruit Smoothies

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana, peeled
3 ripe strawberries OR 1/4 cup blueberries OR 1/4 cup of papaya
1/2 cup of 100% fruit juice, such as apple
1/4 cup of plain OR vanilla yogurt (dairy or soy)
1/2 cup of ice cubes

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Pour into a covered cup add a straw and serve immediately. This recipe makes two 6-ounce servings.

Mango Bagels

Ingredients:
1/2 bagel
Cream cheese
2-3 mango slices
Small lime wedge

Directions:
Lightly toast the bagel, smear with a little cream cheese, top with mango slices and spritz with the lime wedge. Serve.

Pineapple Kabobs

Ingredients:

Pineapple chunks (1/2 inch pieces)
Marble cheese cubes (1/2 inch pieces)
Slices of ham cut into 1-inch squares
Toothpicks

Directions:
Assemble the mini-kabobs on a toothpick in the following manner: Ham square, pineapple chunk, ham square and a cheese cube.

Veggie version: Substitute teriyaki-flavored baked tofu for the ham/cheese. Baked tofu can easily be sliced into small cubes, and is very tasty with the pineapple.

Storage: Refrigerate before serving. Mini kabobs do not keep well in the refrigerator for longer than 3-4 hours.

About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators of products such as homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy eating habits! Get more baby- and kid-friendly recipes and other advice from these moms at PregnancyAndBaby.com.