Chances are, your growing gourmand will go gaga for sweet, juicy blackberries on the very first try. But when can you add them to the menu, and what’s the best way to offer these delicious berries to early eaters?
Here’s a quick rundown on blackberry basics, including when to serve them, how to prepare them safely and what it might mean if your baby or toddler develops a rash after eating blackberries (an allergy may not be the culprit!).
When can babies have blackberries?
Whether you're starting out by spoon-feeding your baby purées or trying baby-led weaning (an approach that involves introducing solids in the form of finger foods rather than purées), you can feel free to serve up blackberries shortly after your sweetie dives into the world of solid food. That’s usually sometime around 6 months.
How to prepare blackberries for your baby
Blackberries can be puréed (they blend well with other fruits and veggies in homemade baby food) if you're going the spoon-feeding route, and ripe blackberries are soft enough to safely be served raw for babies who are capable of seld-feeding.
The key is cutting blackberries into age-appropriate pieces: Unless they’re served smashed, whole blackberries can be a choking hazard since they’re about the same size and shape of your tot’s trachea. Avoid offering underripe berries, too: Aside from not being very tasty, their firm texture could be hard for babies and younger toddlers to gum or chew.
Also good to know: Frozen blackberries are just as good as fresh, so don’t hesitate to grab a bag or two from the freezer section. Just give them time to thaw before serving to ensure that they're very soft.
The tips below can help parents determine how to serve blackberries at different stages, but keep in mind that all babies develop at their own pace. Speak with your pediatrician before beginning baby-led weaning, and talk to him or her if you have any concerns about your child's oral-motor skills, chewing skills, swallowing skills, or if you're unsure whether or not your baby is ready for certain food preparations.
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How to prepare blackberries for a 6-month-old
Lightly smash whole, very ripe blackberries for your new nosher to rake up with her palm and put in her mouth. Look for bigger berries, which will be easier for her to grasp. Rolling the berries in baby cereal can make them more grippable if they seem too slippery.
How to prepare blackberries for a 9-month-old
Start slicing ripe berries into small, pea-sized pieces at this age. This will encourage your cutie to work on her emerging pincer grasp.
How to prepare blackberries for a 12-month-old and up
Even though your now-toddler probably seems a whole lot more grown-up than she did when she first started solids, she’s still not quite ready for whole blackberries. Small, round foods remain a choking hazard until age 4, so continue slicing the berries into halves or quarters until then. She can pick up the pieces with her fingers or try practicing spearing them with a fork.
Blackberry recipes for babies and toddlers
Blackberries make for a tasty snack or side all by themselves, but there are plenty of ways to work them into other dishes. Just remember to always introduce one food at a time, especially top allergens like eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, dairy and seafood.
Try mixing things up with these easy ideas:
- Blackberry toast. Spread whole grain toast with ricotta cheese, cream cheese or a very thin layer of smooth peanut or almond butter (once your baby has separately been introduced to nuts). Top with smashed or thinly sliced blackberries, slice toast into strips and serve.
- Blackberry baked oatmeal. Combine rolled oats with whole milk, a beaten egg or two, a few tablespoons of melted butter and a dash of cinnamon. Fold in halved or quartered blackberries, pour into an oven-safe baking dish, and bake until firm and puffed. Slice into strips and serve with yogurt.
- Blackberry compote. Simmer fresh or frozen blackberries with a splash of orange juice until soft and jammy. Lightly mash the berries with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Serve with pancakes or French toast strips, or swirled into yogurt or oatmeal.
- Blackberry-banana smoothie. Blend fresh or frozen blackberries with banana, milk or plain yogurt, a small handful of baby spinach, and a spoonful of smooth almond or peanut butter to make a creamy, nutrient-packed sipper.
- Mixed berry salsa. Mix finely chopped blackberries and strawberries with halved blueberries and toss with a splash of orange juice. Serve with whole grain pita wedges.
- Blackberry yogurt pops. Blend fresh or frozen blackberries with plain yogurt, pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
- Easy blackberry pancakes. Mix a mashed banana, a beaten egg and 1/4 cup rolled oats to make a batter. Pan-fry silver dollar-sized cakes, topping with a few sliced blackberries as they cook.
What are the benefits of blackberries for babies and toddlers?
That deep purple color is a sign that blackberries are rich in antioxidants to support your baby or toddler’s rapidly developing brain. They’re also a good source of vitamin C, which supports immune health and enhances iron absorption, and vitamin K, which plays a key role in blood clotting.
Like most fruits, blackberries also deliver a healthy dose of fiber — a must for keeping constipation at bay. (And FYI, polishing off a big pile of blackberries could possibly change the color of your baby or toddler’s stools, so don’t be alarmed if a blackberry-heavy meal is followed by a black poop diaper.)
Can babies be allergic to blackberries?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), any food can be an allergen. As for actual blackberry allergies? Thankfully, they’re pretty rare in babies and toddlers. Raw blackberries do have the potential to trigger oral allergy syndrome — a condition caused by cross-reaction in allergens found in both pollen and raw fruits and vegetables. But kids under 3 aren’t typically affected.
That said, it’s always a good idea to know the signs of a possible allergic reaction, especially when you’re serving a food for the first time. Your baby or toddler might have a food allergy if, soon after eating (within minutes to a few hours), she experiences:
- Hives
- Itching
- Skin, lip or tongue swelling
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Throat tightness or trouble swallowing
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea
- Trouble breathing
Some babies and toddlers develop redness or hive-like bumps around their mouths after eating blackberries. These rashes aren’t usually a sign of an allergic reaction — just some mild skin irritation from the fruit’s high acidity levels. It’s still worth bringing up with the pediatrician, but chances are you won’t need to take blackberries off of the menu unless the irritation bothers your baby.
Call your doctor right away if your child experiences symptoms of an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction may be more severe or possibly life-threatening (called anaphylaxis) if multiple areas of the body are affected. In the rare event that your child shows signs of a life-threatening allergic reaction like trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911 right away.
Are blackberries a choking hazard for babies?
Small, round fruits such as blackberries are a choking hazard for babies and toddlers. Make sure to always prepare blackberries appropriately for you baby's age, such as by mashing or puréeing them for the earliest eaters, then cutting them into manageable, bite-sized pieces for older infants and toddlers.
Make sure, too, to always supervise your young child when she's eating, sit her upright during mealtimes and never offer food while she's reclining, walking, sitting in a car seat or playing.
Blackberries can be a go-to fruit for your baby right from the beginning when starting solids. Just be sure to stick with ripe, juicy ones and cut them into age-appropriate pieces.
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