Artichoke

You can start artichoke once your baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months.

The artichoke descends from wild cardoon, a prickly plant related to the sunflower that grows in Mediterranean grasslands. It is grown both as food and as an ornamental plant. More than 100 varieties exist today. Pale green to deep purple is the color range. Tough outer petals protect a tender flower bud. The taste is mild and herbal, and the texture is meaty.

Artichoke supplies carbohydrate, fiber, fluid and a little protein. Copper, zinc, iron, folate, magnesium and potassium are there, together with B vitamins plus vitamins C and K.

Preparation basics

Fresh, frozen, canned or jarred artichoke hearts all work. Cook first. The heart should be completely soft. Remove the tough outer petals and the inner fuzz. In the early months, leaving the stem on the heart gives baby something to hold.

If fresh artichokes are hard to find, frozen, canned, jarred or marinated types offer similar nutrition. Canned and brined products can be high in sodium. Even so, the amount a baby eats while learning to feed alone is usually small. A little sodium is needed for baby's fluid balance. Sharing the family table is also a chance to try new flavors and textures.

Fried artichoke

Hold off on fried artichoke until about 24 months. It is harder to bite, chew and move around the mouth, which raises the choking risk. Some children are ready around age 2 and others need longer. Once your child has had lots of practice with firm, crunchy foods and can sit calmly and follow instructions, you may offer one whole piece. First model it yourself: chew slowly, with your mouth open.

After 24 months

Older children can try biting into a whole cooked heart. A child who follows directions, often around age 2, may be ready to eat petals too. Show how to scrape the soft flesh off the petal's base with the lower teeth. A second plate for the leftover leaves helps show which parts are not eaten.

Yes, artichoke can be a choking risk. It may be soft and mashable, yet undercooked pieces turn firm and slippery. Both traits add risk.

Make sure the heart is cooked all the way and soft. Take off the petals and fuzz. Sit with your baby at meals and stay within arm's reach.

Artichoke is not a common allergen. Allergy to it is rare. The reactions on record are mostly contact dermatitis, a skin response from touching it.

As with any new food, offer a small amount at the first meals and watch closely. When nothing unusual appears, raise the amount gradually over later meals.