Barberries
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- high
- Common allergen
- no
- Iron
- low
Tart dried berry · soak until soft
When can babies eat barberries?
You can offer barberries once your baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months.
The barberry is a small, tart red fruit that grows on a shrub in parts of Asia and Europe. In Persian cooking it is called zereshk. It is loved for its bright tartness and ruby color, and it balances savory dishes such as zereshk polo, a saffron rice with barberries. Jams, teas and traditional sweets in Central and Western Asia often include it too.
Barberries contain carbohydrate and fiber. They carry iron, zinc and antioxidants. Vitamin C is good for immune defense, and it improves uptake of the iron found in plants.
How do you prepare barberries for babies?
Soak and soften
Always soak dried barberries in hot water until completely soft. Then mash, chop or serve whole. Soaked berries work easily in rice, soups and stews.
Do not give barberry supplements, powders or extracts to babies and young children. There is not enough evidence that they are safe.
No supplements
Barberry supplements, powders and extracts are not for babies and young children. Safety evidence is lacking.
As your child grows, and juice
At 18 months, a child with molars who chews well can try barberry fruit leather. Hand over one long strip and, with a piece of your own, show how to bite and chew with the back teeth. The child may spit pieces out.
Around age 3, many children can chew hard whole dried barberries. Show first how to chew. Show how the tongue pushes food to the molars, and chew with your mouth open. Give one or two berries at once.
A small amount of barberry juice is fine after 12 months. It is better to hold off on regular juice and sweet drinks until the child is older. Regular sweet drinks raise the risk of cavities, fill the belly and can dull appetite at meals. An occasional serving after the first birthday is usually no worry.
Preparation by age
The same food is served differently at each age. What matters is how your baby sits, grasps and chews, more than the calendar.
6 months
6 months · How to prepare soaked and mashedmash
Put the dried barberries in hot water and let them soak for about 15 minutes. When fully softened, chop finely, mash or puree. Serve alone, or stir into oatmeal or yogurt. Fully softened berries can also go into rice, soups and stews.
9 months
9 months · How to prepare as soft whole berriescube
Offer whole dried barberries that were fully softened in warm water, so baby can pick them up alone. You can also add them to mixed dishes or spoonable foods. The berries must be completely soft.
12 months
12 months · How to prepare in dishescube
Keep serving soaked, softened barberries, whole or chopped, in rice dishes, stews and mixed meals. The source suggests trying barberry fruit leather at 18 months for children with molars who chew well. Leather is hard to chew, so a child may spit pieces out. Leave hard dried berries until around age 3.
Is barberries a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: high
Small, firm and hard to chew. Soak dried berries in hot water until fully soft. Avoid hard dried berries until about age 3.
Yes, barberries can be a choking risk. They are small, firm and hard to chew.
Soak dried berries in hot water until fully soft. Give young babies the mashed or chopped form. Save hard dried berries for around age 3. Stay within arm's reach while your baby eats.
Hard dried berries
Do not give unsoaked hard dried barberries to young children.
Is barberries a common allergen?
Barberries are not a common allergen. A harmless thing often seen with tart foods is a rash where the fruit touches the skin. It shows up around the mouth and in the diaper area. Before the meal, spread a thin coat of barrier ointment (pure petroleum jelly, or a balm of plant oil and wax) on baby's face and bottom to prevent this rash.
Start with a small amount at the first meals. If nothing unusual happens, raise it slowly.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about barberries
Can babies eat dried barberries?
Yes, but soak them in hot water for about 15 minutes until fully soft. At 6 months, mash or chop them. At 9 months, softened whole berries are fine. Save hard dried berries for age 3.
Can barberries cause a rash around the mouth?
Because of their acid, they can cause a harmless rash around the mouth and diaper area. A thin coat of barrier ointment before the meal helps prevent it.
When can babies have barberry juice?
A small amount after 12 months. It is better to wait until the child is older before it becomes a regular drink.
Sources for this page
- Journal of Phytomedicine (Zarei ve ark.). (2015). Zarei A, Changizi-Ashtiyani S, Taheri S, Ramezani M. Journal of Phytomedicine 5(6):485-497.
- Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences (Rad ve ark.). (2017). Toxicology effects of Berberis vulgaris (barberry) and its active constituent, berberine: a review.
- ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition, Fidler Mis N, Braegger C, Bronsky J, Campoy C, Domellöf M, et al. (2017). Sugar in Infants, Children and Adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000001733
Guides on iron, allergen introduction, gagging and drinks. Read the starting solids guides
Medical note
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk to your pediatrician before any feeding decision, especially about allergen introduction and reactions.
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Astro Tasarım Simay Yenice · Türkiye · merhaba@lokmini.com