Borlotti beans
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- medium
- Common allergen
- yes
- Iron
- high
Cook fully · iron rich
Contains allergens
Each new allergen is offered on its own and watched for two hours. Our allergen introduction guide is available in Turkish for now.
When can babies eat borlotti beans?
Cranberry beans can start when your baby is ready for solids, around 6 months.
The bean is thought to come from South America. Today it has many varieties. Among them are borlotti, barbunya, rosecoco, saluggia, gadra, alubia pinta and frijoles romanos.
Nutrition
Cranberry beans are rich in protein, carbohydrates and fiber. They supply folate, choline, iron, zinc and vitamin B6. Young children often get too little of these. These nutrients support blood, immunity and the growing brain. They are also rich in antioxidants.
How do you prepare borlotti beans for babies?
Cooking and soaking
Cook the beans until fully soft. Raw or undercooked beans are firm.
Raw beans
Do not give raw or undercooked cranberry beans. Lectin can stay high in beans that are not fully cooked. The source says soaking and cooking break lectins down.
Is soaking needed
No, but soaking shortens cooking time. It lowers lectin and the gas-causing sugar raffinose. It improves digestion of the bean and the use of its nutrients. Overnight soak: use 2.5 liters of water for 454 g of dried beans. Soak for 4 hours at the very least, or overnight. Drain and rinse them before cooking. Hot soak: boil in the same amounts of water for 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave the beans for a few hours. Then drain and rinse.
Lectins and other compounds
Soaking and cooking lower lectins, oxalates and phytates. In a balanced diet they are generally harmless to healthy people.
Fresh beans
If you buy fresh beans in the pod, choose full, plump pods. They keep only briefly. They last a few days in the fridge.
Digestion
Begin with a small portion and increase it step by step. This eases digestive upset.
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.
Prep time: 60 min
6 months
6 months · How to prepare as a puréemash
Cut: Smooth puree
Boil fresh or soaked dried borlotti beans until very soft. Press them through a sieve to remove the skins and mash until smooth. Loosen with olive oil and cooking water. Beans can cause gas, so offer a small amount the first time.
9 months
9 months · How to cut and servecube
Flatten soft-cooked borlotti beans one by one with your finger, or take an unsalted portion of beans cooked in olive oil and mash them. Whole beans are round and slippery, so never serve them unmashed.
12 months
12 months · How to cut and servecube
Cut: Flattened
Keep offering borlotti beans flattened, or in a low-salt bean dish. Until age 4, mash or flatten whole beans before serving.
Is borlotti beans a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: medium
Cranberry beans are small and round. Raw or undercooked, they are firm. Cook until fully soft. At 6 months mash them, at 9 months flatten between your fingers.
Cranberry beans are a choking risk. They are small and round. Raw or undercooked, they are firm. Prepare them for your child's age. Stay within arm's reach at meals.
Cutting rule
At 6 months, mash or purée. At 9 months, flatten between fingers. At 12 months, give whole beans only if fully cooked and soft. Do not serve firm beans.
Is borlotti beans a common allergen?
Cranberry beans do not often cause food allergy. Some people allergic to other legumes, such as peanut and soy, have also reported allergy to beans. Being allergic to one legume does not mean being allergic to the others. Even so, a child may develop more than one legume allergy. Most people with peanut or soy allergy eat other legumes without trouble.
Cranberry beans and other legumes can cause a reaction in people with birch pollen allergy. The same goes for oral allergy syndrome, which is also known as pollen food allergy syndrome. It usually means itching or burning for a short while in the mouth. A dangerous reaction is not expected.
Start with a small amount for the first servings. If there is no reaction, raise it slowly over later meals.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about borlotti beans
At what age can babies eat cranberry beans?
When ready for solids, around 6 months. Cook fully and mash.
Do cranberry beans need soaking?
No. But soaking shortens cooking, lowers lectin and the gas-causing sugar, and improves digestion.
Do the lectins in cranberry beans harm babies?
Yes. Soaked, fully cooked beans have lectins broken down, and these are generally harmless for healthy people. Do not serve raw or undercooked beans.
Are cranberry beans a choking risk?
Yes. They are small, round and firm if raw or undercooked. Mash at 6 months, flatten at 9 months, and give fully soft whole beans at 12 months.
Sources for this page
- Dünya Sağlık Örgütü. (2023). Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6-23 months of age.
- NHS. (n.d.). Preparing food safely for babies.
- CDC, Infant and Toddler Nutrition. (n.d.). Choking Hazards.
- Halken S, Muraro A, de Silva D, Khaleva E, Angier E, Arasi S, et al. (2021). EAACI guideline: Preventing the development of food allergy in infants and young children (2020 update). European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. doi:10.1111/pai.13496
- Türkiye Ulusal Alerji ve Klinik İmmünoloji Derneği. (n.d.). Besin Alerjisi, öncelikli 10 besin.
- Hilger J, Goerig T, Weber P, Hoeft B, Eggersdorfer M, Carvalho N, et al. (2015). Micronutrient Intake in Healthy Toddlers: A Multinational Perspective. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu7085316
- Ganesan K, Xu B. (2017). Polyphenol-Rich Dry Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Their Health Benefits. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. doi:10.3390/ijms18112331
- Chan ES, Greenhawt MJ, Fleischer DM, Caubet JC. (2019). Managing Cross-Reactivity in Those with Peanut Allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2018.11.012
- Singh B, Singh JP, Shevkani K, Singh N, Kaur A. (2017). Bioactive constituents in pulses and their health benefits. Journal of Food Science and Technology. doi:10.1007/s13197-016-2391-9
- QUEIROZ KDS, OLIVEIRA ACD, HELBIG E, REIS SMPM, CARRARO F. (2002). Soaking the Common Bean in a Domestic Preparation Reduced the Contents of Raffinose-Type Oligosaccharides but Did Not Interfere with Nutritive Value. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. doi:10.3177/jnsv.48.283
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