Chayote
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- medium
- Common allergen
- no
- Iron
- low
Cook it well · raw is hard and slippery
When can babies eat chayote?
Chayote can start when your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. This squash is crunchy and juicy. Its skin is cream or green and its flesh is bright white. It comes from Central America. Today it grows in many parts of the world. It goes by many names, such as choko, mirliton and vegetable pear.
Chayote gives zinc, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Zinc supports metabolism, folate and B6 support brain growth, and vitamin C supports skin and immunity. It carries trace iron and copper, calcium, vitamin A and a little fiber. Like most squashes, it carries antioxidants.
When shopping
Choose a firm chayote that has no bruises and no dark patches. It should feel firm like a pear just starting to ripen, not rock hard.
How do you prepare chayote for babies?
Serving by age
At 6 months serve well-cooked chayote as a mash or large soft wedges. At 9 months offer bite-sized cooked pieces, and you can keep using mash on a pre-loaded spoon. To serve it raw, slice it paper thin or grate it, because raw chayote is tough to chew.
After 18 months give cooked soft pieces with a fork. Pre-loading the fork, or making a sound as you spear the chayote, makes using a fork fun. After the second birthday most children are getting ready for thicker raw slices. Your child should take right-sized bites, move food to the side, chew well and sit calmly.
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 as a puréemash
Cut: Fork mashed
Peel the chayote, cook it until soft and mash it. Baby can scoop the mash up by hand, or you can fill a spoon ahead of time. Wear gloves while peeling, because the milky sap can make skin itch.
6 months · How to cut and serve for baby-led weaningstrip
Cut: Thick wedge
Cut cooked, soft chayote into large wedges. Your baby gnaws on them. If a big bite comes off, keep your fingers out of the mouth. Rest a hand on the back and lean your baby slightly forward so spitting out is easier.
9 months
9 months · How to cut and serve small piecescube
Cut: Bite sized piece
Cut well-cooked chayote into bite-sized pieces. Your baby picks them up with a pincer grasp. To serve it raw, slice it paper thin or grate it.
12 months
12 months · How to cut and serve with a forkcube
Offer cooked soft pieces with a fork. Pre-load the fork and let your child take it. Keep serving raw chayote grated or in thin slices. Try thicker raw slices after age 2.
Is chayote a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: medium
Raw chayote is hard, slippery and tough to chew. Give young babies well-cooked soft wedges or mash. If you serve it raw, slice it paper thin or grate it.
Raw chayote is hard, slippery and tough to chew. These traits raise choking risk. Prepare it for your baby's age and stay within arm's reach during meals.
Serving raw
Do not give a young baby raw chayote pieces. If you serve it raw, slice it paper thin or grate it.
Is chayote a common allergen?
Chayote is not a common allergen. An allergy is rare. But handling squashes, mostly raw ones, often leaves the hands itchy and rashy. Peeled chayote releases a milky sap that can irritate skin. Wear gloves or hold it under cool water while peeling. Once cooked, the sap usually causes no trouble, so the risk of a reaction while eating is low.
For babies with sensitive skin, you can apply a barrier cream such as pure petroleum jelly around the mouth before the meal. Wash the face and hands afterward.
Offer a small amount the first time. If there is no reaction, raise the amount slowly.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about chayote
Can chayote be eaten raw?
Yes, but it is hard, so take care with young children. Slice it paper thin or grate it. Try thicker raw slices after age 2.
Why do my hands itch when I peel it?
Peeled chayote releases a milky sap that irritates skin. Wear gloves or hold it under cool water as you peel.
Is chayote healthy for babies?
Yes. It gives zinc, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, plus antioxidants.
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.
- Vieira EF, Pinho O, Ferreira IMPLVO, Delerue-Matos C. (2019). Vieira EF, Pinho O, Ferreira I, Delerue-Matos C. Chayote (Sechium edule): a review of nutritional composition, bioactivities and potential applications. Food Chemistry. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.09.146
- Rosado-Pérez J, Aguiñiga-Sánchez I, Santiago-Osorio E, Mendoza-Núñez VM. (2019). Effect of Sechium edule var. nigrum spinosum (Chayote) on Oxidative Stress and Pro-Inflammatory Markers in Older Adults with Metabolic Syndrome: An Exploratory Study. Antioxidants. doi:10.3390/antiox8050146
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