Edamame

Edamame can be offered from about 6 months, once baby shows signs of readiness for solids. Edamame is young soybean. Soy is a common allergen.

Edamame means young soybeans picked from their fuzzy pods while tender and green. The name is Japanese. Soy comes from Asia. Today the United States is the largest soybean producer.

Nutrition

Protein, fiber, plant omega-3 fats, folate, choline, vitamin B6, iron and zinc are all in edamame. These support muscles, digestion, nervous system development, energy, and immunity.

Boil or steam edamame and take the beans out of the pods. Mash them at 6 months. Olive oil, formula or breast milk will loosen the mash. You can also spread it on toast strips. From 9 months, flatten the beans or peel the skin and split them in half. The skin is not a choking cause. If it sticks in the mouth, mild gagging can occur.

Soy dishes are frequently cooked alongside egg, fish, peanut, or sesame. Introduce common allergens on their own first.

Edamame carries a choking risk. It is round, firm, and slippery. Mash it first, then flatten the beans or split them in half.

The source says whole beans may be offered after about 18 months to a child who chews well and does not rush. This app is more cautious and does not recommend whole beans. Stay with your child during meals.

Edamame is young soy. Soy is a common allergen in babies. Good news: soy allergy affects fewer than 1 child in 100. Most reactions are mild, but severe ones have occurred. Nearly 70% of children outgrow it by age 10. For this reason the World Health Organization does not list soy among the global priority allergens.

A child with soy allergy should avoid tofu, tempeh, miso, natto, soy sauce, and packaged foods that list soy. Soy oil that is highly refined, and soy lecithin, contain very little allergen protein. Most people tolerate them. Even so, check with your doctor before offering them to a child with a soy allergy.

Soy and peanut sensitization can appear together on tests, but that is not always a true allergy. If a baby has reacted to soy and has not yet tried peanut, start peanut with an allergist. If your child already eats peanut without trouble, there is no reason to stop it.

About 10 to 14% of children with cow's milk allergy also react to soy. This is more likely under 6 months. Talk to your doctor if your baby has a known milk allergy.

People with birch pollen allergy may feel a brief itch in the mouth. Serious reactions have been reported in people who also have peanut allergy.

Soy is a recognized trigger of FPIES. FPIES brings repeated vomiting and diarrhea a few hours after eating. Untreated, it can cause serious fluid loss. If soy is eaten daily, the chronic form can cause reflux, weight loss, and poor growth. FPIES that starts early usually passes by age 3 to 5.

Begin with a plain food such as cooked, mashed edamame. Offer a small amount at the first meals. If there is no reaction, raise it slowly. Once introduced, keep it in the diet, ideally twice a week.