Grasshoppers
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- high
- Common allergen
- no
- Iron
- high
Iron-rich · powder or mash, not whole
When can babies eat grasshoppers?
Grasshoppers can be offered once your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids.
Grasshoppers are an old family of insects found in climates around the world. Many countries have their own species and ways of cooking. Mexicans call them chapulines and often season them with salt or tajín. In Uganda the edible species is called nsenene and is usually fried with onions and spices.
They supply protein that the body absorbs well, essential fats, zinc and iron. B vitamins and many other micronutrients come with them. They aid growth and brain development, guard against iron-deficiency anemia, strengthen immunity and sharpen taste. Insects are also among the rare animal sources of fiber, which matters for your baby's digestion.
How do you prepare grasshoppers for babies?
At 6 months, mix cooked grasshoppers into stews, soups or sauces. You can also grind them to powder and dust it over finger foods. The powder works in pancakes, patties and meatballs.
At 9 months, once the pincer grasp shows, give chopped or whole small grasshoppers. Give one or two at a time. They must not be stale. Do not give large grasshoppers whole. Cook and chop or crush them.
After 24 months, chopped or whole chapulines are fine. If your child has molars and mature eating skills, fried or roasted large grasshoppers can be tried. Do this only in that case and in a safe eating setting. First chew in an exaggerated way with your own molars and explain the noise your teeth make. Give one at a time and count the chews out loud.
Choose a trustworthy seller. Grasshoppers, like any food, may absorb pollutants from their surroundings, and insects cooked in lead-glazed pottery can carry traces of lead.
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: Ground
Blend cooked grasshoppers into soups, stews or sauces for your baby to scoop. Chapulines and nsenene should have the legs, wings and tail taken off first. Or grind them to a powder and dust it over finger foods, for instance spears of cooked vegetable or the pit of a mango. The powder also works in pancakes, patties and meatballs.
9 months
9 months · How to cut and servecube
Once the pincer grasp develops, offer chopped or whole small cooked grasshoppers (chapulines). Drying and cooking make them light and flaky, which lowers the choking risk. Give one or two at a time so your baby cannot stuff too many in the mouth. Check that they are fresh, because stale ones are harder to chew and swallow. Do not give large grasshoppers such as nsenene whole. Cook and chop or crush them, removing legs, tail and wings if you like.
12 months
12 months · How to cut and servecube
Give grasshoppers chopped or crushed, mixed into meals. Whole chapulines and whole large grasshoppers are not given at this age. The source suggests them only after 24 months, for a child with molars and mature eating skills, under supervision and after showing how to chew.
Is grasshoppers a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: high
Cooked whole grasshoppers are firm, dry and shaped like cylinders. Mix into sauces or grind to powder. Chop or crush large ones.
Roasting leaves whole cooked grasshoppers quite dry, firm and cylindrical. These traits can raise the choking risk.
Prepare them for the child's age: powder or blended into sauces at 6 months, chopped or small grasshoppers at 9 months, one or two at a time. Do not give large grasshoppers whole. Stay within arm's reach during meals.
Is grasshoppers a common allergen?
Grasshoppers are not a frequent allergen. Some research, though, suggests that people with a shellfish or dust mite allergy can also react to certain insects such as grasshoppers.
For the first meals, offer a small portion of the food alone, as with any new food. If nothing happens, increase it at later meals.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about grasshoppers
Can a baby eat grasshoppers?
Yes, from about 6 months. Start as a sauce or powder.
Are grasshoppers rich in iron?
Yes. They contain minerals such as iron and zinc, and B vitamins.
Can a child with shellfish allergy eat grasshoppers?
Cross-allergy is possible. Ask an allergist first.
When can whole grasshoppers be given?
Small whole ones, one or two at a time, from 9 months. Large ones whole only from 24 months with mature eating skills.
Sources for this page
- Dünya Sağlık Örgütü. (2023). Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6-23 months of age.
- CDC, Infant and Toddler Nutrition. (n.d.). Choking Hazards.
- Toti E, Massaro L, Kais A, Aiello P, Palmery M, Peluso I. (2020). Toti E, Massaro L, Kais A, et al. Entomophagy: a narrative review on nutritional value, safety, cultural acceptance and a focus on the role of food neophobia in Italy. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education 10(2):628-643. doi:10.3390/ejihpe10020046
- van der Fels‐Klerx HJ, Camenzuli L, Belluco S, Meijer N, Ricci A. (2018). Food Safety Issues Related to Uses of Insects for Feeds and Foods. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12385
- Kasozi KI, Namazi C, Basemera E, Atuheire C, Odwee A, Majalija S, et al. (2019). Inorganic pollutants in edible grasshoppers (Ruspolia nitidula) of Uganda and their major public health implications. African Health Sciences. doi:10.4314/ahs.v19i3.44
- de Gier S, Verhoeckx K. (2018). Insect (food) allergy and allergens. Molecular Immunology. doi:10.1016/j.molimm.2018.03.015
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