Mangosteen

You can offer ripe, seedless mangosteen once baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months.

Mangosteen is called the 'queen of fruits'. It is a fruit native to Southeast Asia. Its flesh is juicy, sweet and a little tart. The ripe rind is dark purple and woody. Inside the inedible rind sit pearly white segments. People eat them fresh or add them to desserts and salads.

It gives folate, fiber, antioxidants and xanthones, which are plant compounds. Folate helps build DNA and prevent anemia. Fiber feeds gut bacteria.

General tips

Serve only ripe fruit. Remove the seeds. For young babies a mash or fine chop works well. Juice is fine in small amounts after 12 months. For regular sugary drinks, wait until the child is older. Frequent sweet drinks raise the risk of cavities. They can fill the belly and lower appetite.

Mangosteen segments are small, tapered and slippery. A hard seed may be inside. These traits raise choking risk.

Pick out seeds and prepare the fruit to fit baby's age. Stay next to baby for the whole meal.

Mangosteen rarely causes allergy. Those who have pollen food allergy syndrome, birch pollen allergy in particular, may be sensitive. It usually shows as a brief itch, tingle or burn in the mouth. A dangerous reaction is not expected.

Start with a small amount for the first servings. If there is no reaction, raise the amount slowly.