Morel mushrooms

You can serve morels once baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months, as long as they are thoroughly cooked and given only now and then in small amounts. Uncooked, half-cooked and even big cooked servings of morel have led to serious illness with stomach, gut and nervous system symptoms. Do not gather wild mushrooms for your baby unless you are a skilled mycologist. Poisonous look-alikes are plentiful in the wild.

Morels are mushrooms native to the Mediterranean region. Today they grow worldwide. Foragers wait eagerly for morel season. The small mushrooms rise from the forest floor on a thin stem with a conical, honeycomb-patterned cap. Even experts must be very careful when hunting morels, because poisonous mushrooms are easily confused with them. They taste nutty and smoky. Their caps are naturally hollow, so they are often stuffed.

Morels supply plenty of vitamin D, which supports bone, immune and hormone health. Iron, zinc and vitamin B6 are abundant too. Together they support nervous system growth, blood health, metabolism and immunity.

Safety and cooking

Morels are safe only when thoroughly cooked, no more than once a week and in limited amounts. Thorough cooking, best done by boiling and pouring off the water, makes them safe to eat. Uncooked or half-cooked morels can make babies and adults seriously ill. Nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain typically start a few hours after the meal and go away in 24 hours. Buy morels from a trusted seller. Wild look-alikes with harmful toxins exist.

Digestion

Morels hold fiber and fluid. They support the gut microbiome and soften stool. Mushrooms also supply prebiotics that help friendly gut bacteria. Add fiber-rich foods slowly and regularly. Some gas or a few loose stools show that digestion is adjusting, and there is no need to drop the food. Every baby has different stool patterns. Ask your pediatrician if you are concerned.

Mushrooms can be chewy and hard for new eaters to break apart in the mouth. To lower the risk, chop them fine and cook them fully. Rehydrate dried morels completely in boiling water and chop before serving. Stay beside baby, within arm's reach, for the whole meal.

Mushroom allergy is rare but does occur. Anaphylaxis and rashes have been reported in people who handle mushrooms. Mushrooms contain chitin, a carbohydrate also found in shellfish and insects, which may add to an allergic reaction in some people.

Pollen food allergy syndrome (oral allergy syndrome) can go along with mushroom sensitivity, mainly in people who react to mold. It usually causes short itching in the mouth and a dangerous reaction is unlikely. Cooking mushrooms can lessen or remove the reaction.

Sulfites are sometimes used to preserve dried mushrooms. True sulfite allergy is uncommon, but added sulfites can cause allergy-like symptoms in people with asthma.

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