Mushroom

The white cultivated mushroom can start when your baby is ready for solids, at about 6 months. Botanically a mushroom is a fungus, not a fruit or a vegetable. More than 2,000 edible kinds exist, yet the button mushroom is the one eaten most. It is white or brown depending on the strain and sold as champignon, cremini or baby bella. Fully grown, it is marketed as portobello.

Besides a touch of protein and carbohydrate, mushrooms bring fiber, folate, potassium, selenium, zinc, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. These help gut health, fluid balance, brain growth and iron absorption. Some plant compounds may act as antioxidants or reduce inflammation.

At 6 months, chop well-cooked mushroom very fine and stir it into egg strips, mash or porridge. At 9 months, add cooked mushroom to egg, bean or noodle dishes. The pincer grasp is developing, so thin slices of cooked mushroom can be served alone. Removing the stem lowers the choking risk.

After 18 months, serve chopped or sliced cooked mushroom. You can also try very thin raw slices. Large pieces and whole cooked mushrooms have a texture toddlers may find hard, so some spitting is normal. At this age you can leave the stem on, but cutting it in half lengthwise to take away the round shape lowers the risk.

White button mushrooms are slippery, and beginners have trouble chewing them up. The stem is round and firm. All of this raises the choking risk. Prepare them to suit your child's age and stay close during meals.

Mushroom allergy is rare but does occur. Mushrooms contain chitin, a carbohydrate also found in shellfish and insects, which can play a part in allergic reactions. Many mushrooms give off spores, and those may irritate people with breathing problems or sensitivity to allergens in the air. People with pollen food allergy (oral allergy syndrome) may react as well, usually with brief itching in the mouth, and a dangerous reaction is unlikely.