Plantain
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- medium
- Common allergen
- no
- Iron
- low
Serve cooked · not fried
When can babies eat plantain?
Plantain can be offered once baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. It is starchier than a dessert banana and is usually eaten cooked.
It is native to tropical Asia. Ghana makes spiced kelewele, Cuba makes fufu and the Philippines makes sweet maruya.
Not the same as a banana
Plantain is a cooking fruit, not the sweet banana you peel and eat raw. Turkish has no exact word for it, so we use "pişirmelik muz" with the English name.
Nutrition
Plantain gives carbohydrates, fiber, folate, magnesium and potassium. It also carries vitamins B6, C and K. These nutrients support baby's energy, gut health and fluid balance.
Storage tip: Let plantains ripen at room temperature. Move them to the fridge once the skin turns black. Peeled plantain keeps in the freezer for up to a month.
How do you prepare plantain for babies?
Always serve plantain cooked. Boiling or baking works best. A cooked piece should squash easily between two fingers.
At 6 months offer long pieces or a purée. From 9 months move to bite-sized pieces. Let baby feed themselves.
Fried plantain
Tostones, chips and fried pieces are hard and crispy. Baby cannot chew them safely yet. Wait until chewing skills are well developed.
Fried plantain turns hard and oily. Hold it back for babies and young toddlers.
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 cut and serve for baby-led weaningstrip
Cut: Finger strip
Peel the plantain, then boil or bake it until soft. It should mash easily between two fingers. Cut long pieces about as thick as two adult fingers together and hand them to baby. Baby may squish the piece in a fist, which is normal.
6 months · How to prepare as a puréemash
Cut: Fork mashed
Mash cooked plantain with a fork. If it is thick, loosen it with breast milk, milk, coconut milk or vegetable stock. Baby can scoop it by hand or eat it from a pre-loaded spoon.
9 months
9 months · How to cut and servecube
Cut: Bite sized piece
Cut well cooked, soft plantain into bite-sized pieces or slices. Serve it alone or inside mixed dishes. Large pieces for biting and purées for spoon practice can stay on the menu. Do not offer fried plantain such as tostones.
12 months
12 months · How to serveslice
Offer soft boiled or baked plantain slices. You can pre-load small pieces on a fork and hold it out. Keep fried plantain, tostones and chips for a child with strong chewing skills. The sources point to around 24 months.
Is plantain a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: medium
Soft cooked plantain is a safe choice. Fried, hard and crispy versions are tough to chew and raise the choking risk.
Soft cooked plantain mashes easily and carries a fairly low risk. The risk starts with fried and hard versions. Tostones and chips are hard to chew, which raises the chance of choking.
Never leave baby alone while eating. Stay within arm's reach.
Cutting and cooking
Cook plantain until soft. Cut bite-sized pieces at 9 months. Avoid frying.
Is plantain a common allergen?
Plantain is not a common allergen. People with ragweed allergy, oral allergy syndrome or latex allergy can still react to plantain and banana. A person allergic to banana may also react to plantain, since both come from the same plant family.
Oral allergy syndrome causes mild, short-lived itching in the mouth. With cooked plantain these symptoms are usually not a problem.
For the first trial, start with a small amount served on its own. If there is no reaction, raise the amount slowly over later meals.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about plantain
Is plantain the same as a banana?
No. They are relatives, but plantain is starchier and eaten cooked. A dessert banana is eaten raw when ripe.
How should I cook plantain?
Peel it, then boil or bake it until soft. It should mash easily between two fingers. Do not fry it.
How do I store plantain?
Keep it at room temperature to ripen. Move it to the fridge once the skin is black. Peeled plantain lasts a month in the freezer.
Can my baby have plantain if allergic to banana?
Ask your pediatrician or an allergist first. People allergic to banana may react to plantain as well.
Sources for this page
- Dünya Sağlık Örgütü. (2023). Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6-23 months of age.
- NHS. (n.d.). Preparing food safely for babies.
- CDC, Infant and Toddler Nutrition. (n.d.). Choking Hazards.
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