Soursop
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- medium
- Common allergen
- no
- Iron
- low
Skin and seeds are toxic · serve in moderation
When can babies eat soursop?
Soursop can be offered from about 6 months. Its skin and seeds are toxic. Removing all of them before serving is a must.
Where it comes from
Soursop is also called graviola, guanabana, and prickly custard apple. It grows on large trees in the Caribbean and tropical South America. The spiky skin is not eaten. The creamy, soft flesh inside tastes sweet and slightly sour. It goes into smoothies, drinks, and desserts. In many places the fruit is simply bitten into and the big seeds are spat out.
Nutrition
Soursop holds water and fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin C and B6. It also has a little iron. It is rich in antioxidants. These support metabolism, iron absorption, nerve development, and digestion.
Serve in moderation
It contains compounds that can cause illness when eaten often and in large amounts. Give it from time to time within a diet that has variety, and not to babies every day.
How do you prepare soursop for babies?
Use only ripe fruit. Remove the skin, the core, and the seeds. Seeds sit deep in the flesh, so be patient while picking them out.
At six months you can hand over a large piece to suck and gnaw, or mash it into yogurt. At nine months offer bite-size pieces. After the first birthday, large sections or small pieces are fine.
No extracts or supplements
Products such as extracts, teas, capsules, and powders from the fruit or leaves have not been studied enough for safety. Do not give them to children. There is also no proof that the fruit cures cancer.
Juice and smoothies
After the first birthday a small amount of soursop juice is fine. Saving regular juice and sweet drinks for after age 2 may be helpful. They raise the risk of cavities and can fill the tummy, lowering appetite for meals.
After age 3
Some children learn at this age to scrape the fruit from the skin. Try it if your child follows directions well and spits when needed. First show the seeds on a small piece. Teach them to spit out any seed they feel in their mouth.
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 large piecestrip
Cut: Large piece
Take a large piece of ripe flesh. Remove the skin, the core, and every seed. Seeds sit deep in the flesh, so pick them out one by one before handing over the large piece. Baby can suck and gnaw on it.
6 months · How to prepare as a mashmash
Cut: Fork mashed
Mash fruit that has been fully de-seeded. Mix it with yogurt, yam mash, or any other soft food that a spoon can lift. Hold off on smoothies and juice until the first birthday, though an occasional taste is fine.
9 months
9 months · How to prepare as small piecescube
Cut: Bite sized piece
Once baby shows a pincer grasp, cut the ripe fruit into bite-size pieces. Skin, core, and seeds must be gone. You can also keep offering mash or a large piece.
12 months
12 months · How to prepare as piecescube
Large sections or small pieces are both fine. Remove the skin and pick out every seed carefully. Juice and smoothies can be offered in moderation at this age.
Is soursop a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: medium
Hard seeds buried in the flesh are a choking risk and are toxic. Remove every seed, the skin, and the core before serving.
The flesh itself is not a choking risk, but the inedible seeds are. They are hard to spot inside the flesh.
Remove every seed. Prepare it for your baby's age. Set up a safe eating space and stay close.
Is soursop a common allergen?
Soursop is not a common allergen. Soursop allergy is rare. But allergy has been reported to fruits in the same plant family (Annona), such as cherimoya. Fruits in this family may cause reactions in some people with latex allergy.
People with oral allergy syndrome, especially with latex allergy, may be sensitive to soursop. The sign is short-lived mouth itching, tingling, or burning. A dangerous reaction is unlikely. Cooking may lessen the reaction.
Whenever a food is new to baby, begin with just a taste and watch the response.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about soursop
Which parts of soursop are toxic?
The skin and the seeds contain toxic compounds. Remove all of them before serving a baby.
Can babies have soursop every day?
No. It contains compounds that can cause illness when eaten often in large amounts. Offer it in moderation and only now and then.
At what age is soursop juice okay for babies?
A small amount after the first birthday. Waiting until age 2 for regular juice may help.
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.
- Solís-Fuentes JA, Hernández-Medel MDR, Durán-de-Bazúa MDC. (2020). Soursop Seed. Academic Press. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-818553-7.00002-4
- Champy P, Melot A, Guérineau Eng V, Gleye C, Fall D, Höglinger GU, et al. (2005). Quantification of acetogenins in Annona muricata linked to atypical parkinsonism in guadeloupe. Movement Disorders. doi:10.1002/mds.20632
- Carrón-Herrero A, Fernández-Lozano C, Peracho L, Martínez-Alonso E, Alcázar A, Martínez-Botas J, et al. (2022). Custard Apple Allergy With Glycosyltransferase as the Culprit Allergen. Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology. doi:10.18176/jiaci.0711
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