Tepary bean

Tepary beans can be offered once your baby seems ready for solids, usually at 6 months.

Tepary beans are a drought-hardy legume from the dry deserts of the Americas. Today the Pima and Tohono O'odham peoples grow them in the Sonoran Desert under the names bavi and stoa bawi. The bean also grows in other hot, dry parts of the Americas and comes in every color.

Nutrition

They are rich in carbohydrate, fiber and protein. They also supply iron and other key vitamins and minerals. These nutrients support your baby's energy for movement and play, healthy digestion and nervous system growth.

Every baby develops at their own pace. These tips are general guidance.

Cook the beans very well. Mash or blend them at 6 months. Flatten them gently at 9 months. Serve them whole at 12 months. Because of the high fiber, give small portions at first to ease digestive discomfort.

Tepary beans are small and round. They are firm, especially when raw or undercooked. These traits raise choking risk. Prepare them to suit your baby's age. Stay close during meals and set up a safe space.

Tepary beans are not a common allergen. Being allergic to one legume does not mean you will react to others, though tests often come back positive for several. Someone who already knows they are allergic to peanut or soy usually does not need to give up other legumes, beans included.

People with pollen allergy, especially birch, may get pollen food allergy syndrome after some beans. It usually causes brief itching, tingling or burning in the mouth and is unlikely to cause a dangerous reaction. Cooking the beans fully can ease symptoms.