Age Suggestion
9 months
Iron-Rich
No
Common Allergen
No
Grapes are an extremely common choking hazard as they are round and slippery, widely consumed, and can be challenging to chew. Read on for how to prepare grapes for babies.
Because grapes must be sliced into quarters to be safe for babies and the small slivers can be challenging for young babies to self-feed, you may want to wait until closer to 9 months of age to introduce this fruit.
Hieroglyphics, petroglyphs, and other historical records suggest that grapes have been part of the human diet for thousands of years in North America, Africa, and Asia. Today, most of the world’s cultivated grapes are turned into wine. The rest are eaten fresh as table grapes, dried to make raisins and sultanas, or processed into oil, vinegar, and sweet food products like candy, jam, jelly, molasses, syrup, and more.
Yes. Grapes are a great source of carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and K, in addition to antioxidants. In tandem, these nutrients work to provide a quick source of energy, support digestive function, aid heart function, boost iron absorption, and support bone development.
No. Allergies to grapes are rare, although not unheard of. In theory, an individual can be allergic to any food. As you would when introducing any new food, start by offering a small quantity for the first few servings. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the amount over future meals.
Yes. Grapes are an extremely common choking hazard as they are round and slippery, widely consumed, and can be challenging to chew. To minimize the risk, only offer large, oblong shaped grapes, quartered lengthwise (from stem to bottom) and remove any seeds before serving. Leave the skin on if you like, or remove the skin if it makes you nervous. As always, make sure to create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of a baby during mealtime. For more information, visit our section on gagging and choking and familiarize yourself with common choking hazards.
Small amounts of pasteurized grape juice may be shared as a drink after 12 months of age. That said, it can be beneficial to wait until after a child’s 2nd birthday to regularly share juice and other sugary drinks. Research suggests that regular intake of juice and other sweet drinks tends to increase the risk of dental cavities and take up space in the belly, which may decrease a child’s motivation to eat other foods at mealtime and may negatively affect the child’s growth. However, occasional servings of juice after one year of age generally isn’t a cause for concern. Learn more about serving juice to babies and toddlers.
Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.
Wait until a baby has developed the pincer grasp (where the pointer finger meets the thumb) and can pick up quartered grapes independently. While these skills tend to develop closer to the 9-month mark, some babies may be ready earlier. Regardless of age, quarter grapes lengthwise to reduce the risk of choking. You do not need to remove the skin but go ahead and remove it if it makes you nervous and be sure to remove any large seeds. When sharing grapes with baby, find the ones that are large and oblong, not small and round.
Offer quartered grapes (cut lengthwise from stem to blossom) for baby to pick up independently. Leave the skin on if you like, but make sure to remove any large seeds. If baby is having a hard time picking up the quartered pieces, wait a couple more weeks or serve grapes on top of another food that is easier to scoop and eat independently, such as ricotta cheese. When babies are hungry, picking up small pieces of food can be frustrating.
Offer quartered grapes (cut lengthwise from stem to bottom) for the child to pick up independently. Leave the skin on but do remove any large seeds. If you feel the child is ready, you can offer grapes that have been cut in half (cutting lengthwise is best) though know that there is still some level of risk.
Note that because whole grapes are a choking hazard, most health advisory bodies do not recommend offering them until age four. We believe that children must learn to chew challenging foods, and that it is safest when provided in a supervised setting with a caregiver so a child can develop the skills to safely manage these foods. When you feel the child has mature eating skills (moves food around in the mouth well, chews food before swallowing, etc.), consider offering whole grapes in a safe and supervised setting. If you have not yet offered grapes halved lengthwise, you may want to begin with this size before progressing. When serving whole grapes, find large, oblong ones (not the small, rounder ones), keep them on the stem (this slows down the process and discourages the child from overstuffing their mouth), and provide lots of modeling and coaching. We suggest demonstrating chewing with the molars prior to offering the grape: open your mouth, place the grape on your teeth and explain “I am using my big teeth to crush this grape.” You may want to consider holding the grape for the child to practice biting—hold at the corner of the mouth and allow the child to close their teeth on the grape. Coach the child to push hard to break through the grape skin and bite off a piece of the grape. You can make a big deal about the fun squish and squirt that happens when they chew through it. Do not offer whole grapes if the child is not sitting at the table and supervised until you are confident that the child will chew and swallow without coaching.
How to quarter grapes for babies
Solid Starts feeding therapist Kary Rappaport explains how to coach a child to eat whole grapes
For more information on how to cut food for babies, visit our page on Food Sizes & Shapes.
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