Allergen note
Dates are not a common allergen, and reactions are rare. Packaged chopped dates are sometimes dusted with oat or rice flour or coated in glucose syrup, so check the label. Watch for rash, hives or vomiting after first tastes.
How to serve
At 6–8 months, mash a soaked, pitted date into a smooth paste and stir a little into oatmeal or plain yogurt for natural sweetness. From 9 months, mix finely chopped date into soft foods. Dates are very sweet and sticky, so serve them with meals and brush teeth afterward.
Preparation
Slit each date lengthwise, remove the pit and papery cap, and check for pit fragments, even in dates sold pitted. Soft Medjool dates mash easily; soak firmer, drier varieties in hot water for about 10 minutes, then mash or blend them into a paste with a little of the soaking water.
Texture and choking risk
Whole or halved dates are sticky and chewy and can lodge in a young child's throat, and the pit is a hazard too. Serve dates pitted and mashed, or finely chopped into moist food, rather than as whole pieces, and always supervise with your child seated.
Starting ages are typical guidance for healthy, full-term babies who show signs of readiness. Your paediatrician may advise differently, especially where there is a family history of allergy.
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries dates, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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