When can babies eat grapes?
Grapes may technically be introduced as soon as a baby is ready to start solids, however, you may want to wait until after 9 months of age to introduce this common choking hazard. This is because grapes must be sliced lengthwise into quarters to be safe for babies and the small slivers can be challenging for babies to self-feed.
Background and origins of grapes
Across the planet, woody grapevines climb up trees and trellises, producing nutrient-rich edible leaves and clusters of juicy berries that range in color and flavor depending on the plant’s variety, of which there are thousands. 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.
Most processed grape products are not appropriate for babies and toddlers for different reasons (choking hazards, excessively sweet, sometimes alcoholic, etc.), but fresh table grapes are a great way to introduce this ancient staple food to a baby.
