Chayote
A mild, pear-shaped squash that cooks soft like zucchini. Peeled, cooked and ready to grab.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat chayote from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve chayote by age
6 months+
Soft-cooked spears or mashed chayote
Peel the chayote, cut it in half and scoop out the seed. Cut it into finger-sized spears and steam or simmer until very soft. Or mash cooked chayote and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon.
- Size
- Spears about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Squash a spear between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily. If you have to press hard, cook it longer.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Small soft pieces
Chop soft-cooked chayote into small pieces, or stir it into rice, lentils, pasta or scrambled egg (once egg has been introduced on its own).
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each piece should squash flat between your thumb and finger.
12 months+
Soft-cooked pieces or in dishes
Serve soft-cooked chayote with family meals, or in soups, stews and stir-fries. Soft-cooked is still safest for young toddlers.
- Size
- Small soft pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: soft enough to flatten with gentle pressure.
18 months+
Cooked pieces or in family meals
Keep serving chayote cooked until tender: simmered, steamed, sautéed or roasted, soft all the way through. For raw chayote, see the guidance note below.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or chopped into dishes.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test, especially with sautéed or roasted chayote.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare chayote
- 1
Rinse the chayote under running water before you peel it, then peel it.
- 2
Cut it in half from top to bottom and scoop out the flat seed in the middle.
- 3
Cut it into finger-sized spears (6 months), or chop it after cooking into small pieces (9 months+).
- 4
Steam or simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Do the squash test, then let it cool before serving. Don't add salt.
How much to offer
Start with one or two spears or a spoonful of mash. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of licking, squashing and dropping is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Serving it raw or crisp
Raw chayote is firm and crunchy. For babies and young toddlers, cook it until it squashes between your fingers.
Leaving the skin on
Chayote skin can stay tough and slippery after cooking. Rinse it, then peel it before you cook it. The NHS also suggests washing and peeling fruit and raw vegetables for babies.
Salting the cooking water
Babies shouldn't have added salt, including in cooking water.
Stopping after a few refusals
Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it.
Where US and UK guidance differ on chayote
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
Keep serving chayote cooked soft. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children, and the AAP advises holding back or changing raw vegetables until about 4 years, depending on the child.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
Cook chayote until soft in the first year. From 12 months, the NHS snack list includes cooked or raw vegetables, such as carrot or cucumber sticks. It doesn't name chayote, so if you offer it raw, peel it, grate it finely, and stay with your child.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can chayote be a choking hazard for babies?
Raw chayote is firm, and the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard, so the risk is rated medium. Chayote cooked until very soft is a lower risk. Peel it, remove the seed, and cook it soft for babies and young toddlers. For toddlers, US and UK advice differs on raw vegetables: see the guidance note below. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to chayote?
Chayote is not a common allergen.
Is chayote healthy for babies?
Mostly water (about 93% when cooked), with some fiber and a little vitamin C: about 8 mg per 100 g cooked, and babies 7–12 months need 50 mg a day. Vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron in plant foods, such as beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereal.
Do I need to peel chayote for my baby?
Yes. The skin can stay tough after cooking, so rinse the chayote under running water, then peel it before cooking. The NHS also suggests washing and peeling fruit and raw vegetables for babies.
Can babies eat the chayote seed?
Scoop it out. It's easiest to cut the chayote in half and remove the flat seed in the middle before cooking.
Can babies eat raw chayote?
Not in the first year. Raw chayote is firm, so serve it cooked until soft. For toddlers, US and UK advice differs: see the guidance note below.
Is chayote a good source of iron?
No. But its vitamin C helps your baby absorb the iron in plant foods eaten at the same meal, like beans, lentils or iron-fortified cereal.
If your baby refuses chayote
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try it mashed into potato or stirred into rice or lentils instead of as a spear.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing chayote
- Keep raw chayote in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C).
- Cooked chayote keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
- Cooked chayote can be frozen and used within 3 months, though it turns softer and more watery. Thaw it in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat it only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it cool before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS Best Start in Life: Preparing food safely
- NHS: Help your baby enjoy new foods
- USDA FoodData Central: Chayote, fruit, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
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