Mushroom

How to serve mushroom by age

6 months+

Finely chopped and mixed into soft foods

Cook store-bought mushrooms until soft, then chop them very finely or blend them. Stir into mashed potato, lentils, risotto or a smooth pasta sauce and serve on a pre-loaded spoon.

Size

Cooked, then very finely chopped or blended and mixed into a mash, purée or sauce.

Check before serving

Look for any large or rubbery pieces. If you see any, chop or blend it again.

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

Slice cooked mushrooms thinly, then chop into small pieces. Mix into scrambled egg or small pieces of omelet (once egg has been introduced), pasta or rice, or offer the small pieces as finger food.

Size

Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), sliced thin.

Check before serving

Squash a piece between your thumb and finger. It should squash easily. If it feels rubbery or springs back, cook it longer or chop it smaller.

12 months+

Chopped or in family dishes

Serve chopped cooked mushrooms in family meals: pasta sauce, risotto, stews, omelets or on soft toast. Remove tough stems, such as shiitake stems.

Size

Small soft pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).

Check before serving

Still do the squash test: chewy pieces should be chopped smaller.

18 months+

Cooked, chopped or sliced in dishes

Keep serving mushrooms cooked until soft and cut small: in stir-fries, soups, quesadillas or pasta. Cut wide slices and big pieces down to about 1 cm (just under ½ inch); whole button mushrooms, thick chunks and long slices of large mushrooms are firm, slippery and chewy.

Size

Bite-sized pieces or short, thin slices about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).

Check before serving

Still check that pieces squash easily and aren't rubbery.

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 mushroom

1. 1

   Buy mushrooms from a store or market. Never use wild mushrooms you've picked yourself.

2. 2

   Rinse them under running water just before cooking, gently rubbing off any dirt. Trim the ends of the stems, and remove tough stems such as shiitake.

3. 3

   Slice them thinly and sauté in a little oil, or simmer in a sauce, for about 5 to 8 minutes, until soft and shrunken. Don't add salt.

4. 4

   Let them cool, then chop finely (6 months) or into small pieces (9 months+). Do the squash test before serving.

How much to offer

Start with a teaspoon or so of chopped cooked mushroom mixed into a familiar food. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of picking out and dropping is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Questions parents ask

If your baby refuses mushroom

• Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
• Blend it into a pasta sauce or mix it into risotto, where the texture is less noticeable.
• 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 mushroom

• Keep fresh mushrooms in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C).
• Cooked mushrooms keep 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, chopped mushrooms can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them 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).