How do I safely serve shrimp for baby-led weaning?
Shrimp is a common choking hazard for young eaters, but you can serve it confidently and safely with a little knowledge and some patience.
My 21 month old son loves shrimp. It's his favorite animal protein and nothing else is close. Honestly, shrimp is the only animal protein he reliably eats and he almost always asks for more. As a dad, feeding my son shrimp makes me feel great. He's thrilled to eat it and I'm happy knowing that it was healthy and nutritious.
My wife and I have been serving shrimp to our son since he was around 8 months old. Even though we confidently serve shrimp to him now, we were nervous at the beginning. We had read that the cylindrical shape and firm texture of shrimp combine to make it a choking hazard for young eaters. Learning how to serve shrimp was important for the safety of our son and for our own comfort.
We recognized that shrimp is not unique in being a potential choking hazard. There are many foods that can be a choking hazard for infants. Many of these foods can be safely served as long as they are prepared correctly, and shrimp is no exception. As long as it is prepared correctly shrimp can be safely served even to a 6 month old just starting out on solid foods.
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Why do people serve shrimp to infants and toddlers?
There are a number of reasons people like to serve shrimp for baby-led weaning
- It is safe when prepared properly (more on this below).
- Shrimp is iron-rich (1.8 mg iron per 3 oz, according to USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans) so it is a good source of one of the key nutrients that infants need to get from food instead of milk.
- Eating shrimp provides exposure to shellfish allergens, and shellfish is one of the 9 most common food allergens. Early exposure to food allergens can reduce the risk of developing food allergies.
- Shrimp is a seafood option that is low in mercury. According to the FDA's advice about eating fish, shrimp is considered a "best choice" with regard to mercury levels.
- It is very fast to cook so it can be convenient for busy parents.
- Many adults like shrimp, and baby-led weaning is a great opportunity to share foods that you like with your little one.
How do you safely serve shrimp for baby-led weaning?
All of these serving instructions start from peeled shrimp with the tail removed. Then cut the shrimp in half lengthwise (meaning the cut runs along the entire length of the shrimp from the head to the tail). Cutting shrimp this way reduces the choking risk because the shape of the shrimp is changed from round to more like a "D". Read on for age-specific instructions.
6-9 months
At this age, most children don't have the pincer grasp yet so the food must either be large enough to pick up with a palmar grasp or mixed into something that they can scoop up. For shrimp, both options are possible.
One approach is to start with a jumbo shrimp and cut it in half lengthwise (meaning the cut runs along the entire length of the shrimp from the head to the tail) then serve one of those halves. Your little one probably won't eat a lot of shrimp in this way, but they can still explore the food and see what it tastes like. You will probably want to avoid this approach once your infant has enough teeth to actually bite through the shrimp.
Another approach is to start with a jumbo shrimp and cut it in half lengthwise (meaning the cut runs along the entire length of the shrimp from the head to the tail) then mince and add into a mushy food like mashed avocado or yogurt.
This video demonstrates cutting shrimp in half lengthwise for baby-led weaning for a 6-9 month old.
Continuing from where the previous video leaves off, this video demonstrates mincing shrimp for baby-led weaning for a 6-9 month old.
9-12 months
At this age, your infant is probably developing the pincer grasp, meaning they will soon be able to pick things up between their index finger and thumb. Once they have developed this skill, a new option to serve shrimp becomes available.
Start with a jumbo shrimp and cut it in half lengthwise (meaning the cut runs along the entire length of the shrimp from the head to the tail) then cut each half into very small bite-size pieces.
This video demonstrates how to cut shrimp for baby-led weaning for a 9-12 month old based on the above instructions.
12+ months
Your child will be getting more capable and more confident with food at this age. Shrimp is still a choking hazard until at least age 3, so you will want to keep preparing it safely.
Start with a jumbo shrimp and cut it in half lengthwise (meaning the cut runs along the entire length of the shrimp from the head to the tail) then cut each half into bite-size pieces. The size of the pieces will depend on the age and stage of your child, with the pieces gradually getting larger as the toddler gets older.
Conclusion
Every child is different. Your little one may be like my son and scarf down as much shrimp as is available to them, or your little one may not like shrimp at all. But it is definitely worth taking the time to learn to safely serve this nutritious, convenient, and popular food.