Can babies and toddlers eat durian?
I grew up in a home that adores the taste of Durian. My parents believed that if you drank water from the pulp you would grow accustomed to the odor, would not mind it, and would be open enough to appreciate the sweet creaminess of this fruit. Now dont ask me where they got this notion or what age i started eating it but what is important is i got to love it even as a little girl.
And while my dad only goes to Davao a couple of times a year for work, he makes sure that everytime he goes home he would have a boxful of durian fruit as pasalubong. Yes, with the rind and all. Kabog ang lamp bergier ng sinaunang titas of manila aka my mom. Hahaha.
Anyway, i was suddenly transported to my durian loving childhood days when my graciosa next door neighbor chimed in to give us this baby:
Ahahahay! Pasalubong pa more. 😍😍😍 my Davaoena next door neighbor came by to drop off this durian and we are so thrilled! It is rich, sweet and super creamy! Kabait ng aking kapitbahay, napa pledge ako na iwan nya bunso nya dito sa amin if magpa salon siya 😂😂😂😂
Durian for babies?
So as soon as the neighbor left, we “butchered” the durian and I am just happy that at least one of my children loves it too! Kilala nyo na siguro kung sino? Si Shobe of course. I need not make her deink water out of the pulp. I credit baby led weaning for her live for durian (i have a full section on baby led weaning so click here if youd like to know more — we also have a facebook album full of BLW meal ideas and recipes for babies and toddlers).
Going back to the topic, this method of introducing solid food has been so effective on shobs because she does not think twice about exploring food including fruits of whatever texture, like the durian. I remember she had her first taste of Durian when she was 10 months old. Someone gave us Durian and I froze a portion of it. The next day when I served shobe her breakfast of rolled oats, i added frozen durian bits so it could cool off asap because she was tooexcited to eat already! Haha she so enjoyed it.
Since Shobe consumed not much, i decided to ask our pedia if it is ok to feed her durian if it is available, and as always our pedia’s answer is “all fruits as long as in moderation.” So there, when it is available she gets to have it. Now she eats durian like a pro – tuwang tuwa pa pag maliliit ang buto 😄😄😄
Benefits of eating Durian
And while most would shun Durian because of the odor, it is actually very good for the body (as long as consumed in moderation and you do not have hypertension or blood sugar issues). It is rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C, and dietary fiber. There is really a reason why you should try it and go past the weird odor.
Anyway I hope this little blog post of mine has convinced you to give this fruit a try. Till next post!