Chickpea

Whole chickpeas present a potential choking hazard for babies, so read on for how to serve them safely for baby’s specific age.

Chickpeas may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.

Chickpeas originated in the lands around the Mediterranean Sea in ancient times, and today they are a staple food for cultures around the world. The popular legume goes by countless names: bengal grams, ceci beans, chana, desi chana, garbanzo beans, kadale kaalu, nokhod, sanaga pappu, and shimbra, to name a few. Color, shape, and size also varies, but the Kabuli and Desi varieties are the most widely available worldwide.

Yes. Chickpeas are an incredibly nutritious legume, rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fiber, high in the key nutrients that babies need to thrive, including folate, iron, vitamin B6, choline, and zinc. Collectively, these nutrients support baby’s neurodevelopment, metabolism, growth, as well as taste and smell perception.

★Tip: Vitamin C helps increase the body’s absorption of iron from plant sources, so serve chickpeas with other foods that are high in vitamin C, such as asparagus, bell pepper, cauliflower, or peas.

While not considered a common allergen in the United States, chickpeas are a common allergen in India and Spain. Reactions can occasionally be severe and in some cases have been reported to be triggered by exercise. Some individuals who are allergic to chickpea experience asthma symptoms after inhaling the vapors from steamed chickpeas.

Note that hummus, which is made from blended chickpeas, usually contains sesame (a common allergen) in the form of tahini, a sesame seed paste. Many individuals who experience symptoms of allergy after hummus consumption falsely attribute them to its chickpea content, when sesame is the more common food allergen.

Being allergic to one type of legume does not necessarily mean that an individual will be allergic to all others, although the risk of more than one legume allergy can increase. Chickpea allergies have been reported in some patients with allergies to other legumes. In particular, allergies to chickpeas and lentils may coexist.

Individuals with allergies to birch or plane tree pollen and/or Oral Allergy Syndrome (also called pollen-food allergy syndrome) may be sensitive to legumes such as chickpeas. Oral Allergy Syndrome typically results in short-lived itching, tingling, or burning in the mouth and is unlikely to result in a dangerous reaction.

As with all new foods, start by introducing a small amount of chickpeas for the first few servings and watch closely. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the serving size over future meals.

Yes. Whole chickpeas are small, round, and can be firm when raw or undercooked, qualities that increase the risk of choking. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve chickpeas in an age-appropriate way as described in the How to Serve section. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals. 

Learn the signs of choking and gagging and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

Yes, babies can have canned chickpeas or fully cooked dried chickpeas.

Yes. Often called anti-nutrients, these naturally-occurring plant compounds (including lectins, oxalates, and phytates) break down during the soaking and cooking process and are generally harmless in most individuals when consumed as part of a balanced diet. Lectins and oxalates can even offer health benefits, such as antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

No, although soaking dried chickpeas can reduce cooking time and ensure that they are cooked all the way through, while also reducing the levels of lectins and a gas-producing carbohydrate, raffinose.

Here are a couple of common soaking methods:

★Tip: Cooking dried chickpeas and finding they won’t soften? It’s possible they are past their prime. While chickpeas are shelf stable for a couple of years, chickpeas that are more recently packed will cook more fully and easily than older ones.