HeySolids
Choking risk
Cooked soft, spelt is a low choking risk - the grains squash flat between finger and thumb once they're past the chewy stage.
The catch is that spelt stays springy if it's undercooked, so simmer it well past chewy and serve it moist and clumped - stirred into a mash, a porridge, or a sauce - rather than loose and dry. See how to serve for age-by-age prep.
Allergens
Spelt is a variety of wheat, and wheat is a common food allergen - an "ancient grain" label on the bag doesn't change that.[1]
There's no reason to hold it back, though: delaying allergens doesn't prevent allergy. Offer about 1/4 teaspoon of soft-cooked spelt stirred into a food your baby already knows, earlier in the day, and watch for a reaction over the next couple of hours. Talk to your pediatrician first if your baby has severe eczema or an existing food allergy.[2]
Spelt also contains gluten, so it's off the menu with celiac disease. And a child with a wheat allergy avoids spelt too, along with the other ancient wheats - einkorn, emmer, farro, kamut.[1]
If baby refuses
Spelt is mild and slightly sweet, so a refusal is usually about the texture. Cook it softer with extra water and stir it through mashed vegetables or a little olive oil so it gathers on a spoon. As a porridge made with your baby's usual milk and a spoon of fruit puree, it often lands better.
How to serve
6+ months old
Soft spelt blended or stirred into puree or mash
Spoon-fed, or pressed into a soft patty
Serve spelt cooked very soft and moist, never as loose dry grains. Blend it into a smooth porridge, or stir it through a vegetable mash so the grains cling together and scoop easily. Pre-load a spoon and hand it over, or press the moist grains into a soft patty for baby to pick up.
Pearled spelt cooks softest, which makes it the right bag at this stage. Skip the salt, and skip stock cubes and jarred sauces too.
How to cook
Simmer 1 part spelt in 3 parts plain water until very soft - about 30 minutes for pearled, 50 to 60 for whole berries after an overnight soak, and well past the chewy stage either way. Drain, then blend or mash with a little cooking water or your baby's usual milk.
9+ months old
Soft cooked spelt clumped for scooping
Small spoonfuls or soft clumps
As the pincer grasp develops, keep spelt very soft but let it hold its shape, stirred through soft vegetables, a low-salt sauce, or a risotto-style dish so it clumps for scooping and picking-up practice. Pressing the grains together with the back of a fork helps them stick. Offer a spoon, but expect hands for a while yet.
How to cook
Simmer until very soft - about 30 minutes for pearled spelt - then drain and stir through a little olive oil, butter, or a low-salt sauce so the grains stay moist and bind. Use plain water rather than stock, unless the stock is homemade with no salt.
12+ months old
Spelt in family meals
Whole soft grains, stirred through a dish
Spelt works in family food now - soups, stews, risotto-style dishes, or a warm grain salad with soft cooked vegetables and a little oil. Keep it moist and clumped rather than loose and dry, and let your toddler practice with a fork or spoon.
One check when the pot is for everyone: spelt cooked al dente for the grown-ups stays too chewy for a toddler. Take their share out and simmer it a few minutes more, until it presses easily.
How to cook
Simmer in plenty of plain water until very soft, well past the chewy stage, then stir through olive oil and soft cooked vegetables. Cook family dishes without added salt and season the grown-ups' bowls at the table.
Tips
- Pearled cooks faster, whole cooks better. Pearled spelt is polished and softens in about half the time; whole spelt berries keep the bran and more fiber but want a soak and a long simmer. Either is fine - just cook it well past chewy.
- Watch the stock. Spelt ends up in soups, risotto-style dishes, and grain bowls, and that's where the salt sneaks in. Cook it in plain water and season the adults' bowls at the table.
- Batch-cook it. A big pot keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months frozen, ready to stir into porridge, soup, or mash.