Can Babies Eat Falafel?

Falafel or felafel is a deep- fried ball made from ground chickpeas, fava beans or from the combination of these both elements. It can be also made in a flat or doughnut shape. To make the dough more delicious and savory, there may be herbs, spices and onion relatives added to it. This dish originated probably in Egypt, but its origin is controversial. It is a popular dish in the Middle East, but it probably did not originate there, but in Pharaonic Egypt, being exported through ships from the port city Alexandria to other regions as well.

Being an excellent alternative to meat balls, it is a part of vegetarian cuisine. Falafels are usually wrapped in a pita, or in a flatbread, also known as taboon.

Falafels are high in calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, and they also contain vitamin B6, manganese and copper.

Is Falafel Supposed to Be Crunchy ?

A good falafel is tender in the middle, and crunchy on the outside. The green herbs and garlic, or onion relatives make the center of a falafel light and full with flavors.

Can Babies Eat Falafel ?

Baked falafels represent an excellent choice for finger foods for babies. Serving falafel with hummus, adds to the nutritional benefits of these finger foods. Hummus is rich in iron, having at its basis chickpeas too. Chickpeas are high in iron, phosphorus and copper. You can start giving falafel to your baby at the age of 6 months.

Baked Falafel

Ingredients: 2 x 400g tins chickpeas (drained), 1 small onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 large handfuls of parsley, 2 large handfuls of coriander, 2 tsp ground cumin, 3 tbsp olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Put all the ingredients into a food processor, and blend until they are well combined, but their texture is not completely smooth. Form the mixture into small logs, which can fit to your baby’s hands. Put the falafels on the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, rolling over each piece of falafel halfway through. Serve warm.