# Can you feed mushrooms to toddlers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 4, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491 "2014-02-04T15:26:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/1 "2014-02-04T15:26:13Z")
The only source I can find on this is [ask.com](http://ask.com) so I thought I’d check here. Are there any issues with this? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/2 "2014-02-04T15:28:42Z")
Well, my toddler eats them, and he hasn’t died, so I’d say it’s fine. I wouldn’t feed a toddler the magic mushrooms, though. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/3 "2014-02-04T15:36:30Z")
Since this is basically medical advice, let’s move it to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/4 "2014-02-04T15:46:24Z")
Thanks you guys. Sorry for the mistake. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/5 "2014-02-04T16:57:29Z")
AFAIK, there’s nothing in commercially sold mushrooms that should cause any problems with toddlers. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/6 "2014-02-04T17:11:16Z")
I certainly hope so! ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/7 "2014-02-04T17:12:07Z")
I have never heard anything to indicate you should not. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/8 "2014-02-04T17:50:57Z")
I’ve never heard anything specific to toddlers, only the usual cautions about mushrooms and human consumption (confirmed edible species, careful about allergies, etc.) What have you heard to the contrary? You can’t ask a question like that, knowing what kind of insatiable curiousity it’ll stir, and just leave it lying like that! ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/9 "2014-02-04T18:27:28Z")
But _why_ would you do something so evil to an innocent child?! Mushrooms are the devil’s hemorrhoids. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/10 "2014-02-04T18:29:10Z")
My toddler says “hell yes!” Well, you know. Something along those lines. I don’t recall ever reading anything about commercial mushrooms. I would and did avoid giving him wild morels because some people have a reaction to them if they’re not cooked properly. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/11 "2014-02-04T18:34:29Z")
Do feed a small bite at first, in case of allergies. Otherwise, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/12 "2014-02-04T19:14:30Z")
Sure you can. Simply pry their lower jaw open and push the mushroom as far back in the throat as possible. Quickly remove your finger, close the lower jaw and blow in their face to encourage swallowing. Be careful, they bite! [sub]or was that for dogs and pills? Whatever, should work either way.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/13 "2014-02-04T23:27:20Z")
They don’t turn to mush easily, so I wouldn’t feed them to a small toddler who doesn’t have a lot of teeth and/or isn’t good at chewing. Apart from that, though, it never occurred to me that there could be a problem. I’ve been feeding Widget mushrooms since she was a toddler. As long as there’s garlic involved, she’s always been happy about them. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/14 "2014-02-05T00:10:03Z")
I have a friend who used to send his homemade mushroom soup in a baby bottle to daycare for his infant. She’s 10 now, and seems quite normal and happy. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/15 "2014-02-05T13:52:59Z")
Just an over abundance of caution on the part of an adoring grandma. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/16 "2014-02-05T13:57:33Z")
As far as I know choking is the only concern when feeding toddlers. They’re past the other risks. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/17 "2014-02-05T15:39:27Z")
> [@Kiyoshi](#): > > But _why_ would you do something so evil to an innocent child?! > > Mushrooms are the devil’s hemorrhoids. +1 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-feed-mushrooms-to-toddlers/680491/18 "2014-02-05T15:45:12Z")
Feeding toddlers to mushrooms, though, that’s a different story.