Food guides
Can babies eat…?
Straight answers for the counter moment: for each food, the verdict first, then why, then exactly how to prep and serve it safely.
Can babies eat apple?
Raw apple is hard and firm, which makes it a common choking hazard for babies. Cooked until soft or finely grated, the same apple is easy to manage.
RecommendedCan babies eat avocado?
Ripe avocado is naturally soft, unsalted and unsweetened, with a texture babies can manage from the start of solids.
RecommendedCan babies eat banana?
Ripe banana is soft, naturally sweet without added sugar, and easy for a baby to manage from the start of solids.
RecommendedCan babies eat beans?
Beans are a source of iron and protein and soft when cooked; whole beans are squashed to reduce the choking risk for young babies.
RecommendedCan babies eat blueberries?
Ripe blueberries are naturally soft, unsalted and unsweetened. The only thing to manage is their small round shape, which is easy to handle by squashing or halving.
RecommendedCan babies eat broccoli?
Cooked broccoli is soft and its floret "tree" shape gives a baby a natural handle, making it one of the easiest first finger foods to grip and gnaw.
Recommended with careCan babies eat carrots?
Raw carrot is hard and firm, which makes it a common choking hazard for babies. Cooked until soft or finely grated, the same carrot is easy to manage.
RecommendedCan babies eat cheese?
Full-fat pasteurised cheese is a good dairy food from around 6 months; the things to manage are salt and shape rather than the food itself.
Recommended with careCan babies eat cherry tomatoes?
The round, firm shape of a cherry tomato is a choking hazard; quartering it lengthwise removes the risk while the fruit itself is fine.
RecommendedCan babies eat chicken?
Chicken is a good source of iron and protein, both important from 6 months, and it is soft and easy to manage when cooked through until tender and moist.
Not recommendedCan babies drink cow's milk?
As a main drink before 12 months, cow's milk is too low in iron and can displace breast milk or formula; small amounts in food are a different matter.
RecommendedCan babies eat cucumber?
Cucumber is hydrating with soft flesh; the only care points are the hard skin and round coin shapes rather than the vegetable itself.
Recommended with careCan babies eat eggs?
Egg is one of the common infant allergens, so it should be introduced early and deliberately, and always well-cooked to avoid foodborne illness.
Recommended with careCan babies eat grapes?
Whole and halved grapes are a leading choking hazard because their round, firm shape can seal a child's airway. The fruit itself is fine once cut correctly.
Not recommendedCan babies eat honey?
Honey can contain Clostridium botulinum spores that a baby's immature gut cannot handle, causing infant botulism — a rare but serious illness — before 12 months.
RecommendedCan babies eat mango?
Ripe mango is soft with no common allergen; the only issue is how slippery the flesh is rather than the fruit itself.
RecommendedCan babies eat oatmeal?
Oatmeal is a gentle first food with an easy, soft texture, and it is often iron-fortified, which matters from around 6 months when a baby's iron needs rise.
RecommendedCan babies eat pasta?
Pasta is soft when cooked and an easy finger food; it is also a good way to introduce wheat into a baby's diet.
Recommended with careCan babies eat peanut butter?
Peanut is a common allergen that guidance encourages introducing early, but thick or sticky peanut butter is a choking hazard and must be thinned before serving.
Recommended with careCan babies eat salmon?
Salmon is a nutritious oily fish and a good early allergen to introduce, but it must be cooked thoroughly and checked meticulously for bones before serving.
Recommended with careCan babies eat shrimp?
Shellfish is a common allergen to introduce deliberately, and shrimp must be cooked thoroughly and chopped small because the texture is a choking risk.
RecommendedCan babies eat spinach?
Spinach is an iron-rich leafy green; it is best served cooked and in normal culinary amounts as part of a varied diet.
RecommendedCan babies eat strawberries?
Ripe strawberries are soft, unsalted and unsweetened; they are not one of the top common allergens, though any new food can occasionally cause a reaction.
RecommendedCan babies eat sweet potato?
Cooked sweet potato is soft and naturally sweet, so it needs no seasoning. Its easy texture makes it an ideal first food, served mashed or as soft finger food.
Recommended with careCan babies have toast?
Soft bread can form a gummy ball in the mouth and bread carries salt; lightly toasting it and watching salt manage both concerns.
RecommendedCan babies eat tofu?
Tofu is soft and easy to serve, a source of iron and protein, and a good way to introduce soy, one of the common allergens, early.
RecommendedCan babies eat watermelon?
Watermelon is soft and hydrating; the care points are removing seeds and managing how slippery it is rather than the fruit itself.
RecommendedCan babies have yogurt?
Full-fat plain yogurt is a good early dairy food from around 6 months. Unlike cow's milk as a main drink, which waits until 12 months, yogurt is fine as a food earlier.
Guidance, not medical advice — always supervise feeding and consult your pediatrician.