How to serve salmon at 6 and 9 months
Ages are approximate; go by your baby’s skills.
Ages are approximate; go by your baby’s skills.
6+ months
Cook salmon until fully done, remove the skin, and check the flesh carefully for bones. Mash it, adding a little water or vegetable puree if needed. Serve on its own, with vegetables, or with cereal, keeping it moist.
Offer fully cooked salmon without skin or bones as a large, soft, long piece that sticks out of the fist. If the flesh falls apart and is hard to hold, offer it on a pre-loaded spoon or make a soft fish patty with potato cut into long strips.
9+ months
If your baby manages soft pieces, offer small soft pieces of salmon on their own or in a thick soup, with vegetables, or with pasta.
Once your baby has a pincer grasp, offer small soft pieces of salmon or fish patty. Check every piece for bones.
Choking risk
Fish should be fully cooked and checked carefully for bones. Even small bones can be dangerous. Match the texture to your child’s stage: offer fish as soft flakes or small soft pieces.
Keep your child sitting upright and stay with them throughout the meal.
Allergies
Fish is one of the major food allergens. A reaction can happen even the first time your baby tries it.
Why oily fish matters
The NHS groups salmon with oily fish like sardines, mackerel, and trout. These fish are richer in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and are a good source of vitamin D, which few everyday foods provide.
100 g of cooked Atlantic salmon has 1.4 g of DHA and 13 mcg of vitamin D.
Those numbers come from USDA FoodData Central for farmed salmon. Wild Atlantic salmon has nearly the same amount of DHA, so either works for your baby. Choose by freshness and price.
How much and how often
The NHS recommends at least one portion of oily fish a week for children. There’s an upper limit too: up to 4 portions a week for boys and up to 2 for girls. Oily fish can contain pollutants that build up in the body, and the lower limit for girls reflects possible future pregnancies.
The FDA lists salmon among its Best Choices, the fish lowest in mercury. For kids ages 1 to 3, the FDA serving is 1 ounce (about 28 g), twice a week from that list. Before the first birthday, follow your baby’s appetite: a few spoonfuls of flaked fish is a perfectly good start.
Canned salmon
Unlike fresh salmon, canned salmon has bones that soften during processing. The NHS says these bones are edible and add calcium and phosphorus.
If you use canned salmon for your baby, mash it with a fork, soft bones included, until smooth with no hard bits. Pick cans with no added salt: the NHS advises against salty foods for babies.
Smoked and cured salmon
Smoked salmon, lox, and gravlax aren’t for babies. They’re high in salt, and cold-smoked and cured salmon is never cooked. Make your baby’s fish yourself: bake, poach, or steam it until it’s cooked through and flakes easily.
Sources · 12
This page is based on guidance from health organizations:
- CDC — When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods
- NHS — From around 6 months
- NHS — Food allergies in babies and young children
- USDA FoodData Central — Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, raw
- FDA — Advice about Eating Fish
- NHS — Preparing food safely for babies
- NHS — Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- AAP — When Can Babies Start Solid Foods?
- AAAAI — Food Allergy
- NHS — Fish and shellfish
- USDA FoodData Central — Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked
- USDA FoodData Central — Salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Decide on introducing foods, especially allergens, together with your pediatrician.
