Kimchi
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- medium
- Common allergen
- yes
- Iron
- low
Multi-allergen, salty · read the label
Contains allergens
Each new allergen is offered on its own and watched for two hours. Our allergen introduction guide is available in Turkish for now.
When can babies eat kimchi?
Kimchi can start when your baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. Its sodium content can be high, so keep it to a small taste now and then. Kimchi with honey is avoided until 12 months because of infant botulism.
Kimchi is the Korean word for vegetables that have been fermented. The well-known version is spicy, garlicky cabbage, but it is also made with cucumber, eggplant, tomato and greens. It provides fiber, probiotics, folate, and vitamins C, K, and B6. It supports the gut microbiome and digestive health.
May contain allergens
Many recipes contain anchovy, shrimp, sesame and soy. Read the label. Avoid kimchi with honey until 12 months.
How do you prepare kimchi for babies?
Rinsing
Rinsing kimchi under running water lowers the heat and salt a little. After rinsing, chop it and stir it into the meal.
Portions
Babies eat little in the early months. Start small and watch your baby's cues. Because a baby this age eats little solid food, the sodium intake is usually small too.
Texture check
Kimchi's texture changes with the vegetables and the fermentation time. Check firm vegetables like cabbage and radish. If they are too hard to mash with the gums, remove them or chop them fine.
Preparation by age
The same food is served differently at each age. What matters is how your baby sits, grasps and chews, more than the calendar.
6 months
6 months · How to prepare as a mix-inmash
Cut: Finely chopped
Chop kimchi very fine. Stir it into rice, noodles or porridge. You can also fold it into pancake strips or large soft meatballs. To cut spice and salt, rinse it under running water before chopping. Read the label. Introduce the fish, shrimp, sesame and soy in it to your baby separately first.
6 months · How to offer for munchingstrip
Cut: Finger strip
You can hand over one big chunk of kimchi, roughly as wide as two grown-up fingers together. Your baby will eat very little, but gets to know the taste. Rinse it first to reduce the heat.
9 months
9 months · How to cut as small piecescube
Cut: Bite sized piece
Chop kimchi into bite-sized pieces. Serve it alone or stir it into a family dish. Its texture depends on the vegetables and on how long it fermented. Check that firm pieces like cabbage and radish are soft enough to mash with the gums. If not, take them out of your baby's portion or mince them.
12 months
12 months · How to serve in larger piecesstrip
You can serve kimchi however you like. Larger pieces are fine for practicing bites and tears. Serve it on its own or inside a mixed dish.
Is kimchi a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: medium
Slippery, hard-to-chew pieces carry a choking risk. Chop firm cabbage and radish pieces finely.
Kimchi can carry a choking risk depending on its ingredients and fermentation time. Some is soft and easy to chew. Some is slippery and hard to chew. Prepare it to suit your child's age. Stay close at meals, within arm's reach.
Hard and slippery pieces
Do not give a young baby large pieces of hard cabbage or radish. Chop them fine.
Is kimchi a common allergen?
Kimchi contains common allergens. Many recipes use anchovy (fish) and shrimp (shellfish). Sesame and soy are also frequent. Cabbage allergy is very rare. A baby with an allergy to mustard seed or mustard greens could react to kimchi.
Store-bought kimchi has many ingredients, so always read the label. Before serving kimchi, introduce the allergens in it to your baby one by one. Then, if a reaction happens, you can tell which food caused it. Keep the first servings small.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about kimchi
When can a baby eat kimchi?
Once your baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. Choose a product with no honey and check the label.
Isn't kimchi too spicy?
Rinse it under running water to lower the heat and salt. Chop it fine and mix it into porridge or rice.
Which allergens does kimchi contain?
Many recipes include anchovy, shrimp, sesame and soy. Read the label and try these foods separately first.
Is kimchi salty?
Its sodium can be high. Since babies eat only a little, an occasional taste is usually fine.
Can I give kimchi made with honey?
Avoid kimchi with honey until 12 months. There is a risk of infant botulism.
Sources for this page
- Dünya Sağlık Örgütü. (2023). Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6-23 months of age.
- CDC, Infant and Toddler Nutrition. (n.d.). Choking Hazards.
- NHS. (n.d.). Preparing food safely for babies.
Guides on iron, allergen introduction, gagging and drinks. Read the starting solids guides
Medical note
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk to your pediatrician before any feeding decision, especially about allergen introduction and reactions.
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Astro Tasarım Simay Yenice · Türkiye · merhaba@lokmini.com