Onion
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- medium
- Common allergen
- no
- Iron
- low
Serve cooked · raw onion is a choking risk
When can babies eat onion?
Onion can be offered once baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. It belongs to the same plant family as garlic and chives. That family has more than 500 species growing in many climates. Onions are eaten fresh in salads, baked into breads and pastries, cooked as the base of countless dishes, and preserved in kimchi and pickles.
Onion supplies carbohydrate, fiber, and fluid, along with potassium, folate, and vitamins C and B6. It carries antioxidants such as anthocyanins, flavonoids and polyphenols. Red onion has more anthocyanins and quercetin than other colors.
How do you prepare onion for babies?
Cook onion thoroughly. Cooked onion blends easily into grain, legume and rice dishes, omelets and meatballs. It can also be served in large wedges.
Small round onions such as pearl onions carry a higher choking risk. Cook and chop them, or smash them flat.
Red onion is fine for babies. Prepare it the same age-appropriate way as other onions.
Serve pickled onions once your child chews well and does not stuff the mouth. They can be salty, but small tastes now and then fit into a varied diet.
After 24 months, once molars are in and your child chews well, you can try a few pieces of fried onion. They should not be too sharp or hard.
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 mix into mealsmash
Mince, chop or slice well-cooked onion and add it to meals. It goes into grain, legume and rice dishes, omelets and egg dishes, bean or fish patties and meatballs. Small round onions such as pearl onions carry a higher choking risk, so cook them, chop them and mix them into other foods.
6 months · How to offer a large pieceslice
Cut: Thick wedge
Hand over cooked onion as big slices or wedges for chewing. If you want your baby to meet the strong taste of raw onion, hand over a big piece of an outer layer. Very little of it will get swallowed.
9 months
9 months · How to prepare as small piecescube
Serve cooked onion in small pieces or soft thin slices, alone or in family meals. Cook and chop small round onions, or smash them flat. You can still offer big layers of raw onion, but at this age baby may bite off pieces, so expect plenty of spitting.
12 months
12 months · How to prepare as larger piecescube
Cut: Large piece
Larger pieces of onion that are cooked until very soft help your child learn to chew and swallow. Raw onion is possible too, chopped fine or sliced very thin. Small round onions can be served cooked. Once you are sure your child chews well and does not overstuff the mouth, pickled small onions are an option.
Is onion a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: medium
Raw onion is firm and slippery and a high choking risk. Give babies well-cooked onion. Chop small round onions, or press them flat.
Raw onion is firm and slippery, which makes it a high choking risk. Give babies cooked onion or a large outer layer. Chop small round onions.
Stay within arm's reach of your baby during meals.
Is onion a common allergen?
Onion allergy is rare but not unheard of. People allergic to lily flowers or with pollen food syndrome may be sensitive to onion. Those sensitive to garlic and chives may be too, since they are in the same plant family.
Start with a modest portion served alone. If nothing happens, increase it slowly.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about onion
Can babies have raw onion?
Raw onion is firm and slippery. After 12 months it can be offered finely chopped or thinly sliced. At 6 months it can only be a large outer layer to gnaw on.
Can babies have red onion?
Yes. Prepare it in an age-appropriate way like other onions. Red onion is rich in anthocyanins and quercetin.
Can babies have pickled onions?
Yes, if prepared to reduce choking risk. They can be salty, but small tastes now and then are fine.
Sources for this page
- Albanesi M, Pasculli C, Giliberti L, Rossi MP, Bona DD, Caiaffa MF, et al. (2019). Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy. Postepy Dermatologii i Alergologii. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82829
- Zhao XX, Lin FJ, Li H, Li HB, Wu DT, Geng F, et al. (2021). Recent Advances in Bioactive Compounds, Health Functions, and Safety Concerns of Onion (Allium cepa L.). Frontiers in Nutrition. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.669805
- Li Y, Yao J, Han C, Yang J, Chaudhry M, Wang S, et al. (2016). Quercetin, Inflammation and Immunity. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu8030167
- WHO. (2023). Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6-23 months of age.
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.
The Lokmini app
Log onion, reactions and your allergen journey in the app.
Open in LokminiLokmini is coming soon to the App Store.
Astro Tasarım Simay Yenice · Türkiye · merhaba@lokmini.com