BabyJoy
Cassava for babies
When and how to serve cassava at every stage of starting solids.
- Introduce from
- 6–9 months
- Safety notes
- No choking or allergen flag
- Texture variation
- Gluten free
How to prepare cassava by age
6–9 months
Use sweet cassava sold for cooking, or frozen peeled cassava. Must be peeled and fully cooked — never raw. Remove the thick skin and the pink layer beneath, cut out the woody central core, then boil in plenty of water until completely soft and discard the cooking water. Offer soft finger-length strips or mash with a little of baby's usual milk (cooked cassava is sticky, so keep it moist).
9–12 months
Well-cooked soft cassava in small pieces or mash; always peeled and fully cooked, cooking water discarded.
12 months+
Boiled, mashed or baked, always peeled and fully cooked. Avoid tapioca pearls (such as in bubble tea) for young children — they are a choking hazard.
Nutrition highlights
- Vitamin C
- Manganese
- Potassium rich
Serving ideas
- Soft boiled cassava fingers
- Cassava mash with flaked fish
- In a mild coconut stew
Prepare these as described above for your baby’s age.
Choosing and storing
Storage: Store whole roots in a cool, dry place and use within a few days. Peeled cassava can be kept covered in water in the fridge for 2-3 days, or frozen. Cooked: refrigerate and use within 3 days.
Sources
This guide is based on published guidance from:
