General information, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician before starting solids or allergens.

Sardines, watercolor illustration
Proteins

Sardines for babies

When and how to serve sardines at every stage of starting solids.

Introduce from
6–9 months
  • Omega-3 rich

How to prepare sardines by age

  1. 6–9 months

    Mashed, bones included (soft). Low sodium variety.

  2. 9–12 months

    Flaked or mashed.

  3. 12 months+

    Whole sardines.

Common allergen

Contains fish , one of the 9 common food allergens.

Fish allergen.

First time with fish: Offer well-cooked, boneless fish such as salmon or cod, flaked. Choose lower-mercury fish.

If your baby has severe eczema or a known food allergy, talk to your pediatrician before introducing allergens.

Nutrition highlights

  • Omega-3 rich
  • Calcium rich
  • Vitamin D
  • Protein rich

Serving ideas

  • Mashed on toast
  • In pasta
  • Sardine cakes
  • On toast fingers

Prepare these as described above for your baby’s age.

Choosing and storing

Storage: Canned: pantry. Opened: refrigerate and use immediately.

Recipes with sardines

Sources

This guide is based on published guidance from:

More proteins

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