First foods database
🥖 Breadsticks for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat breadsticks? Yes, from around 9 months as an occasional snack. Breadsticks are easy to grip and great for dipping, but many contain salt and they can snap into hard pieces, so choose low-salt ones and stay close by.
Good source of: Carbohydrate, Fibre
How to serve breadsticks by age
6 to 9 months
Softer finger foods such as toast fingers, soft cooked vegetable sticks and ripe fruit are better at this stage. Breadsticks can break off into hard, dry pieces.
9 to 12 months
Offer a plain, low-salt breadstick with a dip such as hummus, yoghurt or mashed avocado, while your baby is sitting upright and supervised.
12 months and up
Serve breadsticks as a snack with dips and vegetables. Wholemeal versions add fibre. Check the label for salt per stick.
Choking safety
Hard, crunchy pieces can break off and are harder to chew than bread. Choose breadsticks that soften in saliva, always supervise, and never let your child walk around or lie down while eating them.
Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).
Good to know
- Contains gluten (wheat).
- Some breadsticks are salty: choose lower-salt varieties.
Introducing it as an allergen
It contains gluten, one of the 14 major allergens. How to introduce gluten
Easy ideas
- Breadsticks with homemade hummus
- Breadsticks with a Greek yoghurt and cucumber dip
- Breadsticks with mashed avocado
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat breadsticks?
Can babies eat breadsticks? Yes, from around 9 months as an occasional snack. Breadsticks are easy to grip and great for dipping, but many contain salt and they can snap into hard pieces, so choose low-salt ones and stay close by.
Are breadsticks good for teething?
They can be gnawed, but pieces may break off. A chilled cucumber stick or cold yoghurt is a gentler choice for sore gums.
Are breadsticks healthy for toddlers?
They are fine as an occasional snack, especially with a nourishing dip like hummus. On their own they offer little nutrition.
Sources
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).