First foods database
🥬 Chicory for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat chicory? Yes, from about 6 months. Chicory (also called endive) is pleasantly bitter and softens when braised, so it is a good way to widen your baby's range of flavours early on.
Good source of: Vitamin K, Folate, Fibre
How to serve chicory by age
6 to 9 months
Braise or roast chicory halves until completely soft, then offer a wedge for baby to hold and mash, or chop finely into purées with sweet potato or apple to balance the bitterness.
9 to 12 months
Chop braised chicory into pasta, risotto or mashed potato. Mixing with cheese softens the flavour.
12 months and up
Raw chicory leaves can be offered to older toddlers as scoops for dips like hummus.
Choking safety
Raw chicory is crisp and leaves can be hard to chew for young babies. Cook until soft, or for older children offer whole leaves rather than small pieces.
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
- Bitter tastes may need many tries: that is normal.
Easy ideas
- Braised chicory with orange
- Chicory and potato gratin
- Raw leaves as hummus scoops for toddlers
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat chicory?
Can babies eat chicory? Yes, from about 6 months. Chicory (also called endive) is pleasantly bitter and softens when braised, so it is a good way to widen your baby's range of flavours early on.
Is chicory too bitter for babies?
Some babies like it, others need time. Braising mellows the taste, and pairing it with sweeter foods helps.
Is chicory the same as endive?
In the UK, chicory and Belgian endive usually mean the same small pale leaf. Curly endive is a related salad leaf.
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).