First foods database
🥬 Daikon for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat daikon? Yes, from about 6 months, cooked until soft. Daikon is a large, mild white radish that turns sweet and tender when simmered or roasted, and it is common in Japanese, Korean, Chinese and South Asian cooking.
Good source of: Vitamin C, Fibre, Potassium
How to serve daikon by age
6 to 9 months
Peel and simmer daikon in water or low-salt broth until it is soft enough to squash with your tongue, then mash or blend with potato or carrot. For finger food, offer thick, soft-cooked batons or half-moons.
9 to 12 months
Offer soft simmered daikon cubes, daikon in mild stews and soups, or grated daikon cooked into fritters and pancakes.
12 months and up
Serve daikon braised, in soups and stir fries, or very thinly sliced or grated raw in salads once your child chews well.
Choking safety
Raw daikon is crisp and hard, like raw carrot, so always cook it soft for babies. Keep raw daikon grated or in very thin ribbons for toddlers, and check pieces squash easily before serving.
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
- Pickled daikon is salty and sometimes sugary; save it for older children in small amounts.
Easy ideas
- Daikon and carrot mash
- Simmered daikon in mild chicken soup
- Grated daikon and egg pancakes
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat daikon?
Can babies eat daikon? Yes, from about 6 months, cooked until soft. Daikon is a large, mild white radish that turns sweet and tender when simmered or roasted, and it is common in Japanese, Korean, Chinese and South Asian cooking.
Is daikon spicy for babies?
Raw daikon has a gentle peppery bite, but cooking makes it mild and slightly sweet.
Can babies eat daikon leaves?
Yes. Cook them until soft like other greens, then chop finely and stir into rice or noodles.
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).