First foods database
🐟 Hake for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat hake? Yes, from about 6 months. Hake is a mild, white fish with soft, chunky flakes that cooks in minutes, making it a great first fish and a simple way to introduce the fish allergen.
Good source of: Protein, Vitamin B12, Selenium, Phosphorus
How to serve hake by age
6 to 9 months
Bake, steam or poach a hake fillet for 10 to 15 minutes until it is opaque and flakes easily. Remove the skin, then check carefully for bones. Mash with potato, sweet potato or a little breast milk. For finger food, offer large soft flakes or a strip of fish that holds together.
9 to 12 months
Flake hake into smaller pieces and stir into pasta with tomato sauce, risotto or a mild fish pie, or make soft fishcakes with mashed potato and herbs.
12 months and up
Serve hake with the family, baked with lemon and herbs, in a mild curry or a homemade fish pie. Continue to check for bones.
Choking safety
Hake has fewer bones than many fish, but pin bones can still be present. Flake the cooked fish with your fingers and remove any bones before serving. Avoid batter or crumb that has gone hard and crispy.
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
- Fish is a common allergen; offer a small amount the first time, then keep offering regularly.
- Choose plain fillets rather than battered or ready-seasoned hake, which can be salty.
Introducing it as an allergen
It contains fish, one of the 14 major allergens. How to introduce fish
Easy ideas
- Hake, potato and pea mash
- Homemade hake and herb fishcakes
- Baked hake with tomato and courgette
Goes well with
Recipes with hake
Weaning with OBubba
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat hake?
Can babies eat hake? Yes, from about 6 months. Hake is a mild, white fish with soft, chunky flakes that cooks in minutes, making it a great first fish and a simple way to introduce the fish allergen.
Is hake an oily fish?
No, hake is a white fish, so it does not count towards the weekly limit for oily fish.
Can babies eat frozen hake?
Yes. Frozen plain fillets are just as nutritious. Cook them thoroughly until the flesh is opaque all the way through.
How often can my baby eat fish?
The NHS suggests aiming for at least two portions of fish a week, one of them oily. White fish like hake can be offered more often as part of a varied diet.
Sources
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
- NHS: Fish and shellfish
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: How to stop a child from choking
- BSACI: Early feeding guidance
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).