First foods database
🌱 Hemp seeds for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat hemp seeds? Yes, from about 6 months. Shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts) are soft and small, and add plant omega-3 fats and protein to baby's food.
Good source of: Omega-3, Protein, Magnesium, Iron
How to serve hemp seeds by age
6 to 9 months
Stir a teaspoon of shelled hemp seeds into porridge, yoghurt or purées, or grind them for a smoother texture. Ground hemp seeds blend easily into purées.
9 to 12 months
Sprinkle hemp seeds over soft fruit, mix into pancakes, or roll slippery foods like banana in them for grip. Rolling slippery fruit in hemp seeds makes it easier to grip. A teaspoon stirred into yoghurt adds protein.
12 months and up
Add hemp seeds to cereal, smoothies, baking and salads. Hemp seeds are a handy plant source of omega-3 fats. Mix them into homemade energy balls without honey for toddlers.
Choking safety
Shelled hemp seeds are tiny and soft, so they are low risk. Avoid whole unshelled seeds, which are hard. Mix them into moist foods.
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
- Buy food-grade shelled hemp seeds.
Easy ideas
- Hemp seeds in porridge
- Banana rolled in hemp seeds
- Hemp and berry yoghurt
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat hemp seeds?
Can babies eat hemp seeds? Yes, from about 6 months. Shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts) are soft and small, and add plant omega-3 fats and protein to baby's food.
Are hemp seeds safe for babies?
Yes. Food-grade hemp seeds do not contain meaningful amounts of THC. Buy food-grade products.
Do hemp seeds need grinding?
Shelled hemp seeds are soft, but you can grind them. Grinding makes them smoother.
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).