First foods database
🍅 Ketchup for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies have ketchup? It is best left until after 12 months. Regular tomato ketchup is high in added sugar and salt, and babies under 1 need less than 1g of salt a day and no added sugar. Homemade tomato sauces are a tasty alternative.
Good source of: Lycopene
How to serve ketchup by age
6 to 9 months
Not yet. Instead, offer plain tomato purée or a homemade tomato sauce made with tinned tomatoes and herbs, as a dip for soft-cooked veg or baked chicken.
9 to 12 months
Still not needed. Mix tomato purée with a little natural yoghurt or olive oil to make a simple dip your baby can enjoy with sweet potato wedges.
12 months and up
From 12 months, a small amount of reduced-sugar, reduced-salt ketchup now and then is fine. Serve a teaspoon on the side as a dip rather than covering the food, and keep homemade sauce as the everyday option.
Choking safety
Ketchup itself is not a choking risk. Take care with the foods it is served with, such as sausages, which should be cut lengthways into quarters.
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
- Regular ketchup is high in sugar and salt.
- Choose reduced-sugar, reduced-salt versions after 12 months, and keep it occasional.
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat ketchup?
Can babies have ketchup? It is best left until after 12 months. Regular tomato ketchup is high in added sugar and salt, and babies under 1 need less than 1g of salt a day and no added sugar. Homemade tomato sauces are a tasty alternative.
When can babies have ketchup?
From around 12 months, in small amounts. Before then, use homemade tomato sauce.
Is ketchup bad for toddlers?
Not in small amounts, but it is high in sugar, so serve it occasionally.
What can I use instead of ketchup?
Simmer a tin of chopped tomatoes with a little onion, garlic and basil, then blend. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days or freezes in ice cube trays.
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).