First foods database
🍄 Mushroom for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat mushrooms? Yes, cooked mushrooms are fine from about 6 months. They bring a savoury, meaty taste and B vitamins, and their soft texture when cooked makes them easy to blend or mash.
Good source of: Vitamin B2, Vitamin D, Selenium, Potassium
How to serve mushroom by age
6 to 9 months
Cook mushrooms thoroughly, then blend into sauces, risotto or mashed vegetables. For finger food, offer large whole cooked mushrooms or thick slices that are soft and easy to gum. Chestnut mushrooms have a slightly firmer, nuttier bite than button mushrooms once cooked.
9 to 12 months
Finely chop cooked mushrooms into pasta sauce, omelettes, rice and stews.
12 months and up
Serve cooked sliced mushrooms in family meals, on toast or in stir-fries.
Choking safety
Cooked mushrooms can be slippery and springy, and small whole button mushrooms are a choking risk. Quarter small ones, slice larger ones, or chop finely for younger babies. Raw mushrooms are firm and spongy, so always cook them.
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
- Only use shop-bought mushrooms. Never give foraged wild mushrooms.
- Always cook mushrooms for babies rather than serving them raw.
Easy ideas
- Mushroom and spinach risotto
- Mushroom omelette fingers
- Mushroom bolognese with lentils
Goes well with
Recipes with mushroom
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat mushroom?
Can babies eat mushrooms? Yes, cooked mushrooms are fine from about 6 months. They bring a savoury, meaty taste and B vitamins, and their soft texture when cooked makes them easy to blend or mash.
Can babies eat raw mushrooms?
It is best to cook mushrooms for babies. Cooking makes them softer, easier to digest and removes any surface bacteria.
Do mushrooms contain vitamin D?
Some do, especially those exposed to UV light. This does not replace the daily vitamin D drops the NHS recommends for babies. Mushrooms left in sunlight for a short time before cooking can make a little more vitamin D.
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).