First foods database
🧂 Nutritional yeast for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies have nutritional yeast? Yes, from about 6 months, in small amounts. These savoury yellow flakes add a cheesy, nutty flavour without much salt, and many brands are fortified with vitamin B12, which is useful for plant-based families.
Good source of: Vitamin B12, Protein, Folate
How to serve nutritional yeast by age
6 to 9 months
Sprinkle a teaspoon of nutritional yeast into vegetable purées, mashed potato or lentils for a cheesy flavour. Stir it into soft scrambled egg or tofu, or into a smooth white sauce for pasta.
9 to 12 months
Sprinkle it over pasta, roasted vegetable fingers or rice, or use it to make a dairy-free 'cheese' sauce with plant milk (used in cooking) and a little flour.
12 months and up
Use nutritional yeast in family cooking: on pasta, in sauces, over roasted veg or in savoury muffins. It is a handy flavour booster for toddlers who love cheese but need to keep dairy low.
Choking safety
The flakes are light and dissolve into moist foods, so they are not a choking risk. Avoid sprinkling a big pile of dry flakes, which can make babies cough, and mix it into wet foods instead.
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
- Not the same as yeast extract, which is very salty.
Easy ideas
- Nutritional yeast pasta
- Nutritional yeast mash
- Nutritional yeast tofu scramble
Goes well with
Recipes with nutritional yeast
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat nutritional yeast?
Can babies have nutritional yeast? Yes, from about 6 months, in small amounts. These savoury yellow flakes add a cheesy, nutty flavour without much salt, and many brands are fortified with vitamin B12, which is useful for plant-based families.
Is nutritional yeast the same as yeast extract?
No. Yeast extract spreads (like Marmite) are very salty and only suitable in tiny amounts. Nutritional yeast flakes are naturally low in salt, but check the label of your brand.
Can nutritional yeast give a vegan baby enough B12?
Fortified nutritional yeast can help, but plant-based babies usually need a reliable B12 supplement too. Talk to your GP, health visitor or a dietitian about the right amount.
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).