First foods database
🫛 Pea for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat peas? Yes, from about 6 months. Peas are sweet, cheap and handy from the freezer, and they bring plant protein and fibre. Serve them mashed or squashed at first, since whole peas are small and round.
Good source of: Protein, Fibre, Vitamin C, Thiamin
How to serve pea by age
6 to 9 months
Cook frozen or fresh peas until very soft, then blend, mash or press each pea flat with a fork. Mashed peas spread on toast fingers or stirred into potato make an easy finger food. Sieve if the skins bother your baby.
9 to 12 months
As the pincer grip develops, offer cooked peas squashed flat so they are easy to pick up one at a time. Peas also bind well into patties and fritters.
12 months and up
Whole cooked peas are fine once your child chews confidently. Keep them in meals like pasta, rice, shepherd's pie and curries.
Choking safety
Whole peas are small and round and can be inhaled by young babies. Squash each pea flat until around 12 months, or mash them. Offer at the table with baby sitting upright.
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
- Choose frozen peas without added salt or butter sauces.
- Mushy peas from a tin can be salty: make your own.
Easy ideas
- Pea and mint mash on toast
- Pea and potato fritters
- Peas stirred into risotto
Goes well with
Recipes with pea
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat pea?
Can babies eat peas? Yes, from about 6 months. Peas are sweet, cheap and handy from the freezer, and they bring plant protein and fibre. Serve them mashed or squashed at first, since whole peas are small and round.
Can babies eat whole peas?
Not straight away. Squash each pea flat or mash them until your baby is chewing well, usually around 12 months.
Are frozen peas good for babies?
Yes. Frozen peas are picked and frozen quickly, so they keep their nutrients. Cook until soft and squash before serving.
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).