First foods database

🫗 Rapeseed oil for babies: when and how to serve it

Can babies have rapeseed oil? Yes, from about 6 months. Rapeseed oil (often sold simply as vegetable oil in the UK) is low in saturated fat and contains plant omega-3, making it a good everyday cooking oil for the whole family.

From 6 monthsLow choking risk when prepared well

Good source of: Vitamin E, Omega-3 (ALA), Healthy fats

How to serve rapeseed oil by age

6 to 9 months

Use a little rapeseed oil to roast vegetables for finger food, to soften onions and garlic for purées, or stir a few drops into mashed vegetables to add energy. Babies need some fat, and oil in cooking is a simple way to add it. A teaspoon is plenty for a baby portion.

9 to 12 months

Keep using it for roasting, gentle frying, baking and in homemade dressings.

12 months and up

Use in family cooking as your main oil if you like.

Choking safety

Oil itself is not a choking concern. Be careful with hot oil around little ones, and avoid deep-fried foods for babies.

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

Easy ideas

Goes well with

🍠Sweet potatoFrom 6 months🥕CarrotFrom 6 months🥒CourgetteFrom 6 months🍌BananaFrom 6 months

Recipes with rapeseed oil

🧁Apple and carrot breakfast muffinsFrom 10 months · Breakfast · 35 min🍅Baby-friendly West African jollof riceFrom 7 months · Dinner · 55 min🧅Baked mixed veg pakora frittersFrom 9 months · Lunch · 35 min🐟Baked plaice goujons with pea dipFrom 9 months · Lunch · 30 min🥢Baked sesame tofu fingersFrom 6 months · Lunch · 35 min🍲Batch cook chicken and butternut casserole cubesFrom 6 months · Dinner · 50 min

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Questions parents ask

Can babies eat rapeseed oil?

Can babies have rapeseed oil? Yes, from about 6 months. Rapeseed oil (often sold simply as vegetable oil in the UK) is low in saturated fat and contains plant omega-3, making it a good everyday cooking oil for the whole family.

Is rapeseed oil good for babies?

Yes, it is low in saturated fat and a source of omega-3 and vitamin E.

Is vegetable oil the same as rapeseed oil?

In the UK, bottles labelled vegetable oil are often pure rapeseed oil; check the label.

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).