First foods database
🍮 Silken tofu for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat silken tofu? Yes, from about 6 months. Silken tofu is smooth, custard-soft and needs no chewing, so it blends invisibly into sweet or savoury food and is an easy, gentle way to introduce soya and add protein.
Good source of: Protein, Calcium, Iron
How to serve silken tofu by age
6 to 9 months
Blend 2 to 3 tablespoons of silken tofu into fruit purées, vegetable sauces or soups, or mash with ripe banana or mango as a creamy pudding. Because it falls apart, offer it from a preloaded spoon rather than as a finger food; firm tofu fingers are better for self-feeding.
9 to 12 months
Stir silken tofu into soft scrambles with spinach and tomato, blend into pasta sauces to make them creamy, or whip with fruit. Babies can scoop it with a spoon or their hands.
12 months and up
Use it in smoothies, puddings, creamy soups and pasta sauces, or as an egg-free 'custard' blended with fruit. It is a handy dairy-free option for children who avoid milk.
Choking safety
Silken tofu is very soft and low choking risk. It breaks apart in little hands, so it is better on a spoon; cut firm tofu into fingers when you want a finger food.
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
- Contains soya, an allergen: offer a small amount first, then keep it in the diet regularly.
- Choose tofu set with calcium (calcium sulphate) for extra calcium.
- Keep opened tofu in the fridge covered with water and use within 2 to 3 days.
Introducing it as an allergen
It contains soya, one of the 14 major allergens. How to introduce soya
Easy ideas
- Silken tofu and mango whip
- Silken tofu blended into tomato pasta sauce
- Silken tofu scramble with spinach
Goes well with
Recipes with silken tofu
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat silken tofu?
Can babies eat silken tofu? Yes, from about 6 months. Silken tofu is smooth, custard-soft and needs no chewing, so it blends invisibly into sweet or savoury food and is an easy, gentle way to introduce soya and add protein.
Is silken tofu good for babies?
Yes. It is soft, mild and a source of protein, and tofu set with calcium also provides calcium.
Can babies eat silken tofu without cooking it?
Yes, silken tofu is ready to eat from the pack. Warming it in food is fine too.
Sources
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- BSACI: Early feeding guidance
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
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).