First foods database
🥢 Soy sauce for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies have soy sauce? It is best avoided for babies under 12 months because it is very high in salt. After that, a few drops of reduced-salt soy sauce in family cooking is fine occasionally.
Good source of: Sodium
How to serve soy sauce by age
6 to 9 months
Not yet: soy sauce is too salty for babies under 12 months, whose kidneys cannot cope with much salt. Flavour noodles and stir-fries with garlic, ginger, spring onion and a little lime instead.
9 to 12 months
Still best left out. Take baby's portion out of the pan before adding soy sauce for the rest of the family.
12 months and up
From 12 months, use a few drops of reduced-salt soy sauce in shared dishes, and keep it occasional.
Choking safety
Soy sauce is a liquid and not a choking concern.
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
- Very high in salt: one tablespoon can contain more salt than a baby should have in a whole day.
- Contains soya and usually wheat (gluten); tamari is often wheat-free.
Introducing it as an allergen
It contains soya, gluten, which are among the 14 major allergens. How to introduce soya · How to introduce gluten
Goes well with
Recipes with soy sauce
Weaning with OBubba
Log first foods in seconds. OBubba spots the allergens for you.
Track every food your baby has tried, see reactions over time, and let OBubba gently pace new allergens one at a time. Free to download.
Questions parents ask
Can babies eat soy sauce?
Can babies have soy sauce? It is best avoided for babies under 12 months because it is very high in salt. After that, a few drops of reduced-salt soy sauce in family cooking is fine occasionally.
Can babies have soy sauce?
Not under 12 months, because of the salt. After that, a little reduced-salt soy is fine occasionally.
Is low-salt soy sauce OK for babies?
It is still salty, so wait until 12 months and use only a few drops.
Sources
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Food allergies in 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).