Protein Food Library
When can babies have bonito?
Can babies have bonito?
Babies can have bonito from about 6 months, fully cooked, with all bones and skin removed, and blended or finely mashed at first. Bonito is a tuna relative with more mercury than the lowest-mercury fish, so serve it about once a week at most and rotate it with fish like salmon, cod or sardines. Bonito is a fish and counts as a common allergen.
How to serve bonito by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Bake, poach or steam bonito until it is opaque and flakes easily, then remove every bone and the skin. Blend or mash it very finely with avocado, potato or plain yogurt into a smooth mash and offer it on a spoon.
7–8 months
Flake cooked, boneless bonito finely and fork-mash it into potato, rice or avocado for a lumpier texture. You can also offer soft flakes your baby can scoop up by the handful, checking each one again for bones.
9–12 months
Offer small, soft flakes of cooked bonito for pincer-grasp practice, or mix flaked bonito into rice, pasta or small fish cakes that are soft inside. Keep checking carefully for small bones.
12 months +
Toddlers can eat cooked bonito in rice bowls, pasta, salads and patties. A sprinkle of dried bonito flakes can be stirred into rice or noodles, and the flakes should be moistened so they do not stick to the roof of the mouth.
Why it’s good
Bonito gives babies high-quality protein, omega-3 fats like DHA for brain and eye development, vitamin B12, vitamin D, niacin and selenium. Bonito has more mercury than salmon or sardines, so the benefits are best enjoyed in modest portions, rotated with lower-mercury fish.
Safety notes
- Bonito is in the tuna family and has a moderate mercury level. Serve it about once a week at most, in a small toddler-sized portion, and choose lower-mercury fish like salmon, cod, trout and sardines for other fish meals. Ask your pediatrician if you are unsure.
- Cook bonito fully until it is opaque and flakes easily. Raw bonito, including sashimi and tataki, is not safe for babies or young children.
- Remove all bones and skin, then run your fingers through the flakes to check for small bones before serving.
- Bonito spoils quickly and, like tuna and mackerel, can build up histamine if it is not kept cold, which can cause scombroid food poisoning. Buy it very fresh, keep it refrigerated and cook it within a day.
- Dried bonito flakes are paper-thin and can stick to the mouth. Moisten them in food, and choose dashi made at home without added salt rather than instant dashi powders, which are high in sodium.
Introduce bonito on its own, then keep it in
Bonito is a fish, and fish is one of the Top 9 allergens. Introduce fish early in a small amount, watch for hives, vomiting, swelling, coughing or wheezing, and once your baby tolerates it, keep fish in the diet regularly. Talk to your pediatrician first if your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy.
Bonito for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about bonito for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have bonito?
Babies can have bonito from about 6 months, as long as it is fully cooked, boneless and finely mashed at first, with soft flakes from about 7–8 months. Because bonito has moderate mercury, offer it about once a week at most.
Can babies have bonito?
Yes, babies can eat cooked bonito in small portions. Bonito is a nourishing fish with omega-3 fats and protein, but it should be rotated with lower-mercury fish rather than served often.
Is bonito a choking hazard for babies?
Bonito is a low choking risk for babies when it is cooked, flaked and completely free of bones. Fish bones are the main hazard, so check every flake with your fingers, and stay with your baby while they eat.
Is bonito a common allergen?
Yes, bonito is a common allergen because it is a fish, and fish is one of the Top 9 food allergens. Children allergic to one fish are often allergic to others, so talk to your pediatrician if your baby has reacted to fish before.
How do I serve bonito to a 6 month old?
To serve bonito to a 6 month old, bake or steam it until it flakes easily, remove all skin and bones, and blend or finely mash it with avocado, potato or yogurt. Offer it on a spoon. Soft flakes your baby can scoop with their hands can follow at 7–8 months.
Is bonito high in mercury?
Bonito has more mercury than low-mercury fish like salmon, sardines or cod, but less than the high-mercury fish babies should avoid, such as swordfish, shark and bigeye tuna. Offering bonito about once a week in a small portion is a sensible limit for young children.
Can babies have bonito flakes (katsuobushi)?
Babies can have small amounts of bonito flakes once fish has been introduced, stirred into moist food like rice porridge or mashed vegetables so the flakes soften. Avoid salty seasoned bonito flakes and instant dashi powders, which are high in sodium.
Is bonito the same as tuna?
Bonito is a close relative of tuna in the same fish family, but it is a separate, smaller fish. Some canned products labeled bonito are actually skipjack or other tuna, so check the label and choose low-sodium options packed in water.
Can babies have raw bonito or bonito sashimi?
No, babies and young children should not eat raw bonito or bonito sashimi. Raw fish can carry parasites and bacteria, so always cook bonito until it is opaque and flakes easily.
The takeaway
- Babies can have bonito from about 6 months, fully cooked, with all bones and skin removed, and blended or finely mashed at first.
- Bake, poach or steam bonito until it is opaque and flakes easily, then remove every bone and the skin.
- Choking risk is low. Fish is one of the Top 9 allergens: offer a small amount first, watch for a reaction, then keep it in the diet regularly.
Read next
Sources
This guide follows current advice from these organizations.
- Starting Solid Foods American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Choking Hazards Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Advice about Eating Fish U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- The Effects of Early Nutritional Interventions on the Development of Atopic Disease in Infants and Children Greer FR, Sicherer SH, Burks AW; American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2019;143(4):e20190281
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Updated November 2026. Reviewed by our dietitians. Based on AAP, CDC and NIAID guidance. Written for healthy, full-term babies; not a substitute for your pediatrician. If your baby was born early, has a medical condition, feeding difficulties or a known allergy, check with them first (medical disclaimer). Always stay with your baby while they eat.