Protein Food Library
When can babies have flounder?
Can babies have flounder?
Babies can have flounder from about 6 months, fully cooked and checked carefully for bones. Flounder is a mild, flaky white fish that is low in mercury, which makes it a great first fish. Fish is a common allergen, so start with a small amount.
How to serve flounder by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Bake, steam or poach flounder until it flakes easily and is opaque all the way through. Remove every bone and the skin, then mash it smooth with potato, breast milk or formula, or blend it into a vegetable puree to serve on a spoon.
7–8 months
Flake boneless cooked flounder finely and stir it into lumpier mashed potato or yogurt, or offer soft flakes your baby can pick up. Soft fish cakes made with mashed vegetables that fall apart easily are good to hold.
9–12 months
Offer small, soft flakes of boneless cooked flounder for pincer practice, or mix it into pasta, rice or omelet pieces. Run your fingers through the flakes to check for bones before serving.
12 months +
Toddlers can eat cooked flounder as bite-size pieces, in fish tacos, fish cakes or lightly breaded and baked strips. Keep checking for bones and choose homemade breading over salty frozen fish sticks.
Why it’s good
Flounder gives babies lean protein, vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorus and some omega-3 fats for brain and eye development. Flounder is one of the lowest-mercury fish, so it fits the FDA's best choices list for young children. It contains only a little iron, so pair it with iron-rich foods.
Safety notes
- Remove all bones before serving. Flounder fillets can still hide small pin bones, so flake the fish with your fingers to feel for them.
- Cook flounder until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily, to an internal temperature of 145 F (63 C). No raw or undercooked fish, including sushi, for babies and toddlers.
- Flounder is a fish allergen. Offer it for the first time at home, at a time when you can watch your baby for a couple of hours.
- Skip breaded frozen fish products and salty sauces for babies. Season with lemon, herbs or a little unsalted butter instead.
- Refrigerate fresh flounder and cook it within a day or two, or freeze it. Throw out fish that smells strongly fishy or sour.
Introduce flounder on its own, then keep it in
Flounder is a fish, and fish is one of the Top 9 food allergens. Introduce a small amount and watch for hives, swelling, vomiting, coughing or wheezing; once tolerated, keep fish in your baby's diet regularly, and note that an allergy to one fish may mean allergy to others.
Flounder for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about flounder for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have flounder?
Babies can have flounder from about 6 months of age, once they have started solids. Flounder should be fully cooked, deboned and flaked or mashed for young babies.
Can babies have flounder?
Yes, babies can eat flounder, and it is one of the best fish for babies because it is mild, soft and low in mercury. Always remove all bones and cook flounder all the way through.
Is flounder a choking hazard for babies?
Flounder flesh is a low choking risk because it is soft and flaky, but fish bones are a choking hazard. Check flounder carefully for bones by flaking it with your fingers, and stay with your baby during meals.
Is flounder a common allergen?
Yes, flounder is a common allergen because it is a fish, and fish is one of the Top 9 food allergens. Start with a small amount and watch for allergy signs, then keep fish in the diet regularly once tolerated.
How do I serve flounder to a 6 month old?
To serve flounder to a 6 month old, bake or steam a fillet until it flakes easily, remove the skin and any bones, and mash it smooth into potato or vegetable puree on a spoon. Soft flakes and fish cakes can follow at 7–8 months.
Is flounder high in mercury?
No, flounder is low in mercury and is on the FDA and EPA list of best fish choices for children. Babies and toddlers can have flounder and other low-mercury fish about two times a week in age-appropriate portions.
How much flounder can a baby have?
A baby can have small portions of flounder, about 1 ounce or less per serving for babies, a couple of times a week as part of a varied diet. Portion sizes grow with age and appetite, so follow your child's hunger cues.
When can babies have flounder sushi?
Babies and young children should not eat raw flounder sushi or sashimi, called hirame, because raw fish can carry bacteria and parasites. Wait until your child is older, and many experts suggest waiting until at least age 5 for raw fish.
Can babies have frozen flounder?
Yes, babies can have plain frozen flounder fillets, which are often just as nutritious as fresh. Thaw frozen flounder in the fridge, cook it fully, and avoid breaded or pre-seasoned versions that are high in salt.
The takeaway
- Babies can have flounder from about 6 months, fully cooked and checked carefully for bones.
- Bake, steam or poach flounder until it flakes easily and is opaque all the way through.
- 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
- 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.