No. 58 · Veggies Passport food
When can babies eat kale?
Can babies have kale?
Babies can have kale from about 6 months, as soon as they are ready for solids. Cook kale until wilted and tender, then chop it very finely or blend it into other foods, because raw leaves are tough and can stick to the back of the throat. Save kale chips and raw kale salads for older toddlers.
How to serve kale by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Remove the tough stems, steam or sauté the leaves until very soft, then blend them completely smooth into purees like potato, squash or oatmeal. Offer it on a spoon, or serve a smooth kale smoothie in an open cup.
7–8 months
Chop cooked kale very finely and stir it into thicker, lumpier foods like scrambled egg, mashed potato or oatmeal. Finely chopped kale can also be baked into soft egg muffins or fritters cut into strips that squash easily.
9–12 months
Keep kale cooked and finely chopped, mixed into pasta, rice, omelets, lentils or meatballs. Pureed kale stirred into pesto or sauces is an easy way to offer it often.
12 months +
Serve cooked, chopped kale in family soups, stir-fries and pasta. Raw kale can be finely shredded and massaged with oil and lemon until soft once your child chews well, and kale chips are best saved until your toddler is a strong chewer, around age 2 or later.
Why it’s good
Kale gives babies vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate and calcium, along with fiber and some plant iron. The vitamin C in kale helps the body absorb its iron. Offering kale often, in small amounts mixed into familiar foods, helps babies get used to bitter green flavors.
Safety notes
- Raw kale leaves are tough and can form a sheet that sticks to the roof of the mouth or throat. Cook kale until wilted and chop it very finely or blend it.
- Remove the thick center stems, which are fibrous and hard to chew even when cooked.
- Kale chips are dry and brittle and can shatter into sharp, sticky pieces. Wait until your child chews well, usually around age 2, and make them at home with little or no salt.
- Wash kale well to remove grit and residues, since curly leaves can trap dirt.
- Home-cooked kale is fine for babies from 6 months. Refrigerate cooked kale and purees promptly and use within 2 to 3 days, or freeze them.
A low-allergy food, still worth watching
Kale is not a common allergen, and allergic reactions to kale are rare. As with any new food, offer it in a small amount and watch for hives, vomiting or swelling the first few times.
Kale for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about kale for babies and toddlers.
When can babies eat kale?
Babies can have kale from about 6 months, when they are ready to start solids. Kale should be cooked until soft and finely chopped or blended into other foods.
Can babies have kale?
Yes, babies can eat kale from 6 months when it is cooked and finely chopped or pureed. Kale is a nutrient-rich green that mixes easily into eggs, grains and purees.
Is kale a choking hazard for babies?
Kale can be a choking hazard for babies when it is raw, in large leaves or made into crispy kale chips. Cooking kale until wilted and chopping it very finely lowers the risk, and gagging on leafy greens is common while babies learn.
Is kale a common allergen?
No, kale is not a common allergen and is not one of the Top 9. Reactions to kale are rare, but watch for signs like hives or vomiting the first few times you serve it.
How do I serve kale to a 6 month old?
To serve kale to a 6 month old, remove the stems, steam the leaves until very soft, then blend them smooth and mix into a familiar food like mashed potato or oatmeal on a spoon. Soft kale egg muffins cut into strips to hold can follow at 7–8 months.
Can babies have raw kale?
Raw kale is not a good choice for babies, because the leaves are tough and can stick in the mouth and throat. Toddlers who chew well can have raw kale that is finely shredded and massaged with oil until soft.
Can babies have kale chips?
Kale chips are best saved until a child is a strong chewer, around age 2 or later, because they are brittle and break into dry, sticky pieces. Homemade kale chips with little or no salt are a better choice than salty store-bought kinds.
Do I need to worry about nitrates or oxalates in kale?
Home-cooked kale is safe for healthy babies over 6 months, and nitrate concerns mainly apply to infants under 3 months. Kale is also lower in oxalates than spinach, so it is a good leafy green to rotate into meals.
Can I put kale in a baby smoothie?
Yes, kale can go in a baby smoothie from 6 months if it is blended until completely smooth with no stringy bits. Serve kale smoothies in an open cup or straw cup, or freeze them into pops, and keep them unsweetened.
Is kale good for babies?
Yes, kale is a nutritious green for babies from about 6 months when it is cooked soft and chopped very finely or blended. It gives vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, calcium and some plant iron. Mix it into familiar foods like mashed potato, eggs or pasta, and skip raw leaves and kale chips.
The takeaway
- Babies can have kale from about 6 months, as soon as they are ready for solids.
- Remove the tough stems, steam or sauté the leaves until very soft, then blend them completely smooth into purees like potato, squash or oatmeal.
- Choking risk is medium. Not a Top 9 allergen, but offer a small amount first and watch for any reaction.
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
- Choking Prevention American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- Infant Methemoglobinemia: The Role of Dietary Nitrate in Food and Water Greer FR, Shannon M; American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2005;116(3):784-786
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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.