Protein Food Library
When can babies have striped bass?
Can babies have striped bass?
Babies can have striped bass from about 6 months, fully cooked, flaked and checked carefully for bones. Striped bass has moderate mercury, so the FDA lists it as a Good Choice to eat about once a week rather than every day. Striped bass is a fish, one of the Top 9 allergens.
How to serve striped bass by age
Shapes and textures change as your baby’s grasp and chewing grow.
6 months
Bake, steam or poach striped bass until it flakes easily, remove the skin and every bone, then mash or blend it smooth with a little breast milk, formula or cooking water. Mix it into smooth potato, avocado or vegetable puree and offer it on a spoon.
7–8 months
Fork-mash boneless flakes of striped bass more roughly into potato, rice or avocado for a lumpier texture. You can also shape flaked fish into soft patties about the size of an adult finger that fall apart easily when pressed.
9–12 months
Offer small, soft flakes of cooked striped bass for pincer-grasp practice, or mix them into rice, pasta or fish cakes. Run your fingers through every flake to feel for small bones.
12 months +
Toddlers can eat bite-sized pieces of cooked striped bass in tacos, fish cakes or with rice and vegetables. A toddler serving is about 1 ounce, and striped bass should be one of about 1 to 2 fish meals a week, mixed with lower-mercury fish.
Why it’s good
Striped bass gives babies high-quality protein, omega-3 fats for brain and eye development, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, selenium and potassium. Fish is one of the few natural food sources of omega-3s. Striped bass contains a little iron, but it is not a major iron source.
Safety notes
- Striped bass has moderate mercury. The FDA lists it as a Good Choice, so limit it to about one small serving a week and fill other fish meals with Best Choices like salmon, sardines or cod.
- If someone in your family catches striped bass, check your local or state fish advisory first. Fish from some rivers and bays carry higher mercury or PCB levels and have stricter limits for children.
- Cook striped bass to 145°F (63°C) or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Never serve raw or undercooked fish to babies.
- Remove the skin and check every flake for bones, including tiny pin bones, before serving.
- Skip fried, breaded or heavily salted fish. Bake, steam or poach it, and season with lemon, herbs or a little unsalted butter.
Introduce striped bass on its own, then keep it in
Fish is one of the Top 9 allergens. Introduce striped bass in a small amount, watch for hives, vomiting, swelling, coughing or wheezing, and once your baby tolerates fish, keep serving it regularly to help maintain tolerance. Talk to your pediatrician first if your baby has severe eczema or another food allergy.
Striped bass for babies: questions parents ask
Quick answers about striped bass for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have striped bass?
Babies can have striped bass from about 6 months, when they start solid foods. Striped bass must be fully cooked, deboned and served in soft flakes.
Can babies have striped bass?
Yes, babies can eat striped bass from 6 months, about once a week. Striped bass has moderate mercury, so rotate it with low-mercury fish like salmon, cod and sardines.
Is striped bass high in mercury?
Striped bass has moderate mercury levels, and the FDA places it in the Good Choices group to eat about once a week. Striped bass caught locally may be higher in mercury or other contaminants, so check your state fish advisory.
Is striped bass a choking hazard for babies?
Striped bass is a low choking risk when it is cooked, flaked and fully deboned. Small fish bones are the main hazard, so check every flake of striped bass carefully before serving.
Is striped bass a common allergen?
Yes, striped bass is a common allergen because fish is one of the Top 9 allergens. Introduce striped bass in a small amount and keep fish in the diet regularly once tolerated.
How do I serve striped bass to a 6 month old?
To serve striped bass to a 6 month old, bake or steam it until it flakes easily, remove the skin and all bones, then mash or blend it smooth into potato or avocado and offer it on a spoon. Soft fish patties can follow at 7–8 months.
How much striped bass can a baby eat?
A baby can have a small serving of striped bass, about 1 ounce or less, about once a week. Other fish meals that week should come from lower-mercury fish.
Is wild-caught striped bass safe for babies?
Store-bought striped bass, wild or farmed, is safe for babies in once-a-week portions. Striped bass caught by family or friends should be checked against local fish advisories, which often set stricter limits for children.
Is farmed striped bass the same as wild striped bass?
Most farmed striped bass sold in stores is hybrid striped bass, which is generally lower in mercury than large wild fish. Both farmed and wild striped bass should be fully cooked and deboned for babies.
The takeaway
- Babies can have striped bass from about 6 months, fully cooked, flaked and checked carefully for bones.
- Bake, steam or poach striped bass until it flakes easily, remove the skin and every bone, then mash or blend it smooth with a little breast milk, formula or cooking water.
- 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.