When Can My Baby Eat Eggs?

Starting solid meals can be a delightful and exciting baby milestone, but it can also be fraught with anxiety. You might be unsure whether your kid is ready to eat solids, and even if they are, you might not know which foods are suitable to start with.

If you’re wondering if you may give your baby an egg at the table, remember that eggs are a great food for babies over the age of six months. Eggs are a fantastic source of protein and iron that your baby can consume as one of their first foods as long as they are thoroughly cooked. “Eggs are a nutritious powerhouse,” says Krystyn Parks, RD, author of Feeding Made Easy and a paediatric registered dietitian. “They’re a good source of a lot of the minerals that newborns require to grow.”

Are Eggs Safe for My Baby?

When your baby is ready to start eating solid meals, which is usually about 6 months of age, you can feed them eggs. While age is frequently touted as a clue that a baby is ready for meals, developmental markers are also important indicators. Good head control, sitting up without assistance, no tongue thrust reflex, a developing pincher grasp, weighing at least twice their birth weight, and exhibiting an interest in table meals are all signs of readiness.

Benefits of Giving Baby Eggs

Eggs are a versatile food that provides several nutritional benefits to babies.

Choline

Choline, a vital vitamin for metabolism, is found in eggs. Choline is important for brain growth and memory, but a lack of it can lead to liver problems. You can help your kid acquire adequate choline by feeding them choline-rich foods like eggs. “Many diets are deficient in choline,” Parks points out.

Iron

Iron is a crucial vitamin for your child. “By roughly 6 months of age, your baby will need meals high in iron to rebuild the iron stores that have been depleted during their first 6 months of life,” says Aimee Tyler-Smith, RD, B.Ed, a certified paediatric dietitian and author of The Nest: Nutrition for Mama and Baby. After that, you’ll need to supplement with iron or eat a lot of iron-rich foods.

Iron requirements for babies aged 7 to 12 months are approximately 11 milligrammes per day. A single egg contains roughly 1.67 milligrammes of iron, which is enough to provide a large portion of a baby’s daily needs.

Protein

Eggs are a fantastic source of protein that is of high quality. Over the age of six months, infants require around 1.12 grammes of protein per kilogramme of body weight. As a result, an 8-month-old weighing around 10 kilogrammes will require roughly 10 grammes of protein each day. Even if some parts wind up on the floor, a single egg offers about 12 grammes of protein, which is enough to cover a day’s supply of protein.

Safety Precautions

There are several advantages to feeding your baby eggs, but there are a few safety considerations to be aware of.

Constipation

High-protein animal meals, such as eggs, are low in fibre and can cause constipation if they aren’t eaten with high-fiber foods. The best strategy to combat this is to provide enough of fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as sufficient fluids, such as breast milk or formula.

Egg Allergy

Eggs are a top nine allergy, so be cautious when introducing them and monitor for a reaction. Early exposure to common allergies, but not as first foods, is suggested. Feed your infant eggs for three to five days without adding anything else to their diet, and keep an eye out for signs of an allergy.

If your infant has no adverse reactions to eggs, you can continue to feed them eggs on a regular basis. This is suggested to lessen the likelihood of an allergy arising. “Introducing high-allergen foods early on is a wonderful approach to reduce your baby’s likelihood of acquiring an allergy,” Tyler-Smith explains.

Serve Eggs Fully Cooked

Although your infant may love scrambled or hardboiled eggs, they should not be served over easy or poached. To prevent the risk of salmonella, infants should only eat thoroughly cooked foods. It’s important to note that poaching eggs is not the same as thoroughly cooking them. The egg yolk should not flow at all to be regarded safe feeding newborns.

When and How to Introduce Eggs

It is safe to offer eggs once your infant has started solids. It’s best to wait until your infant has been exposed to a variety of foods before introducing eggs, just in case they’re allergic. “While a newborn can be allergic to any meal, I normally advocate starting with a food that is less likely to be allergenic,” Parks notes. “This way, a baby won’t have a reaction the first time they eat and link that reaction with all foods.”

Serve the eggs completely cooked to ensure that the yolk does not run. Cook the entire egg or just the yolk. “Because the yolk contains a lot of the nourishment, I recommend giving the whole egg rather than just the white,” Parks says.

Both scrambling and hard boiling the eggs are safe options. For self-feeding babies, Parks recommends making an omelette and then cutting it into finger-sized strips. If you’re spoon-feeding your infant, you can also mash a hardboiled egg with avocado.

What Amount of Eggs Should I Give My Baby?

Parents frequently question if they can feed their child too much healthful food. This is likely the case with any diet, owing to the fact that babies require a wide range of nutrients. You won’t give your kid too many eggs as long as you give them varied food options throughout the day.

“If you give your child eggs at every meal, you’re probably not giving them a variety of other foods,” Parks explains. “The recommendation for allergy prevention is to serve a few times per week, if possible.”

The Number of Eggs to Give Your Baby Based	on Age
6 to 12 months old	A limited amount
1 to 2 years old	1/2 egg within 3-4 servings of protein daily
2 to 3 years old	1/2 egg within 4 servings of protein daily

Some babies may enjoy eggs and want more, while others may choose to eat different foods. This chart can help you figure out what to provide them as a starting point.

A Word From LilleLuv

Eggs are nutrient-dense and baby-friendly. Just make sure the eggs are fully cooked. Introduce eggs early on, but not as the first food, and give your infant three to five days to eat them while you monitor for allergic reactions. Do not introduce any new foods during this time.

If your infant tolerates eggs well, you can continue to feed them on a regular basis. Contact your paediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about feeding your infant eggs.

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