When can babies eat beet?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Beet

Sweet, earthy and very pink. Cook it soft and get the bibs ready.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat beet from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsMedium choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve beet by age

6 months+

Soft-cooked wedges or mashed

Roast or boil whole beets until a knife slides into the center easily, then peel and cut into finger-sized wedges. Or mash cooked beet with a fork, on its own or stirred into mashed potato, and serve on a pre-loaded spoon.

Size: Wedges about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or mashed.
Check before serving: Squash a wedge between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily. If you have to press hard, cook it longer.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare beet

1
Scrub the beets under running water with a clean vegetable brush, and trim off the leaves and root.
2
Boil whole beets for about 30 to 45 minutes, or wrap them in foil and roast, until a knife slides into the center with no resistance. Don't add salt.
3
Let them cool, then rub or peel off the skin.
4
Cut into finger-sized wedges (6 months) or small pieces (9 months+), or mash. Do the squash test before serving.

How much to offer

Start with one or two wedges, or a teaspoon or two of mash. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of squashing and smearing is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Serving raw or crunchy beet

Raw beet is hard, and the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard. Cook it until it squashes between your fingers.

Worrying about pink pee or poo

Beets can turn pee pink or red and make poo look reddish. This is expected after eating beets. See when to call the doctor if the color doesn't fit.

Using pickled or salted canned beets

Pickled beets and many canned beets have added salt. Babies shouldn't have added salt, so cook fresh beets or choose no-salt-added cans.

Stopping after a few refusals

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering a little, alongside foods they already like.

Questions parents ask

Can beet be a choking hazard for babies?

Raw beet is hard and a choking hazard for babies: the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as foods to avoid for young children. Cook beets until very soft, so they squash easily between your fingers. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to beet?

Beet is not a common allergen.

Is beet healthy for babies?

A source of folate: cooked beets have about 80 mcg per 100 g. Babies 7–12 months need 80 mcg a day and children 1–3 years need 150 mcg. Beets also provide some potassium and fiber.

Why is my baby's pee or poo red after eating beets?

Beets can turn pee pink or red and make poo look reddish. This is a common, expected effect of the food itself, not a sign of a problem. If your child hasn't eaten beets or other red foods and you see red, see when to call the doctor.

Are nitrates in beets a worry for babies?

Not for babies starting solids. The CDC's ATSDR reports that the AAP suggests avoiding home-prepared infant foods made from vegetables such as beets, spinach, green beans, squash and carrots until babies are 3 months or older, and solid foods aren't recommended before around 6 months anyway.

Can I use canned or pre-cooked beets?

Yes, if they're plain. Choose no-salt-added canned beets, or vacuum-packed cooked beets without vinegar or salt, and drain them. Skip pickled beets for babies.

If your baby refuses beet

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try it mashed into potato, or stirred into yogurt or lentils instead of as wedges.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing beet

Keep raw beets in the fridge. Trim off the leaves first.
Cooked beets keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Cooked beet wedges or mash can be frozen and used within 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, use them within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat them only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

Your child's pee or poo is pink or red and they haven't eaten beets or red-colored food recently, or the color doesn't go away. Red can also be a sign of blood.
You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Offered beet?

Add it to your first 100 foods.