When can babies eat fish sticks?

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

Fish sticks

Homemade and baked, fish sticks (fish fingers) are an easy way to bring fish to the table.

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

Quick answer

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

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedAllergens: Fish, Wheat, Egg

How to serve fish sticks by age

6 months+

Soft homemade fish sticks or flakes

Make them at home from a low-mercury white fish such as cod, pollock or haddock: cut a boneless fillet into fingers, coat lightly in fine, plain breadcrumbs and bake until the fish is opaque and flakes easily (145°F / 63°C). Offer them once your baby has had fish and wheat each on their own, and egg too if you used it. Or lift the fish out of the coating and offer large soft flakes.

Size: Fish sticks about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or large soft flakes.
Check before serving: Break one open and run your fingers through the fish to feel for bones. Trim off any hard, crisp coating.

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 fish sticks

1
Wash your hands before and after handling raw fish, and keep it away from foods that won't be cooked. Thaw frozen fillets in the fridge overnight.
2
Cut a skinless, boneless white fish fillet into finger-sized strips, feeling for bones as you go. Dip them in beaten egg (or brush with a little oil), then roll them in fine, plain breadcrumbs. Check the breadcrumb label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months. Don't add salt.
3
Bake on a lightly oiled tray at 200°C (400°F) for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish is opaque, flakes easily and reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Our salmon and sweet potato cakes recipe is a softer fish finger food with no crumb coating.
4
Let them cool, check every piece for bones, and trim any crisp edges.
5
First time? Pick a day your baby is well and at home, so you can stay nearby for several hours afterward. Fish can cause a delayed reaction: see when to call the doctor.

How much to offer

Start with one fish stick or a few large flakes. For ages 1 to 3, the FDA suggests a fish serving of about 1 oz (28 g), twice a week, from its 'Best choices' list, which includes cod, pollock and haddock. Your baby decides how much to eat.

Common mistakes

Sharing shop-bought fish sticks with a baby

Frozen fish sticks have about 402 mg of sodium per 100 g, about 1 g of salt. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day. Make your baby's fish sticks at home with no salt.

Missing bones

Fillets sold as boneless can still hide small bones, and the CDC lists bones in fish as a choking hazard. Feel every piece before you coat it, and again before serving.

Undercooking frozen fish sticks

USDA FSIS warns that frozen foods with browned breading can look cooked when they aren't. Cook shop-bought fish sticks exactly as the package says, until steaming hot all the way through, and cook homemade ones until the fish reaches 145°F (63°C).

Frying them

The NHS says baked, steamed or grilled fish is a healthier choice than fried, and frying, especially in batter, adds fat. Bake them on a lightly oiled tray instead.

Where US and UK guidance differ on fish sticks

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Cod, pollock and haddock are on the FDA's low-mercury 'Best choices' list. For ages 1–3, a serving is about 1 oz, twice a week. USDA FSIS says to cook fish to 145°F (63°C).

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS counts cod, haddock and pollock as white fish. Children under 16 shouldn't have shark, swordfish or marlin. Baked, steamed or grilled fish is a healthier choice than fried, and the NHS's own homemade fish finger recipe bakes the fish in an egg and breadcrumb coating.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can fish sticks be a choking hazard for babies?

Fish sticks are a low choking risk when the fish is soft and flaky, but bones and hard, crisp coating are hazards. The CDC lists bones in fish as a choking hazard. Check every piece for bones, trim crisp edges for young babies, and break sticks into flakes or small pieces from about 9 months. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to fish sticks?

Fish sticks usually contain three common allergens: fish, wheat (with gluten) in the breadcrumbs, and often egg to hold the coating on. Introduce each on its own first, one at a time and in small amounts, and check labels on shop-bought fish sticks for other allergens. People allergic to one type of fish often react to other types (NHS), so if your baby reacts, talk to your pediatrician before offering other fish.

Are fish sticks healthy for babies?

Frozen fish sticks have about 11 g of protein, 0.8 mg of iron and 402 mg of sodium (about 1 g of salt) per 100 g. Making them at home from plain white fish lets you leave out the salt.

Can babies eat fish sticks?

Yes, homemade ones from around 6 months, once your baby has had fish and wheat each on their own (and egg, if you use it). Use a low-mercury white fish, bake until it flakes, check for bones and trim crisp edges.

Are frozen fish sticks OK for toddlers?

Now and then. They have about 1 g of salt per 100 g, and the NHS says children aged 1 to 3 should have no more than 2 g of salt a day. Compare labels and choose a lower-salt option, cook them as the package says, and cut them into pieces.

Which fish is best for homemade fish sticks?

White fish from the FDA's low-mercury 'Best choices' list, such as cod, pollock, haddock or hake. Never use shark, swordfish or marlin: both FDA and NHS guidance say children shouldn't have them.

If your baby refuses fish sticks

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Flake the fish into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed potato, rice or pasta.
Try fish cakes: they're softer and easy to hold.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.

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

Buying and storing fish sticks

Keep raw fish in the fridge and cook it within 1 to 3 days, or freeze it. Keep shop-bought fish sticks frozen until you cook them.
Cooked fish sticks 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.
Homemade fish sticks can be frozen for 1 to 2 months if you used egg, or 3 to 4 months if you brushed them with oil (freeze them in a single layer first). Reheat them only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool and check they're still soft 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 baby has had any reaction to fish, wheat or egg, even a mild one. Stop offering fish sticks until you've talked to your pediatrician.
Your baby vomits a few hours after eating fish. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that fish can trigger. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
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 fish sticks?

Add it to your first 100 foods.