Greek yogurt
Thick, creamy and tangy. It stays put on a spoon for little hands.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat greek yogurt from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve greek yogurt by age
6 months+
Pre-loaded spoon or a dip
Load a baby spoon with plain, full-fat Greek yogurt and hand it to your baby, or let them dip soft-cooked vegetable sticks or soft fruit into it. Greek yogurt is thick, so it stays on the spoon well. If it's very thick, loosen it with a little breast milk or formula.
- Size
- A teaspoon or so on a pre-loaded spoon, or a dip for soft finger foods about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Read the label: plain and full-fat (whole milk), with no added sugar, honey or sweeteners, and made from pasteurized milk.
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.
9 months+
Spoonfuls, plain or with soft fruit
Offer a small bowl and a spoon, or pre-load spoons for your baby to grab. Stir in mashed ripe banana or small pieces of soft fruit for flavor instead of sugar.
- Size
- Spoonfuls. Any fruit stirred in should be soft, in pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Squash each piece of fruit between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily.
12 months+
Bowl of yogurt with fruit
Serve plain, full-fat Greek yogurt with soft fruit, as a dip, or stirred into oatmeal. Keep choosing unsweetened yogurt and add flavor with fruit.
- Size
- Spoonfuls, with soft fruit in pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
18 months+
Snack, dip or in family dishes
Use Greek yogurt as a snack, a dip for soft vegetables, or a cool side with mild curries and wraps. Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt is still the best choice for children under 2.
- Size
- Spoonfuls or a dip. Cut any fruit or vegetables to about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or soft finger shapes for dipping.
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 greek yogurt
- 1
Choose plain, unsweetened, full-fat (whole milk) Greek yogurt made from pasteurized milk. Many Greek yogurts are nonfat or low-fat, so check the label.
- 2
Spoon a small amount into a bowl. If it's very thick, stir in a little breast milk or formula to loosen it.
- 3
To add flavor, stir in mashed ripe fruit, not sugar or honey. Rinse fresh fruit under running water first.
- 4
First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward.
How much to offer
For the first taste, offer a small amount: a spoonful or two. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.
Common mistakes
Choosing flavored or sweetened Greek yogurt
Flavored Greek yogurts often have added sugar: one brand's strawberry whole-milk Greek yogurt in FoodData Central has about 6.7 g of added sugar per 100 g, or about 10 g in a 150 g pot. The CDC says infants and young children should not have added sugars, and names flavored yogurts. Pick plain yogurt and add fruit yourself.
Choosing nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt
The NHS advises full-fat dairy for children under 2, who need the extra energy and vitamins. Look for whole milk or full-fat on the label.
Stirring in honey
No honey before 12 months, in any form. It can cause infant botulism. After 12 months it's safe as far as botulism goes, but it's still an added sugar, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar, including honey, up to age 4. Mashed fruit sweetens yogurt instead.
Introducing Greek yogurt and egg at the same time
Offer dairy on its own first, so you know what caused any reaction.
Where US and UK guidance differ on greek yogurt
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC says yogurt without added sugars can be given before 12 months; it's only cow's milk as a drink that waits. The AAP names whole milk yogurt or Greek yogurt as a way to introduce dairy, and says to talk to your pediatrician first if your baby has severe, persistent eczema or has had an immediate allergic reaction to any food.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says full-fat dairy products such as plain yoghurt can be given from around 6 months, choosing products with no added sugar. Talk to your GP or health visitor first if your baby has eczema or a food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can greek yogurt be a choking hazard for babies?
Greek yogurt is a low choking risk. Any fruit you stir in should be soft and cut to a safe size: quarter small round fruit like blueberries or grapes lengthwise, or flatten them. Stay with your baby while they eat.
Can babies be allergic to greek yogurt?
Milk is one of the most common food allergens in young children, though many children outgrow it. Guidance is to introduce common allergens, including dairy, from around 6 months, one at a time, and keep offering them regularly once your baby has had them without a reaction. Most reactions happen within minutes to 2 hours, but with cow's milk allergy symptoms can take up to 3 days to appear. Some Greek yogurt is made from sheep's or goats' milk: people with an allergy to cow's milk may also be allergic to these milks (ACAAI), so they aren't a safe swap. Milk allergy is not the same as lactose intolerance, which is a problem digesting milk sugar.
Is greek yogurt healthy for babies?
A source of protein and calcium: 100 g of plain whole-milk Greek yogurt has about 9 g of protein and 100 mg of calcium, with about 35 mg of sodium (about 0.1 g of salt). It is not a source of iron.
Is Greek yogurt better than regular yogurt for babies?
Both are fine if they're plain, unsweetened, full-fat and made from pasteurized milk. Greek yogurt is thicker, so it stays on a pre-loaded spoon more easily. The AAP names whole milk yogurt or Greek yogurt, mixed with a fruit your baby already eats, as a way to introduce dairy before 1 year.
Can babies have Greek yogurt before cow's milk?
Yes. The CDC says yogurt without added sugars can be introduced before 12 months. It's only cow's milk as a main drink that waits until 12 months.
Can babies eat Greek yogurt every day?
Yes, as part of a varied diet. Keep it plain and unsweetened, and offer other foods alongside it, including iron-rich foods.
Are Greek yogurts made for toddlers OK?
Check the label. Many have added sugar or fruit purée. The NHS advises choosing dairy products with no added sugar, so plain Greek yogurt with fruit you add yourself is the better pick.
If your baby refuses greek yogurt
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Plain Greek yogurt is sour. Try stirring in a little mashed ripe fruit, then use less over time.
- Try another form: as a dip, on a pre-loaded spoon, or mixed into oatmeal.
- 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 greek yogurt
- Keep Greek yogurt in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Use it by the date on the pot. Once opened, follow the label's advice on how many days it keeps.
- Spoon your baby's portion into a bowl rather than feeding from the pot, and throw away what they leave.
- 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 severe, persistent eczema, a food allergy, or has had an immediate allergic reaction to any food. Ask how to introduce allergens like dairy, rather than putting them off.
- Your baby has had any reaction to dairy, even a mild one. Stop offering it until you've talked to your pediatrician.
- Your baby vomits a few hours after eating dairy. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that milk 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.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- AAP: When to introduce egg, peanut butter and other common food allergens
- CDC: When, what, and how to introduce solid foods
- CDC: Foods and drinks to avoid or limit
- ACAAI: Milk and dairy allergy
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Yogurt, Greek, plain, whole milk
- USDA FoodData Central: Strawberry organic whole milk Greek yogurt (branded)
- HHS: Fact sheet on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
More first foods
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
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