Grits
A warm, creamy corn porridge. Cook it smooth, keep it unsalted, and let it cool.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat grits from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve grits by age
6 months+
Smooth, thin grits
Cook plain grits with water and no salt until very soft and smooth, then thin them with extra water, breast milk or formula until they're loose and runny enough to drip off a spoon. Let them cool well and stir before serving. You can stir in a vegetable your baby already eats, like mashed sweet potato.
- Size
- Smooth and loose, on a pre-loaded spoon or offered for your baby to scoop with their hands.
- Check before serving
- Run a spoon through the bowl: the grits should be smooth, with no hard grains or lumps, and loose enough to slide off the spoon.
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+
Thicker grits with soft add-ins
Serve grits a little thicker, so your baby can practice scooping. Stir in soft foods like mashed beans, flaked fish, finely chopped soft-cooked greens or a little grated pasteurized cheese once dairy has been introduced.
- Size
- Thicker and spoonable, with any add-ins no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Check that every grain is soft and that add-ins squash easily.
12 months+
Grits in family meals
Serve grits from the family pot before salt, butter or cheese go in for the adults, or set some aside. Top with soft-cooked vegetables, scrambled egg or finely shredded meat. Cooked grits that have set firm can be cut into soft fingers, like polenta.
- Size
- Spoonable grits, with toppings in pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Check the temperature: thick grits hold their heat.
18 months+
Family grits, including shrimp and grits
Share family grits, keeping your toddler's portion lower in salt and cheese. For shrimp and grits, cook the shrimp until pearly and opaque and cut it into small pieces, once your toddler has had shellfish on its own. Choose plain grits over flavored instant packets.
- Size
- Spoonable grits, with toppings in pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Toppings should be cut small and soft enough to squash.
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 grits
- 1
Bring water to a boil and don't add salt or stock cubes. Whisk in plain grits slowly so they don't go lumpy.
- 2
Lower the heat and cook, stirring often, until very soft and creamy. Follow the package time: quick grits take about 5 minutes, regular grits longer.
- 3
Thin with extra water, breast milk or formula for a young baby. Let them cool, stir well and test the temperature before serving: thick grits stay hot inside.
- 4
If you add cheese, use a little pasteurized, lower-salt cheese, once your baby has had dairy on its own.
How much to offer
For the first taste, offer a spoonful or two of smooth grits. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.
Common mistakes
Salting the pot or using flavored packets
The NHS says not to add salt or stock cubes to your baby's food or cooking water. Plain instant grits already contain salt (about 215 mg of sodium per 100 g once made up, or about 0.5 g of salt), and flavored packets often add cheese or bacon flavoring, so check the label. Regular and quick grits cooked without salt have almost none.
Stirring in lots of salty cheese
Cheese adds salt, and the NHS says to choose lower-salt cheese for babies. Use a little pasteurized cheese, not a handful, and leave it out of the first tastes.
Serving it straight from the pan
Thick grits hold heat. Let them cool, stir them, and test the temperature before serving.
Serving whole hominy
Grits are ground corn, but whole hominy is whole corn kernels, and the CDC lists whole corn kernels as a choking hazard for young children. Blend or mash hominy, or stick to grits.
Where US and UK guidance differ on grits
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC says not to give cow's milk before 12 months. If you follow US advice, use breast milk or formula instead.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months, but shouldn't be given as a main drink until 1 year.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can grits be a choking hazard for babies?
Smooth, soft grits are a low choking risk, because the corn is ground. Whole corn kernels and whole hominy are different: the CDC lists whole corn kernels as a choking hazard for young children, so don't stir them into grits for babies and toddlers. Cut toppings small and soft, and stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to grits?
Grits are made from ground corn, which isn't a common allergen. Corn is naturally gluten-free, so plain grits can suit children with celiac disease or a wheat allergy. If your child must avoid gluten, look for grits labeled gluten-free, because grains can pick up gluten through cross-contact. Cheese and milk add dairy, and shrimp and grits adds shellfish, so introduce each of those on its own first, one at a time and in small amounts.
Are grits healthy for babies?
Regular grits cooked with water are mostly water and carbohydrate, with a little protein (about 1.7 g per 100 g) and iron (about 0.6 mg per 100 g), and almost no sodium without added salt. Plain instant grits are fortified, with about 7.3 mg of iron per 100 g once made up, but also about 215 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 0.5 g of salt). The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day, and children aged 1 to 3 no more than 2 g. Serve grits with iron-rich foods like beans, eggs, meat or fish.
Can babies eat grits?
Yes, from around 6 months. Cook plain grits without salt, make them smooth and thin for a young baby, and let them cool well before serving.
Can I make grits with milk for my baby?
US and UK advice differs here: see the guidance note below. Cooking grits in water and stirring in breast milk or formula works under both. If your baby hasn't had dairy yet, make grits with water first.
Are instant grits OK for babies?
Plain instant grits are iron-fortified, but the mix contains salt, about 0.5 g per 100 g once made up. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day, and children aged 1 to 3 no more than 2 g, so keep instant grits to a small portion now and then, and skip flavored packets. Regular or quick grits cooked without salt are the everyday choice.
Are grits gluten-free?
Plain grits are ground corn, which is naturally gluten-free. Packaged grits can pick up traces of wheat, so choose grits labeled gluten-free if your child must avoid gluten.
If your baby refuses grits
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try another texture: thinner or thicker, or set into soft fingers.
- Stir in a vegetable your baby already likes, such as mashed sweet potato or butternut squash.
- 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 grits
- Keep dry grits in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
- Cool cooked grits quickly in a shallow container and refrigerate them within 2 hours. They keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- Cooked grits can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Thaw them in the fridge, eat them within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat them only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, stirring in a little water, 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:
- 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: Salt in your diet
- CDC: Choking hazards
- CDC: Safer food choices for children under 5
- CDC: Cow's milk and milk alternatives
- NIDDK: Eating, diet, and nutrition for celiac disease
- USDA FoodData Central: Cereals, corn grits, white, regular and quick, enriched, cooked with water, without salt
- USDA FoodData Central: Grits, instant, made with water, no added fat
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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