Kale
A sturdy leafy green with a bold flavor. Cook it soft and chop it fine.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat kale from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve kale by age
6 months+
Cooked and blended into soft foods
Strip the leaves off the tough stems, cook them until very soft, then blend or chop very finely. Stir into mashed potato, sweet potato, lentils or white beans and serve on a pre-loaded spoon.
- Size
- Cooked, then blended or very finely chopped and mixed into a mash or purée, with no whole leaves or stems left.
- Check before serving
- Lift a spoonful and look for leaf pieces or bits of stem. If you see any, blend or chop it again.
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+
Finely chopped in dishes
Stir finely chopped cooked kale into scrambled egg (once egg has been introduced), pasta, rice, risotto or lentils. Mixing it into other foods is easier for babies than loose leaves.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), mixed into soft foods.
- Check before serving
- Squash a piece between your thumb and finger. It should be soft, not chewy or stringy.
12 months+
Chopped cooked kale in family meals
Serve chopped cooked kale in soups, stews, pasta sauce, frittata or bean dishes. Keep removing the stems and chopping the leaves finely.
- Size
- Chopped pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), mixed into dishes.
- Check before serving
- Check for chewy pieces or bits of stem before serving.
18 months+
Cooked, chopped or blended in dishes
Keep serving kale cooked until tender and chopped into family dishes, or blended into sauces and soups. Raw kale is tough and hard to chew, so it's best cooked for young children. Skip crisp kale chips.
- Size
- Chopped pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or blended into dishes.
- Check before serving
- Check for chewy pieces or bits of stem before serving.
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 kale
- 1
Rinse the kale under running water, gently rubbing the leaves.
- 2
Strip the leaves off the thick center stems and throw the stems away.
- 3
Steam or simmer the leaves for about 8 to 10 minutes, until very soft. Don't add salt.
- 4
Let it cool, squeeze out the extra water, then blend it or chop it very finely and stir it into a food your baby already eats.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or so of cooked kale mixed into a familiar food. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of smearing and mess is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Leaving the stems in
Kale stems are tough and fibrous, even when cooked. Strip them off and use only the leaves.
Undercooking it
Kale is sturdier than spinach and takes longer to soften. Cook it until it's very soft, then chop it finely.
Serving raw kale or kale chips
Raw kale is tough to chew, and crisp kale chips break into dry, hard pieces. The CDC lists potato and corn chips and similar snack foods as choking hazards for young children.
Stopping after a few refusals
Bitter vegetables often take 10 or more tries. Offering them from the start may help prevent fussy eating later.
Questions parents ask
Can kale be a choking hazard for babies?
Raw kale is tough and hard for babies to chew, and crisp kale chips break into dry, hard pieces: the CDC lists potato and corn chips and similar snack foods as choking hazards for young children. Remove the stems, cook kale until very soft, then blend or chop it finely and mix it into soft foods. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to kale?
Kale is not a common allergen.
Is kale healthy for babies?
Cooked kale provides vitamin K, plus some vitamin C (about 18 mg per 100 g) and calcium (about 150 mg per 100 g). It isn't a major source of iron: about 0.8 mg per 100 g, compared with the 11 mg a day babies 7–12 months need.
Can babies eat kale?
Yes, from around 6 months, cooked until very soft and blended or finely chopped into other foods. The NHS lists kale among the vegetables, including bitter ones, to offer from around 6 months.
Can babies eat raw kale?
Cook it for babies and young children. Raw kale is tough and fibrous and hard to chew, and the AAP lists raw vegetables among foods to hold back or change until about 4 years, depending on the child. Rinse it well, cook it until soft, then blend or chop it.
Is kale a good source of iron?
Not a major one. Cooked kale has less than 1 mg of iron per 100 g. Pair it with iron-rich foods like meat, beans, lentils or iron-fortified cereal.
Can I use frozen kale?
Yes. Frozen chopped kale is handy. Cook it until very soft, then drain it and chop it finely, picking out any bits of stem.
If your baby refuses kale
- Bitter vegetables often take 10 or more tries. Keep offering a little, alongside foods your baby already likes.
- Blend it into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed potato, beans or pasta sauce.
- 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 kale
- Keep fresh kale in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C).
- Cooked kale keeps 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, chopped kale can be frozen in an ice cube tray for 3 to 4 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it 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.
Add a note (likes, dislikes, any reaction)
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Help your baby enjoy new foods
- NHS: Feeding your baby from around 6 months
- USDA FoodData Central: Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
Tick off foods as your baby tries them. Print it or save it as a PDF, no sign-up needed.