Leek

How to serve leek by age

6 months+

Soft-cooked leek blended or mashed into food

Slice the white and pale green part thinly across, cook it gently until very soft, then blend or mash it into foods your baby is already eating. Don't offer long strips of leek as finger food: they're stringy and slippery.

Size

Blended or mashed into soft foods, such as potato, lentils or soup.

Check before serving

Squash some of the cooked leek between your thumb and finger. It should fall apart, with no tough strings left.

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 cooked dishes

Slice leek thinly across the stalk, then chop it finely and cook it until very soft in rice, lentils, scrambled egg (once egg has been introduced), pasta sauce or mash.

Size

Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), finely chopped.

Check before serving

Each piece should squash flat between your thumb and finger, with no stringy bits.

12 months+

Finely chopped in family meals

Serve leek cooked soft in soups, stews, pies and sauces. Take your toddler's portion out before you add salt, stock cubes or gravy.

Size

Small soft pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), finely chopped.

Check before serving

Still do the squash test, and check for strings.

18 months+

Soft-cooked leek in family dishes

Keep serving leek cooked until soft and chopped into family meals. Cut through long layers so there are no strands, and skip the tough dark green tops unless they're blended into soup.

Size

Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or finely chopped into dishes.

Check before serving

Still do the squash test and the string check, even in stews.

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 leek

1. 1

   Trim off the root and the tough dark green tops. Cut the leek in half lengthwise.

2. 2

   Rinse it under running water, fanning the layers apart to wash out the soil trapped inside.

3. 3

   Slice it thinly across, then chop finely. Cook gently in a little oil or water for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until very soft. Don't add salt or stock cubes.

4. 4

   Do the squash test and check for strings, then blend, mash or mix it into your baby's food and let it cool before serving.

How much to offer

Start with a spoonful of cooked leek mixed into a food your baby already knows. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Leek is mostly a flavor, so there's no amount to aim for.

Common mistakes

Questions parents ask

If your baby refuses leek

• Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
• Mix a little soft-cooked leek into a food your baby already enjoys, such as mashed potato or lentils.
• 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 leek

• Keep raw leeks in the fridge, unwashed, until you use them.
• Cooked leek 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 leek, or soups and mash made with it, can be frozen for 2 to 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).