Olives
A tiny taste of a big flavor: pitted, rinsed and cut small.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat olives from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve olives by age
6 months+
Finely chopped into soft food
Use pitted olives, rinsed and patted dry. Chop one or two very finely and stir them into mashed potato, pasta or a vegetable mash. Or blend them smooth with a little olive oil and, once your baby has had wheat, spread a thin layer on toast fingers. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months. Olives are salty, so this is a taste, not a portion.
- Size
- Very finely chopped and mixed into a mashed food, or blended smooth and spread thinly on toast fingers about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Check every olive for a stone or pieces of stone before chopping, even from a jar labeled pitted. Squash a toast finger between your thumb and finger: it should flatten easily.
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+
Quartered lengthways or finely chopped
Cut each pitted olive lengthways into quarters (cut large olives across too), or chop it finely, and offer a few pieces for pincer-grasp practice or scattered over pasta or a vegetable dish. Never serve an olive whole or in round slices.
- Size
- Pitted olives cut lengthways into quarters, each about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) wide or less, then across if the olive is large, or chopped smaller.
- Check before serving
- Check every olive for a stone before cutting. Each piece should squash between your thumb and finger.
12 months+
Quartered lengthways, in family dishes
Serve a few quartered olives with soft vegetables, pasta or a mild salad, or chopped into pasta sauce or a flatbread topping. Keep the amount small because of the salt.
- Size
- Pitted olives cut lengthways into quarters, each about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) wide or less, or chopped. Cut large olives smaller.
- Check before serving
- Check for stones, and check the plate before serving: no whole olives or round slices.
18 months+
Quartered lengthways or chopped
Keep cutting olives into quarters lengthways. The AAP advises keeping high-risk foods from children until age 4 or older, and says round, firm foods can be served if they're chopped into tiny pieces; UK early years guidance for children under 5 says to cut small round foods lengthways into quarters. Have your child sit down to eat, and keep olives an occasional extra because of the salt.
- Size
- Pitted olives cut lengthways into quarters, each about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) wide or less, or chopped. Cut large olives smaller.
- Check before serving
- Check the plate before serving: no whole olives, round slices or stones.
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 olives
- 1
Buy pitted olives. Choose plain ones, not stuffed (for example with almonds, cheese or anchovies) or marinated with chili, garlic or extra salt.
- 2
Rinse brined olives under running water and pat them dry.
- 3
Check each olive for a stone or bits of stone, even if the jar says pitted.
- 4
Chop finely (6 months) or cut lengthways into quarters (9 months+). Don't add salt to the rest of the dish.
How much to offer
Start with one or two olives, finely chopped, mixed into a meal. Olives are salty: 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. One or two olives, a few times a week, is plenty. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.
Common mistakes
Serving olives whole or in round slices
Whole olives are a choking hazard: round, firm and slippery. Always cut them lengthways into quarters, or chop them finely.
Trusting the jar to be stone-free
Hard stones are a choking hazard, and the NHS says to remove stones from fruit. Check every olive before cutting it, even if the label says pitted.
Offering a bowlful
Olives are high in salt, and babies' kidneys can't cope with much. Rinse brined olives and keep to one or two at a time, as a flavor in a dish.
Picking stuffed or green olives every time
Green olives in brine have about twice the sodium of canned black olives. Stuffed and marinated olives can hide whole nuts like almonds (a choking hazard and an allergen), cheese or anchovies, plus extra salt or chili. Plain canned black olives, rinsed, are the lower-salt choice.
Questions parents ask
Can olives be a choking hazard for babies?
Whole olives are a choking hazard: they're small, round and firm, and they can hide a hard stone. The NHS and UK early years guidance say to remove stones and cut small round foods lengthways into quarters. Never serve olives whole or in round slices to babies and young children. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to olives?
Olives are not a common food allergen. As with any new food, offer a small amount and watch for signs of a reaction.
Are olives healthy for babies?
Olives are mostly water and fat, and they're salty: canned black olives have about 735 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 1.8 g of salt), and green olives in brine about 1,560 mg (about 3.9 g of salt). Canned black olives list about 6.3 mg of iron per 100 g, but one or two olives (about 4 to 9 g) give well under 1 mg.
Are olives too salty for babies?
They are salty, so treat them as a small flavor, not a snack. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day. Rinse brined olives, pick canned black olives over green, and offer one or two at a time.
Can babies eat olives every day?
It's better not to. Because of the salt, keep olives to a few times a week, one or two at a time, mixed into meals.
How should I cut olives for my toddler?
Pitted, then cut lengthways into quarters, or chopped. The AAP says to keep doing this until at least age 4, and UK early years guidance, which covers children up to 5, says to cut small round foods into quarters. Never round slices or whole olives.
If your baby refuses olives
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Olives have a strong, salty, bitter taste. Try a few finely chopped pieces mixed into a food your baby already enjoys, like pasta or mashed potato.
- 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 olives
- Once opened, keep olives in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below, covered in their liquid. Follow the label's advice on how long they keep.
- Cooked dishes with olives keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat 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).
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: Preparing food safely for babies
- UK Department for Education: Food safety in early years settings
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- NHS: Salt in your diet
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- USDA FoodData Central: Olives, ripe, canned (small-extra large)
- USDA FoodData Central: Olives, pickled, canned or bottled, green
- NHS: Food labels
- 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
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