Orange
Juicy and bright. Offer the fruit, not the juice.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat orange from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve orange by age
6 months+
Large segments, membrane and seeds removed
Peel a seedless orange, such as a navel, and pull it into segments. Slit the thin skin (membrane) around each segment and peel it off, or cut the flesh out from between the membranes. Pick out any seeds.
- Size
- Large segments about the length of an adult finger (6–8 cm, 2½–3 in), with the peel, pith, membrane and seeds removed.
- Check before serving
- Squash a piece between your thumb and finger. The flesh should break apart easily, with no tough membrane 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+
Small soft pieces
Cut membrane-free orange flesh into small pieces for pincer-grasp practice. Check every piece for seeds.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each piece should squash flat between your thumb and finger, with no membrane or seeds.
12 months+
Small pieces
Offer small pieces of orange with the membrane and seeds removed, on their own or in fruit salad. Offer the fruit rather than juice.
- Size
- Pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still check for seeds and tough membrane.
18 months+
Bite-sized pieces
Keep taking off the tough membrane until your child chews well, and keep removing seeds and thick white pith. Cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Make sure your toddler sits down to eat, and stay with them.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Check every piece for seeds.
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 orange
- 1
Rinse the orange under running water and dry it before peeling, so germs on the peel aren't carried onto the fruit.
- 2
Peel it and pull off as much of the white pith as you can.
- 3
Separate the segments. Slit and peel away the membrane, or cut the flesh out from between the membranes with a small knife.
- 4
Pick out every seed, then serve large pieces (6 months) or small pieces (9 months+).
How much to offer
Start with one or two segments. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of sucking, squashing and dropping is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Giving orange juice instead of the fruit
The AAP advises no juice before 12 months. Whole fruit also gives your baby fiber.
Missing seeds
Check every segment, even in oranges sold as seedless.
Leaving the membrane on for babies
The membrane is tough and chewy. Remove it until your child chews well.
Sweetening sour oranges
Babies shouldn't have added sugar. If an orange is very sour, try a sweeter variety next time.
Where US and UK guidance differ on orange
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The AAP advises cooking most fruit until soft before 12 months, except mashed banana, so mash membrane-free orange flesh if you follow US advice. The AAP says no juice before 12 months. From 1 to 3 years, if you offer juice, give only 100% pasteurized juice, no more than 4 ounces (120 ml) a day, in a cup and with a meal, not at bedtime. Whole fruit is the better choice.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS suggests slices of soft fruit as finger foods from around 6 months. It says babies under 12 months don't need fruit juice; if you choose to give it, dilute it (1 part juice to 10 parts water) and keep it to mealtimes. A separate NHS page advises avoiding foods and drinks with natural sugars, including fruit juice, for children aged 4 and under, so the simplest option is whole fruit. Undiluted juice, up to 150 ml a day with meals, is only suggested from 5 years.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can orange be a choking hazard for babies?
Orange membranes are tough and chewy, and the NHS says to remove hard pips from fruit, and the CDC says to avoid small, hard foods for young children. Remove the peel, pith, membrane and seeds, cut the flesh to the size for your baby's stage, and stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to orange?
Oranges are not a common allergen. In older children and adults with grass pollen allergy (hay fever), raw orange can cause an itchy mouth, called pollen food allergy syndrome. It isn't usual in children under 3.
Is orange healthy for babies?
A source of vitamin C (about 53 mg per 100 g) and fiber (about 2.4 g per 100 g). Whole fruit gives your child the fiber that juice doesn't.
Can babies drink orange juice?
Not before 12 months. The AAP says babies under 1 year shouldn't have juice: it offers them no nutritional benefit and can lead to tooth decay. From 1 to 3 years, if you offer juice, give only 100% pasteurized juice, no more than 4 ounces (120 ml) a day, in a cup. The CDC advises against unpasteurized (fresh-squeezed) juice for children under 5. UK advice is in the guidance note below.
Can babies eat mandarins or clementines?
Yes, prepared the same way: membrane and seeds removed, and cut to the right size for your baby's stage.
If your baby refuses orange
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Oranges can be sour. Try small pieces next to a fruit your baby already likes.
- 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 orange
- Keep peeled or cut orange in a covered container in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Membrane-free pieces dry out quickly, so prepare them shortly 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:
- Your child's mouth or throat often itches after eating orange. This can be pollen food allergy syndrome. Ask your pediatrician about seeing an allergist.
- 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)
Saved in this browser only. Think it was a reaction? See signs of an allergic reaction and when to get help.
Helpful guides
Sources
- AAP: Where we stand: fruit juice for children
- AAP: When can babies start solid foods?
- NHS: Drinks and cups for babies and young children
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- CDC: Choking hazards
- CDC: Safer food choices for children under 5
- ACAAI: Pollen food allergy syndrome
- USDA FoodData Central: Oranges, raw, all commercial varieties
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
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.