When can babies eat parsley?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Parsley

A sprinkle of green that brings fresh flavor to your baby's food, no salt needed.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat parsley from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve parsley by age

6 months+

Finely chopped, cooked into soft food

Rinse fresh parsley, pick the leaves off the stems and chop them very finely. Stir a small amount into a hot dish and cook it for a minute or two so it softens. Dried parsley works too, if it has no added salt.

Size: Finely chopped leaves, with no stems or whole sprigs, cooked into mashed or soft foods, such as potato, lentils or pasta sauce.
Check before serving: Check there are no whole leaves, sprigs or stems in your baby's portion.

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.

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 parsley

1
Rinse the parsley under plain running water, then pat it dry with a clean towel. There's no need for soap or produce wash.
2
Pick the leaves off the stems and throw away the thick stems.
3
Chop the leaves very finely.
4
For babies under 1, stir a small amount into a dish while it cooks and heat it for a minute or two so the parsley softens. Don't add salt.

How much to offer

Start with a small pinch of chopped parsley in a food your baby already knows, as you would in a family dish. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Parsley is a flavor, so there's no amount to aim for.

Common mistakes

Leaving whole sprigs or stems

The AAP says babies shouldn't be given food that needs chewing, and lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid under 1. Pick the leaves off the stems, chop them finely and cook them into food.

Skipping the rinse

Rinse fresh herbs under plain running water and pat them dry with a clean towel, as the FDA advises for all fresh produce.

Using herb salt or seasoning mixes

Some herb blends and seasoning mixes contain salt. Babies shouldn't have added salt. Use fresh parsley, or check the label on dried herbs.

Seasoning the family pot first

Take your baby's portion out before adding salt, stock cubes or gravy to the family meal.

Where US and UK guidance differ on parsley

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning, and that most vegetables should be cooked until soft for babies under 1. It doesn't mention parsley or other herbs, and no AAP page gives an age for them. If you use parsley, cook it into the dish. If you'd rather follow the seasoning line closely, leave it out until 12 months, or ask your pediatrician.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says not to add salt or sugar, including stock cubes and gravy, to your baby's food or cooking water. One of its recipes for babies from 6 months suggests adding herbs before cooking, and its general salt advice suggests herbs and spices to add flavor instead of salt. If you use parsley, chop it finely and keep the dish unsalted.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can parsley be a choking hazard for babies?

Finely chopped parsley cooked into soft food is a low choking risk. Whole sprigs and tough stems are a different matter: the AAP says babies shouldn't be given food that needs chewing, and the CDC advises preparing food in the right shape, size and texture for your child's development. Pick off the leaves and chop them finely. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to parsley?

Parsley is not a common allergen.

Is parsley healthy for babies?

FoodData Central lists 6.2 mg of iron per 100 g of fresh parsley, but a tablespoon of chopped parsley weighs about 4 g and has about 0.2 mg. Herbs add flavor more than nutrients, so parsley isn't an iron source to count on.

Can babies eat parsley?

Yes, from around 6 months, finely chopped and cooked into food. A little parsley is an easy way to give your baby the flavors of family meals without adding salt. US and UK advice is worded differently: see the guidance note below.

Can babies have raw parsley?

For babies under 1, cook it in. The AAP says most vegetables should be cooked until soft and lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid before age 1, so chop the parsley finely and stir it into a hot dish for a minute or two. From 12 months, when NHS snack ideas include raw vegetables, you can stir finely chopped fresh parsley into soft food.

Can I use dried parsley?

Yes. Stir it into food while it cooks. Check the label: some herb blends and seasoning mixes contain salt, and babies shouldn't have salt added to their food.

Is parsley a good source of iron?

Not in the amounts babies eat. A tablespoon of chopped parsley has only about 0.2 mg of iron. For iron, offer foods such as meat, fish, beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereal.

If your baby refuses parsley

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Use less parsley and mix it into a food your baby already enjoys.
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 parsley

Keep fresh parsley in the fridge, and rinse it just before you use it.
Keep dried parsley in a closed container somewhere cool and dry.
Cooked dishes with parsley keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Freezer times depend on the dish, so follow the food page or recipe for what you cooked. Reheat cooked dishes only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving. Cooked rice has stricter rules: cool it within 1 hour, eat it within 1 day and reheat it only once. See the rice page.
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.

Offered parsley?

Add it to your first 100 foods.