Parsnip

How to serve parsnip by age

6 months+

Soft-cooked sticks or mashed parsnip

Peel the parsnip, cut it lengthwise into finger-sized sticks, and steam or roast until very soft. Or mash cooked parsnip and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon. Never offer raw parsnip or round coins.

Size

Sticks about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).

Check before serving

Squash a stick between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily. If you have to press hard, cook it longer.

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 or lumpy mash

Chop soft-cooked parsnip sticks into small pieces, not round coins, or stir mashed parsnip into rice, lentils or potato.

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.

12 months+

Soft-cooked pieces or in dishes

Serve soft-cooked parsnip with family meals, or in soups, stews and mash. Leave salt out of your toddler's portion.

Size

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

Check before serving

Still do the squash test: soft enough to flatten with gentle pressure.

18 months+

Roasted pieces or in family meals

Keep serving parsnip cooked until tender: roasted until soft all the way through, in stews, or mashed with potato. Trim off crisp, browned tips and skip raw parsnip.

Size

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

Check before serving

Still do the squash test, especially with roasted parsnip, which can stay firm in the middle.

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 parsnip

1. 1

   Scrub the parsnip with a clean vegetable brush under running water, then peel it.

2. 2

   Cut it lengthwise into finger-sized sticks (6 months). On large parsnips, cut out the core if it's woody and tough.

3. 3

   Steam for about 10 to 15 minutes, or roast at 200°C (390°F) for about 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance.

4. 4

   Do the squash test, then let it cool before serving. Don't add salt.

How much to offer

Start with one or two sticks or a spoonful of mash. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of licking, squashing and dropping is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Questions parents ask

If your baby refuses parsnip

• Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
• Try another form: roasted sticks, lumpy mash, or mashed with potato or carrot.
• 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 parsnip

• Keep raw parsnips in the fridge.
• Cooked parsnip 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 parsnip sticks or mash can be frozen and used within 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).