Polenta

How to serve polenta by age

6 months+

Soft polenta or set polenta fingers

Cook polenta until thick and smooth, with no added salt. Serve it soft on a spoon, or spread it in a dish, let it set in the fridge and cut it into fingers. Warm the fingers through gently, then let them cool before serving.

Size

Soft polenta on a pre-loaded spoon, or set polenta cut into fingers 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 finger between your thumb and finger. It should squash easily and be soft all the way through, with no hard, crispy edges.

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 cubes or soft spoonfuls

Cut set polenta into small cubes for pincer-grasp practice, or serve soft polenta with a smooth sauce, mashed vegetables or flaked fish (once your baby has had fish on its own).

Size

Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or soft spoonfuls.

Check before serving

Each piece should squash flat with gentle pressure.

12 months+

Polenta in family meals

Serve polenta with stews, tomato sauce or soft-cooked vegetables, leaving salt and salty cheese out of your toddler's portion. Polenta fingers make an easy finger food.

Size

Soft polenta, or fingers and pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).

Check before serving

Check that pieces squash easily and aren't hard on the outside.

18 months+

Soft, baked or grilled polenta

Offer polenta the way your family eats it: soft, or as baked or grilled slices cut into pieces. Keep the outside a light golden color rather than hard and crunchy.

Size

Fingers, or bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).

Check before serving

Press a piece. It should be soft inside, with no hard, crunchy crust.

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 polenta

1. 1

   Bring water, or a mix of water and milk (once your baby has had dairy on its own), to a boil. Don't add salt or stock cubes.

2. 2

   Pour in the polenta slowly, whisking so it doesn't go lumpy, then cook it, stirring, until thick and smooth. Follow the package time: quick-cook polenta takes only a few minutes.

3. 3

   Let it cool before serving. Thick polenta holds its heat, so stir it and test the temperature first.

4. 4

   For fingers, spread the hot polenta about 2 cm (¾ inch) thick in a lined dish, cool it and chill it until firm, then cut it into fingers and warm them gently in the oven.

How much to offer

For the first taste, offer a spoonful or two of soft polenta, or one or two fingers. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.

Common mistakes

Questions parents ask

If your baby refuses polenta

• Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
• Try another form: soft and creamy on a spoon, or set into fingers.
• Stir in a vegetable your baby already likes, such as mashed butternut squash or sweet potato.
• Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing polenta

• Keep dry polenta in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
• Cool cooked polenta quickly, in a shallow container, and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Spores of some food poisoning bacteria can survive cooking grains, and reheating won't remove the toxins they make.
• Cooked polenta keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge, or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it 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).