When can babies eat potato?

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

Potato

A family staple that mashes, bakes and squishes. Easy for every stage.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat potato 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 potato by age

6 months+

Soft wedges or mashed potato

Peel and cut into finger-sized wedges, then boil, steam or bake until very soft. Or mash cooked potato with a little breast milk or formula and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon. Cow's milk is fine in cooking from 6 months, once dairy has been introduced on its own.

Size: Wedges 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 wedge 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.

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 potato

1
Scrub the potato with a clean vegetable brush under running water, then peel it. Green, damaged or sprouting parts can contain higher levels of natural toxins called glycoalkaloids (FSA), so cut them away.
2
Cut it into finger-sized wedges (6 months), or into chunks for mashing.
3
Boil or steam for about 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance.
4
Do the squash test, then let it cool before serving. Don't add salt to the cooking water or the mash.

How much to offer

Start with one or two wedges 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

Serving chips, crisps or fries

Potato chips (crisps) are a choking hazard, and salted fries aren't suitable for babies. Make soft oven wedges with no salt instead.

Using green or sprouting potatoes

Green, damaged or sprouting parts can contain higher levels of natural toxins called glycoalkaloids (FSA). Cut them away, or skip that potato.

Roasting until dark and crunchy

Crunchy edges are hard for babies. Aim for golden, not brown, and soft all the way through.

Salting the cooking water or mash

Babies shouldn't have added salt, including in cooking water, stock cubes or gravy.

Where US and UK guidance differ on potato

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The FDA advises storing raw potatoes outside the fridge, in a dark, cool place such as a pantry, because fridge storage can increase acrylamide when they're roasted or baked.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says storing potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place or in the fridge helps stop them sprouting. Either way, roast or bake them to golden yellow, not dark brown, to keep acrylamide down.

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

Questions parents ask

Can potato be a choking hazard for babies?

Potato cooked until very soft is a low choking risk. Raw potato is hard, so never serve it raw. Potato chips (crisps) and hard, crunchy roast potatoes are a choking hazard for young children. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to potato?

Potato is not a common allergen. People with a latex allergy can also react to some foods, and ACAAI lists raw potato among them. If your child has a latex allergy, ask your pediatrician before offering it.

Is potato healthy for babies?

A source of potassium and some vitamin C. Among children in the US, potatoes are one of the top sources of potassium. Vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron in plant foods, such as beans, lentils and iron-fortified cereal.

Can babies eat mashed potato?

Yes, from around 6 months. Mash it with breast milk or formula (or a little cow's milk, once dairy has been introduced on its own), and don't add salt. Once your baby is managing, leave some lumps in.

Can babies eat potato skin?

Peel potatoes for babies: the skin can be chewy. From 12 months, soft-cooked skin is fine if it's chopped to about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) and passes the squash test. If it's chewy, scoop it out.

Can babies eat french fries?

Not shop-bought or restaurant fries: they're salted and often crisp. Homemade oven wedges, cooked golden and soft all the way through with no salt, are a good swap.

Are green potatoes safe for babies?

Cut away any green, damaged or sprouting parts: they can contain harmful toxins. Store potatoes somewhere cool, dark and dry to slow sprouting. US and UK advice differs on the fridge: see the guidance note below.

If your baby refuses potato

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try another form: wedges, lumpy mash, or mashed with other vegetables.
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 potato

Store raw potatoes somewhere cool, dark and dry, such as a cupboard, to stop them sprouting. For the fridge, see the guidance note below.
Cooked potato keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. If you baked potatoes in foil, don't leave them sitting in the foil: keep them at 140°F (60°C) or hotter until you serve them, or loosen the foil and refrigerate them at 40°F (4°C) or below (CDC botulism advice).
Mashed potato can be frozen and used within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of thawing, and reheat it 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).

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 potato?

Add it to your first 100 foods.