Rice noodles
Soft, mild and slippery. Cut them short and mix them up with other grains.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat rice noodles from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve rice noodles by age
6 months+
A small bundle of soft noodles
Soak or boil rice noodles following the package, then keep cooking until very soft. Drain, rinse in cool water so they don't stick together, and offer a small bundle plain or tossed with a smooth sauce with no added salt. Wide, flat rice noodles are easiest to grab. If rice is new, offer it earlier in the day: see when to call the doctor.
- Size
- A small bundle of soft noodles cut to about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or cut short and mashed into soft vegetables.
- Check before serving
- Squash a noodle between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily, with no firm center.
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+
Short soft pieces
Chop soft noodles into short pieces for pincer-grasp practice, and mix them with soft vegetables, finely shredded chicken, soft tofu, or flaked fish once your baby has had fish on its own.
- 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+
Rice noodles in family meals
Serve soft rice noodles in a cooled noodle soup or a soft vegetable stir-fry, taking your toddler's portion out before fish sauce, soy sauce or salt goes in. Cut long noodles short.
- Size
- Short pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or short strands.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: soft enough to flatten with gentle pressure.
18 months+
Any soft rice noodle dish
Offer rice noodles the way your family eats them, cooked soft and cut short, with mix-ins in small soft pieces. Skip crispy fried noodles, and keep rotating rice with other grains through the week.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or short strands.
- Check before serving
- Noodles should flatten easily, with no crispy or hard bits.
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 rice noodles
- 1
Soak or boil rice noodles following the package, then cook them a little longer, until a noodle squashes easily between your fingers. Don't add salt.
- 2
Drain and rinse them in cool water so they don't clump, then cut them to the right length for your baby's stage.
- 3
Serve them plain, or with soft vegetables, flaked fish or a smooth sauce with no added salt. Cool any leftovers within 1 hour, then refrigerate.
- 4
First time? Offer rice noodles earlier in the day, so you can watch your baby for a few hours afterward. Rice can cause a delayed reaction: see when to call the doctor.
How much to offer
Start with a few strands. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Rotate rice noodles with other grains, such as oats, barley, quinoa and couscous.
Common mistakes
Serving rice every day
Rice takes up more arsenic than other grains, and rice noodles are made from rice. Make them one of several grains your baby eats, alongside oats, barley, quinoa and couscous.
Keeping cooked noodles for days
We follow the stricter rice rule: cool rice noodles within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Serving long, slippery noodles
Long noodles are slippery and hard for babies to manage. Cut them with kitchen scissors: finger-length bundles at 6 months, short pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) from 9 months.
Adding fish sauce or soy sauce
Babies shouldn't have added salt or salty foods (NHS). Keep fish sauce, soy sauce and other salty sauces for adults' bowls.
Where US and UK guidance differ on rice noodles
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
USDA FSIS gives 3 to 4 days in the fridge for cooked leftovers in general. For rice noodles, we follow the stricter UK rice rule for everyone. The AAP and FDA advise feeding babies a variety of grains.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says to cool rice within 1 hour, eat it within 24 hours and never reheat it more than once. It notes the UK sets maximum arsenic levels for rice products, with stricter limits for foods for young children.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can rice noodles be a choking hazard for babies?
Soft, well-cooked noodles are a low choking risk, and the NHS lists noodles among first finger foods. Rice noodles are slippery, so cut long strands short. Crispy fried rice noodles are hard and crunchy: the CDC advises avoiding hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to rice noodles?
Plain rice noodles, made from rice flour and water, contain none of the top food allergens, and rice is naturally gluten-free. Some noodles mix in other flours, so check the label for wheat. Rice is, though, one of the most common grain triggers of FPIES, a delayed reaction that causes repeated vomiting a few hours after eating: see when to call the doctor. Sauces and toppings can add allergens, such as fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp or egg, so introduce each on its own first.
Are rice noodles healthy for babies?
Cooked rice noodles are mostly starch for energy, with little protein (about 1.8 g per 100 g), very little iron (about 0.1 mg) and almost no sodium (about 19 mg, or about 0.05 g of salt, per 100 g). Serve them with iron-rich foods like meat, fish, tofu or beans.
Are rice noodles safe for babies, given the arsenic in rice?
Yes, as part of a varied diet. Rice takes up more arsenic than other grains (AAP, FDA), so make rice noodles one of several grains your baby eats. The AAP notes brown rice tends to have the highest arsenic levels among types of rice, which is worth knowing if you buy brown rice noodles.
Are rice noodles gluten-free?
Rice is naturally gluten-free, so plain rice noodles made from rice flour are too. Some noodles mix in wheat, so read the label, especially for a child with celiac disease or a wheat allergy.
How long do cooked rice noodles keep?
We suggest no more than 1 day in the fridge. The NHS and Food Standards Agency say to cool cooked rice within 1 hour, eat it within 24 hours and never reheat it more than once. Rice noodles are made from rice, so we use the same rule for them.
If your baby refuses rice noodles
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try wider noodles, shorter pieces, or a different sauce.
- Mix them into a food your baby already likes, such as mashed vegetables or flaked fish.
- 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 rice noodles
- Keep dried rice noodles in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
- Cool cooked rice noodles quickly, ideally within 1 hour, then refrigerate. Eat them within 1 day, and reheat them only once. This is the stricter rule for cooked rice, which we use for rice noodles too.
- Or freeze them within 1 hour of cooking, for up to 3 to 4 months. Thaw them in the fridge, eat 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).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your baby vomits a few hours after eating rice noodles. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy, and rice is one of the most common grain triggers. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
- 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.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- FDA: What you can do to limit exposure to arsenic
- AAP: Heavy metals in baby food
- CDC: Choking hazards
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- MedlinePlus (NIH): Learn about gluten-free diets
- USDA FoodData Central: Rice noodles, cooked
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
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