Rutabaga

How to serve rutabaga by age

6 months+

Soft-cooked sticks or mashed rutabaga

Peel the rutabaga, cut it into finger-sized sticks, and steam or boil until very soft. Or mash cooked rutabaga, on its own or with potato or carrot, and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon. Never offer raw rutabaga.

Size

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

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 rutabaga into small pieces for pincer-grasp practice, or stir lumpy mashed rutabaga 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 rutabaga with family meals, mashed with potato or carrot, or in soups and stews. 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 rutabaga cooked until tender: roasted until soft all the way through, in stews, or mashed. Trim off crisp, browned edges and skip raw rutabaga.

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 rutabaga, 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 rutabaga

1. 1

   Scrub the rutabaga with a clean vegetable brush under running water, then trim the top and root and peel it thickly.

2. 2

   Cut it into finger-sized sticks (6 months), or chunks if you'll mash it. It's dense, so use a large, sharp knife on a steady board.

3. 3

   Steam or boil for about 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance. Don't add salt to the cooking water.

4. 4

   Do the squash test, then mash or chop as needed and let it cool before serving.

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 rutabaga

• 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 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 rutabaga

• Keep raw rutabaga somewhere cool, or in the fridge.
• Cooked rutabaga 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 rutabaga 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).