Snow peas
Flat, mild and easy to hold. Strings off and cooked soft.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat snow peas from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve snow peas by age
6 months+
Whole soft-cooked pods, strings removed, or mashed
Pull off the strings and cook the pods until very soft, much softer than adults usually like them. Offer one or two whole pods for your baby to hold and gnaw. Or chop cooked snow peas finely and mash them into potato or rice. Never offer raw pods.
- Size
- A whole cooked pod, about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long (2½–3 in), or mashed.
- Check before serving
- Squash a pod between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily, with no strings left. If it snaps, feels squeaky or you feel strings, cook it longer or pull the strings off.
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 whole soft pods
Chop soft-cooked pods into small pieces for pincer-grasp practice, or stir them into rice. Noodles and scrambled egg are fine once wheat and egg have each been introduced on their own. Whole soft pods are still fine too.
- 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 pieces, strips or whole soft pods
Serve soft-cooked snow peas whole, in strips or chopped with family meals. Keep cooking them until tender: raw or crisp-tender pods are too firm for young toddlers. For raw snow peas, see the guidance note below.
- Size
- Pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), thin strips, or whole soft-cooked pods.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test: soft enough to flatten with gentle pressure, with no strings.
18 months+
Soft-cooked, whole or in dishes
Keep serving snow peas cooked until tender: steamed, or sliced into stir-fries, noodles and soups cooked until soft all the way through. Pull the strings off first. For raw snow peas, see the guidance note below.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or whole soft-cooked pods.
- Check before serving
- Still do the squash test, especially with stir-fried snow peas.
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 snow peas
- 1
Rinse the pods under running water, then snap off the stem end and pull the string down along the seam. Check the other side for a string too.
- 2
Steam or boil them whole for about 5 to 8 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance and they squash easily. Don't add salt to the cooking water.
- 3
Serve whole (6 months), chop into small pieces (9 months+), or cut lengthwise into thin strips (12 months+).
- 4
Do the squash test, then let them cool before serving.
How much to offer
Start with one or two whole pods or a spoonful of mash. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of gnawing, squashing and dropping is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Offering raw snow peas
Raw pods are crunchy and firm. The CDC lists hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children, so cook them until very soft.
Leaving the strings on
The strings stay tough after cooking and are hard for a baby to chew. Pull them off before cooking.
Cooking them crisp-tender
Stir-fried snow peas are usually still crunchy. For babies and young toddlers, cook them until they squash easily between your fingers.
Stopping after a few refusals
Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Where US and UK guidance differ on snow peas
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
Keep serving snow peas cooked soft. The AAP lists raw vegetables among foods to avoid under 1, the CDC lists hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children, and the AAP advises holding back raw vegetables until about 4 years, depending on the child.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
Cook snow peas until soft in the first year. From 12 months, the NHS snack list includes cooked or raw vegetables. For very young children, the NHS suggests grating, mashing, steaming or simmering firm vegetables. If you offer raw snow peas to a toddler, pull off the strings and chop them finely, and stay with them.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can snow peas be a choking hazard for babies?
Raw snow peas are crunchy and firm, and a choking hazard for babies and toddlers: the CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as foods to avoid for young children. The strings stay tough even after cooking. Pull off the strings, cook the pods until very soft, then serve them whole, in thin strips or chopped. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to snow peas?
Snow peas are not a common allergen.
Are snow peas healthy for babies?
Cooked snow peas have about 48 mg of vitamin C per 100 g (FoodData Central lists them with snap peas as edible-podded peas), and babies 7–12 months need 50 mg a day. Vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron in plant foods. They have about 2 mg of iron per 100 g, but a baby eats only a few pods, so they aren't counted as an iron-rich food.
Can babies eat snow peas?
Yes, from around 6 months, with the strings pulled off and cooked until very soft. A whole soft pod is a good length for a baby to hold. Never offer raw ones.
What's the difference between snow peas and snap peas?
Snow peas are flat, with tiny peas inside. Snap peas are rounder, with bigger peas. Both are eaten pod and all, and both need the strings pulled off and cooking until very soft for babies. Press snap peas flat so the peas inside burst.
When can toddlers eat raw snow peas?
Not under 1 year. The AAP advises holding back raw vegetables until about 4 years, depending on the child. The NHS lists raw vegetables among snacks from 12 months. If you offer raw snow peas, pull off the strings and chop them finely. See the US vs. UK note.
If your baby refuses snow peas
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try it chopped into noodles, egg or rice instead of as a whole pod.
- 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 snow peas
- Keep fresh snow peas in the fridge and frozen ones in the freezer.
- Cooked snow peas keep 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 snow peas can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Reheat 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:
- 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
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- AAP: When can babies start solid foods?
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS Best Start in Life: Preparing food safely
- USDA FoodData Central: Peas, edible-podded, boiled, drained, without salt
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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