When can babies eat tofu?

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

Tofu

Soft, mild and easy to grab. It takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat tofu from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedAllergen: SoyIron-rich

How to serve tofu by age

6 months+

Soft strips or mashed tofu

Cut firm tofu into finger-length strips and warm them through in a lightly oiled pan or the oven, keeping them soft, not crisp. Or mash silken or soft tofu and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon, or stir it into a food your baby already eats.

Size: Strips 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 strip between your thumb and finger. It should flatten easily. If the outside has gone crisp or chewy, trim it off or cook the next batch more gently.

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 tofu

1
Drain the tofu and gently pat it dry with a clean towel.
2
Cut it into finger-length strips (6 months) or small cubes (9 months+).
3
Warm it in a lightly oiled pan over medium-low heat, or bake it, turning once, until heated through but still soft. Don't add salt or soy sauce.
4
Do the squash test, then let it cool before serving.
5
First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward.

How much to offer

For the very first taste, offer a small amount: one strip or a teaspoon of mashed tofu. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Once soy is in their diet, keep offering it regularly.

Common mistakes

Seasoning it with soy sauce

Soy sauce is high in salt, and babies shouldn't have added salt. Flavor tofu with garlic, ginger or mild spices instead.

Frying it until crisp

Crisp, chewy edges are hard for babies to manage. Cook tofu gently so it stays soft enough to squash.

Tiny cubes for a young baby

At 6 months, small cubes are hard to pick up and slippery. Offer finger-length strips or mashed tofu instead.

Offering it once and stopping

Once soy is in your baby's diet, keep offering it regularly. Use the tracker below to see when you last offered it.

Questions parents ask

Can tofu be a choking hazard for babies?

Tofu is soft, so it's a low choking risk. Avoid frying or baking it until crisp or chewy, and serve strips or mashed tofu to young babies. Stay with your baby during meals.

Can babies be allergic to tofu?

Soy is one of the most common food allergens in young children. Introduce it from around 6 months, on its own and in a small amount, and watch for signs of a reaction. Soy allergy usually shows up in babies and children under 3, and many children outgrow it. Once tolerated, keep soy in your baby's usual diet. Being allergic to soy doesn't mean a child is also allergic to peanut: they are separate allergies.

Is tofu healthy for babies?

A source of iron: half a cup of firm tofu made with calcium sulfate has about 3 mg of iron, and babies need 11 mg a day from 7 to 12 months. Silken and soft tofu have much less. Tofu made with calcium sulfate (check the ingredients) is also a source of calcium. Plant iron is absorbed better with a food rich in vitamin C at the same meal.

Which tofu is best for babies?

Silken or soft tofu is easy to mash for spoon-feeding. Firm tofu holds its shape for finger strips. Tofu made with calcium sulfate, listed in the ingredients, gives more calcium.

Is tofu a good source of iron for babies?

Firm tofu is. Half a cup of firm tofu made with calcium sulfate has about 3 mg of iron. Silken and soft tofu have less than half as much, so choose firm tofu when iron is the goal. It's plant iron, which the body absorbs less easily than iron from meat, so serve it with a vitamin C food like soft-cooked broccoli or tomato.

Can babies have soy sauce?

Not in the first year. Soy sauce is high in salt, and babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day. After 12 months, use only a small amount, ideally a reduced-salt version.

Can babies eat tofu every day?

Tofu can be a regular part of your baby's meals. Rotate it with other protein foods, such as beans, lentils, eggs, fish and meat, so your baby gets a variety.

If your baby refuses tofu

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Try another form: strips, mashed, crumbled into scrambled egg, or blended into a sauce.
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 tofu

Keep tofu in the fridge and use it by the date on the pack.
Cooked tofu keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Cooked tofu can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. 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).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

Your baby vomits a few hours after eating soy. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that soy can trigger. 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.
Your baby has had any reaction to soy, even a mild one. Stop offering it until you've talked to your pediatrician.
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 tofu?

Add it to your first 100 foods.