Water chestnuts
Sweet and crunchy in family stir-fries. For little ones, blended smooth or ground very fine.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat water chestnuts from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve water chestnuts by age
6 months+
Blended smooth into soft food
Use canned water chestnuts, drained and rinsed, or fresh ones that have been peeled and boiled until cooked through. Simmer them in the dish, then blend your baby's portion until completely smooth. Water chestnuts stay crunchy even when they're cooked, so don't offer slices, chunks or minced pieces yet. Never offer raw fresh water chestnuts.
- Size
- Blended until completely smooth with a soft food, such as mashed potato, a soup or soft rice porridge. No minced bits yet.
- Check before serving
- Water chestnuts won't pass the squash test, so blend until the food is completely smooth, with no crunchy bits you can feel between your fingers.
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+
Blended smooth or ground very fine into soft food
Blend cooked water chestnuts until smooth, or grind them so finely that no hard bits can be felt, and stir them into soft rice, mashed vegetables, lentils or a soft meat or tofu mixture. They stay hard and crunchy however long you cook them, so don't leave minced pieces in, even small ones. No slices or chunks.
- Size
- Blended smooth, or ground so fine into a soft food that you can't feel any hard bits. No minced pieces, slices or chunks.
- Check before serving
- Rub a little of the food between your thumb and finger. If you can feel any hard or crunchy bits, blend it again.
12 months+
Blended or ground very fine into family dishes; pieces not yet
Blend or grind water chestnuts very fine into soft family dishes such as dumpling fillings, meatballs or soups. Take your toddler's portion out before adding soy sauce or other salty sauces. Slices, chunks and minced pieces: not yet. They stay hard and crunchy however long you cook them, so pick them out of your toddler's portion of a stir-fry.
- Size
- Blended smooth, or ground so fine into soft family dishes that you can't feel any hard bits.
- Check before serving
- Check your toddler's portion for slices, chunks or crunchy bits before serving. Pick them out, or blend the portion again.
18 months+
Blended or ground very fine in family meals; pieces not yet
Keep blending or grinding water chestnuts very fine into family meals. Slices, chunks and minced pieces: not yet. The CDC says to avoid small, sticky or hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow, and the AAP advises keeping hard foods such as raw vegetables from children until age 4 or older, depending on the child. Water chestnuts stay as crunchy as a raw vegetable even after cooking, so our suggestion is to wait until at least age 4 before offering slices or pieces, and then to have your child sit down to eat.
- Size
- Blended smooth, or ground so fine into soft family dishes that you can't feel any hard bits.
- Check before serving
- Check your toddler's portion for slices, chunks or crunchy bits before serving. Pick them out, or blend the portion again.
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 water chestnuts
- 1
Canned water chestnuts are the simplest choice: drain them and rinse them under running water.
- 2
For fresh water chestnuts, scrub them under running water with a clean vegetable brush, peel off the dark skin, then boil them until cooked through. The CDC advises cooking freshwater plants well in boiling water before eating them.
- 3
Simmer the canned or cooked water chestnuts in the dish. Don't add salt.
- 4
Blend them smooth, or (from 9 months) grind them so fine that no hard bits can be felt. Don't leave minced pieces in. Let the food cool before serving.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or so of blended water chestnut mixed into a food your baby already knows. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.
Common mistakes
Expecting them to soften
Water chestnuts stay crisp even after long cooking, so they never pass the squash test. Until age 4, blend them smooth or grind them so fine that no hard bits can be felt.
Offering slices, chunks or minced pieces to a toddler
Slices are hard, crunchy discs, and even small minced pieces stay hard. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard and says to avoid small, sticky or hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow. Keep blending or grinding them very fine until at least age 4 (our suggestion, based on the CDC and the AAP).
Eating fresh water chestnuts raw
Fresh water chestnuts grow in fresh water. A review of the intestinal fluke Fasciolopsis lists eating raw water plants, including water chestnuts, as a risk factor, and the CDC advises cooking all freshwater plants well in boiling water. Cook fresh ones for the whole family.
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.
Questions parents ask
Can water chestnuts be a choking hazard for babies?
Water chestnuts are hard and crunchy, and they stay that way when cooked. The CDC says to avoid small, sticky or hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow, and lists pieces of hard raw vegetables as a choking hazard for young children. The NHS says to avoid firm foods. Until age 4, blend water chestnuts smooth or grind them so fine into soft food that no hard bits can be felt. Slices, chunks and minced pieces wait until at least age 4 (our suggestion, based on the CDC and the AAP). Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to water chestnuts?
Water chestnuts are not a common allergen. Despite the name, they aren't nuts: the AAAAI says water chestnut is not a tree nut and is generally well tolerated by people with a tree nut allergy. If your child has a tree nut allergy, check with their allergist.
Are water chestnuts healthy for babies?
Canned water chestnuts are mostly water, with some fiber (about 2.5 g per 100 g) and very little iron or vitamin C. They add crunch and a mild sweet taste more than nutrients.
Can babies eat water chestnuts?
Yes, from around 6 months, canned or cooked, then blended smooth into soft food (or, from 9 months, ground so fine that no hard bits can be felt). They stay crunchy even when cooked, so minced pieces, slices and chunks wait until at least age 4.
Are canned water chestnuts salty?
Usually not. FoodData Central lists canned water chestnuts at about 8 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 0.02 g of salt), well under the NHS low-salt line of 0.3 g of salt per 100 g. Check the label, since brands vary, and drain and rinse them before use.
Are water chestnuts nuts?
No. The "nut" in the name doesn't make them a nut: the AAAAI says water chestnut is not a tree nut and is generally well tolerated by people with a tree nut allergy.
Do water chestnuts go soft when cooked?
No. They stay crisp even after long cooking, which is why they're blended smooth or ground very fine for young children.
If your baby refuses water chestnuts
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Try it blended into foods your baby already enjoys, such as soft rice or mashed 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 water chestnuts
- Keep fresh water chestnuts in the fridge and cook them soon. Once a can is opened, move any unused water chestnuts into a covered container in the fridge.
- Cooked dishes with water chestnuts keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Freezer times depend on the dish, so follow the food page or recipe for what you cooked. 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.
- Reheat cooked dishes 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 child has eaten raw fresh water chestnuts or other raw water plants, for example while traveling in south or southeast Asia, and later has belly pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or a fever. Tell your pediatrician what they ate: the CDC says Fasciolopsis symptoms can start one or two months after infection, a stool test can find it, and it's treatable with medicine. If your child has swelling of the face or body, keeps vomiting, or has severe belly pain, 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.
Offered water chestnuts?
Add it to your first 100 foods.
Water chestnuts is in your 100 foods
1 of 100 offered · See all
Add a note (likes, dislikes, any reaction)
Saved in this browser only. Think it was a reaction? See signs of an allergic reaction and when to get help.
Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- NHS Best Start in Life: Preparing food safely
- CDC: About Fasciolopsis
- Ridha et al.: A review of Fasciolopsis buski distribution and control in Indonesia (Vet World, 2021)
- AAAAI: Everything you need to know about tree nut allergy
- USDA FoodData Central: Waterchestnuts, chinese, canned, solids and liquids
- NHS: Food labels
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist
Tick off foods as your baby tries them. Print it or save it as a PDF, no sign-up needed.