Can Babies Eat Olives?
Yes, with two clear jobs first. Olives are fine from around 6 months, but you must remove the stone and chop them small, because a whole olive is a real choking risk. They are also salty, so rinse them and keep the amount small. Do those things and they are a fun, tasty little extra.
Olives are a great example of a food that is fine for babies as long as you prep it properly. The whole olive is exactly the wrong shape and size for a small airway, and the stone makes it worse. Sort the stone and the size, keep the salt in check, and a little chopped olive adds a lovely savoury pop to a meal.
What is an olive?
Olives are the small fruit of the olive tree. They are too bitter to eat straight off the tree, so they are cured or brined first, which is what makes them salty. They come in green and black varieties, usually with a hard stone in the middle that needs removing.
Chopped small, olives add a savoury lift to mild foods. Stir a little through soft tomato pasta, where their flavour spreads out and the pieces stay tiny.
Olive nutrition for babies
Olives provide healthy fats and fibre, but they are salty, so they are used in small amounts.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 115 kcal |
| Fat | 11 g |
| Fibre | 3.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 6 g |
| Salt | high |
Typical values for olives. The salt content is high, so they are served in small amounts. Source: USDA FoodData Central.
When can babies eat olives?
Olives can start from around 6 months, always destoned and chopped small:
Remove the stone, rinse, and chop olives very small, then stir a little through a soft mash or pasta.
Mix small pieces of pitted olive into mixed finger foods, still keeping the total amount modest.
Offer quartered pitted olives your child can manage, always checking there is no stone.
Stone and shape: whole olives and olive stones are a choking hazard. Always remove the stone and chop olives small for babies and young toddlers, and never assume a pitted olive has no stone left, so check each one.
Health benefits of olives for babies
Healthy fats
Olives contain unsaturated fats, the same kind found in olive oil, which give useful energy.
Fibre
They add a little fibre, which supports digestion as part of a varied diet.
New flavour
Their savoury, salty tang introduces babies to a new taste, in small amounts.
A few chopped olives brighten up a plain dish. Scatter them through a vegetable pasta, or mix them into a soft grain bowl, next to something like falafel, for a Mediterranean feel.
How to serve olives safely
Do
- Remove the stone from every olive.
- Rinse off the salty brine.
- Chop them small.
- Keep the amount modest.
Avoid
- Whole olives, which can choke.
- Olives with the stone in.
- Large amounts, because of the salt.
- Stuffed or heavily seasoned olives.
Risks and safety
Olives bring two risks together: a choking shape with a stone, and a good amount of salt. Deal with both by destoning, chopping small and keeping portions little. Done that way, they are a safe, flavourful extra rather than a worry.
Salt: the NHS advises babies have very little salt, so treat salty foods like olives as an occasional small addition, not an everyday one.
Easy olive recipe idea (6 months)
Tomato pasta with a few chopped olives
Makes 2 baby portions, from 6 monthsIngredients
- 4 tbsp soft cooked small pasta
- 2 soft ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 pitted olives, rinsed and finely chopped
Method
- Gently cook the tomato into a soft sauce and stir through the cooked pasta.
- Rinse the pitted olives, chop them very small, and stir a little through the pasta.
- Cool to a safe temperature and cut the pasta small before serving.
Olive FAQ
When can babies eat olives?
Babies can have olives from around 6 months, but always remove the stone and chop them small, and rinse off the salty brine. Because olives are salty, keep them to small, occasional amounts.
Are olives a choking hazard?
Whole olives are a choking risk, both because of their shape and because of the stone inside. Always buy pitted olives or remove the stone yourself, then chop or slice them small for babies.
Are olives too salty for babies?
Olives are usually stored in salty brine, so they are high in salt. Rinsing helps, and keeping them to small amounts means they stay a tasty extra rather than a salt problem.
How do you serve olives to a baby?
Choose pitted olives, rinse them, chop them small, and stir them through a soft dish like pasta or a vegetable mash so their flavour is spread out and the pieces are tiny.
Sources
- Olive, Wikipedia.
- FoodData Central, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Weaning and feeding, National Health Service (UK).
This article is general information, not medical advice. Every baby is different. Talk to your doctor, health visitor or paediatrician about your own baby, and about starting solids or any allergy concerns.
