Can Babies Eat Tomato Sauce?
Homemade yes, from 6 months. Jarred sauce and ketchup, later and sparingly. A pot of tomato sauce simmered with onion and garlic is one of the most useful things you can have in the freezer when there is a baby in the house. The shop bought versions are the same food with salt and sugar added, which changes the answer rather than the ingredient.
Tomato sauce is the workhorse of feeding small children. It goes on pasta, it hides vegetables, it freezes in ice cube trays, and babies generally like it. There is a nice piece of nutritional luck involved too: cooking tomatoes actually increases the lycopene your body can absorb, so the sauce is in one respect better than the raw fruit.
Sauce, passata, ketchup
Worth separating the terms, because they behave very differently. Passata and tinned tomatoes are just tomatoes, often with no salt at all. Jarred pasta sauce is cooked tomato with oil, herbs, salt and frequently sugar. Ketchup is a condiment that is roughly a quarter sugar by weight, with vinegar and salt.
Our tomatoes page covers the fruit itself, and this sauce goes well with cut up pasta or noodles.
Homemade against shop bought
The tomatoes are the same. Everything else is what differs:
| Per 100 g | Homemade | Jarred sauce | Ketchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 45 kcal | 60 kcal | 102 kcal |
| Sugars | 4 g, from tomato | 7 g | 23 g |
| Salt | Trace | 0.9 g | 2.1 g |
| Fibre | 2 g | 1.5 g | 0.3 g |
| Lycopene | High | High | High |
Approximate values. Salt and sugar vary considerably between brands, so check the label. Source: USDA FoodData Central.
When can babies have it?
Homemade from the start, the rest as the salt allowance grows:
Simmered properly so the sharpness cooks out, and blended to whatever texture suits. Freeze in portions, which is the whole point of making a batch.
Once the allowance reaches about 2 g of salt a day, a no added salt or reduced salt jar becomes practical for busy evenings.
Given the sugar content, ketchup sits with the other added sugar foods, and vodka sauce brings cream and alcohol along with it. A small amount now and then rather than on everything.
A red ring around the mouth is usually not an allergy: tomato is acidic, and that acidity irritates the delicate skin around a baby's lips on contact, producing redness that settles within an hour or two. A genuine allergy shows hives elsewhere on the body, swelling, vomiting or wheezing. If you see those, stop and speak to your doctor.
Simple no salt tomato sauce
Grated carrot is the trick, adding natural sweetness so you never miss the sugar:
Simple no salt tomato sauce
Makes 6 baby portions, from 6 monthsIngredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes with no added salt
- 1 small carrot, grated
- A pinch of dried oregano or basil
Method
- Soften the onion, garlic and grated carrot in the olive oil over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and herbs and simmer gently for 25 minutes, until thick and no longer sharp.
- Blend completely smooth for a younger baby, or leave textured from around 9 months.
- Cool before serving, and freeze the rest in portions for up to three months.
Risks and safety
Tomato allergy is uncommon but does exist, and tomato is also a recognised trigger for oral allergy symptoms in some people. The contact rash described above is far more common and is not an allergy.
The everyday considerations are salt and sugar in the shop bought versions, both covered in our salt and sugar guides. Acidic foods can also aggravate reflux in babies prone to it, and can contribute to nappy rash by making stools more acidic, so if you notice a pattern, that is worth mentioning to your health visitor rather than cutting tomatoes out. Finally, tomato sauce holds heat well and keeps cooking in the middle after it leaves the pan, so stir it through and test the temperature before serving.
Tomato sauce FAQ
Can babies eat tomato sauce?
Homemade tomato sauce, yes, from around 6 months. Cooked tomatoes with onion, garlic and herbs make an excellent base for pasta and vegetables. Jarred sauces and ketchup are the ones to watch, since both usually contain added salt and sugar.
Is ketchup suitable for babies?
Better after 12 months, and only a small amount. Ketchup is roughly a quarter sugar and also carries salt, so a generous squeeze uses a meaningful share of a small child's daily allowance for both. It is not dangerous, it is just a poor everyday condiment for a baby.
Can tomatoes cause a rash around a baby's mouth?
Often, and it is usually not an allergy. Tomatoes are acidic, and that acidity can irritate the skin around the mouth on contact, producing redness that fades within an hour or two. A true allergy involves hives elsewhere, swelling or vomiting. If you are unsure, speak to your doctor.
Does tomato sauce cause nappy rash?
It can contribute. Acidic foods including tomato, citrus and berries sometimes make stools more acidic, which irritates the skin. It is not a reason to avoid tomatoes, which are genuinely good for babies. Change nappies promptly and use a barrier cream if you notice a pattern.
Sources
- Tomato sauce, Wikipedia.
- Salt in your diet, NHS.
- FoodData Central, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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.
