Can Babies Eat Tomatoes?
Yes. Tomatoes are fine from around 6 months. Two things to get right, though. They are acidic, so a red ring around the mouth is common and harmless, and whole cherry tomatoes are a serious choking risk, so quarter them lengthways every single time.
Tomatoes turn up in half the meals a toddler will ever eat, so they are worth getting friendly with early. They are soft when ripe, full of vitamin C, and they stain absolutely everything they touch. Here is when to start, how to prep them safely, and a quick sauce with no added salt.
What is a tomato?
Here is a fun one for the grandparents. The tomato is technically a fruit, the berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, and yet nobody on earth puts it in a fruit salad. We treat it as a vegetable. Ripe tomatoes are soft, juicy and mildly sweet with a tangy edge.
Ripe tomato is soft enough to mash into other gentle foods. Stir a little into avocado and you have a no-cook first taste that takes about thirty seconds to make.
Tomato nutrition for babies
Tomatoes are low in calories and mostly water, but they carry vitamin C, potassium and lycopene, the pigment that makes them red.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g (raw) |
|---|---|
| Energy | 18 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 3.9 g |
| of which sugars | 2.6 g |
| Fibre | 1.2 g |
| Protein | 0.9 g |
| Vitamin C | 14 mg |
| Potassium | 237 mg |
Typical values for raw tomato. Source: USDA FoodData Central.
When can babies eat tomatoes?
You can start from around 6 months. The prep changes as your baby gets more capable:
Skins and seeds are fiddly for a new eater. Peel ripe tomato and scoop out the seeds, or cook it down into a smooth sauce.
Offer small pieces of soft, ripe tomato. Cherry tomatoes still need quartering lengthways, no shortcuts.
Tomato in pasta sauces, on toast, in mild curries. Keep cutting cherry tomatoes small until your child chews really well.
Choking: whole cherry and grape tomatoes are exactly the wrong size and shape for a small airway. Quarter them lengthways, always, and stay with your baby while they eat.
Health benefits of tomatoes for babies
Vitamin C
Tomatoes give a solid dose of vitamin C, which helps your baby absorb iron from other foods in the same meal.
Lycopene
That deep red colour is lycopene, an antioxidant. Cooking tomatoes actually makes it easier for the body to use.
Hydration
Tomatoes are mostly water, so they add a little extra fluid to a meal on a hot day.
Tomato really comes into its own once your baby is doing finger foods. Soft pasta with a smooth tomato sauce is one of the most reliable wins of the whole first year.
How to serve tomatoes safely
Do
- Peel and deseed tomato for young babies.
- Quarter cherry tomatoes lengthways, every time.
- Use ripe, soft tomatoes.
- Cook them into a smooth, no-salt sauce.
Avoid
- Whole cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Shop ketchup and jarred pasta sauce (salt and sugar).
- Firm, under-ripe tomatoes.
- Leaving your baby to eat unwatched.
Risks and safety
The red rash some babies get around the mouth is a contact reaction to the acid, not usually an allergy, and it settles on its own. The real thing to respect is choking from whole cherry tomatoes. A true tomato allergy is uncommon, but as with any new food, watch how your baby responds.
Starting solids: offer tomato on its own the first time, and give it a couple of days before the next new food. The NHS has clear, practical advice on weaning and safe first foods.
To soften that tangy edge, a little grated cheese melted into a warm tomato sauce works a treat and adds some calcium too.
Easy tomato recipe (6 months)
No-salt tomato sauce for baby
Makes 4 baby portions, from 6 monthsIngredients
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic (optional)
Method
- Score a small cross in the base of each tomato, cover with boiling water for a minute, then peel off the skins.
- Chop the tomatoes, discard the hard core, and soften them in the oil over low heat with the garlic if you are using it.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, blend smooth, then cool and stir through soft pasta or vegetables.
Tomato FAQ
When can babies eat tomatoes?
Tomatoes are fine from around 6 months. Peel and deseed them or cook them for young babies, and always quarter cherry tomatoes lengthways so they are not a choking risk.
Are tomatoes a choking hazard for babies?
Whole cherry and grape tomatoes are, because they are round and firm. Quarter them lengthways every time. Soft peeled tomato flesh and smooth tomato sauce are low risk.
Why do tomatoes leave a red rash around my baby's mouth?
Tomatoes are acidic, and that acid can irritate the delicate skin around the mouth. The red patch it leaves is a contact reaction, not usually an allergy, and it fades on its own.
Can babies have tomato sauce or ketchup?
Home-made tomato sauce with no added salt or sugar is great. Shop ketchup is not, because it is loaded with both. Make your own and freeze it in small portions.
Sources
- Tomato, 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.
