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When can a baby have lentils?

Last updated October 4, 2026

A bowl of softly mashed red lentils with a baby spoon on a cream kitchen table

The NHS lists lentils among the protein foods for babies from around 6 months, once they are ready to start solid food. Cook them until soft, then adjust the texture to suit your baby: serve a thick mash on a pre-loaded spoon, then leave it lumpier as they progress. If you are making a family lentil soup, take the baby's portion out before you add salt or stock.

When can a baby have lentils?

The NHS lists beans, beef, chicken, egg, fish (no bones), lamb, lentils, pork, pulses such as chickpeas, tofu and turkey among the protein foods from around 6 months, when your baby starts solid food, and says protein foods contain iron and zinc, which are important for babies.

At first, your baby only needs a small amount of solid food once a day. Breast milk or first infant formula remains their main source of nutrition and their main drink during the first year, so lentils are one food to explore rather than a meal they must finish.

The NHS lists beans, lentils and peas among the foods that can trigger an allergic reaction, and says to introduce such foods "one at a time so that you can spot any reaction."

The lentil ingredient page keeps the serving guidance in one place. If you are planning the wider first-food stage, the guide to starting baby-led weaning explains readiness and how to begin.

How should you cook lentils for a baby?

Cook lentils until they are completely soft, then mash or blend them to a texture your baby can manage. Red split lentils collapse readily into a thick purée; green and brown lentils tend to hold their shape, so press them with a fork or stir them into a soft mash when you want less texture.

Cooking times vary by lentil, so check the packet. For a guide, the NHS's red lentil soup recipe simmers 30g of dried red lentils in water for 15 to 20 minutes "until the veg is soft and the lentils are cooked", then mashes it "until smooth but with some soft lumps". If the mixture is too stiff, loosen it a little with water. If it is too runny, simmer it uncovered or stir it into another soft food.

If you cook a batch, the NHS says to cool food as quickly as possible (ideally within 1 to 2 hours) and put it in the fridge or freezer. Food placed in the fridge should be eaten within 2 days.

Tinned lentils are convenient if the label says no added salt. Drain them, then warm and mash them. The NHS suggests buying pulses tinned in water instead of brine. If you cannot find a no-added-salt tin, use dried lentils instead. Do not add salt to their cooking water.

How do you serve lentils for baby-led weaning?

Make lentils easy to scoop by serving them as a thick mash on a pre-loaded spoon. Loose individual lentils are harder for a new eater to gather, even when they are soft.

Baby-led weaning can still include a spoon. The NHS suggests giving your baby a spoon and letting them try feeding themselves, and it encourages moving towards mashed, lumpy and finger foods as they are ready. Load the spoon, put it within reach and let your baby bring it to their mouth. A second spoon can help if the first one stays firmly in their hand.

Can babies have lentil soup?

Lentil soup is another way to serve lentils, which the NHS lists as a protein food from around 6 months. Cook the lentils and vegetables until soft, and leave out added salt, stock cubes and gravy: the NHS says not to add salt to a baby's food or cooking water, and not to use stock cubes or gravy because they are often high in salt.

The simplest family method is to cook a mild base without stock cubes, take out the baby's portion, then season the rest of the pot for everyone else. Make the baby's portion thick enough to stay on a spoon; you can mash it with a fork or briefly blend it. If a finished family soup already contains stock or added salt, make a small separate portion rather than trying to dilute it at the table.

Thin soup is hard for a baby to get to their mouth. A thick scoop on a plate, or on a spoon you have loaded for them, is easier.

The NHS's own lentil soup recipe is labelled for 10 to 12 months, and the NHS does not give a reason. Its dhal recipe, made with yellow split peas, is labelled for 6 months or older.

What can you mix with lentils?

Mix lentils with a familiar soft food to change the flavour and make the texture easier to scoop. Mashed carrot, sweet potato or broccoli can thicken the lentils; cooked tomato or a little water can loosen them. You can also stir soft lentils through rice or another family meal before adding salt to the adult portion.

Keep the first combination simple enough that you can see whether the texture works. Once you know the consistency your baby manages well, the same lentil base can move between a smooth purée, a rough mash and a thick soup. For more context on why lentils fit into a varied weaning menu, see iron-rich first foods for babies.

Which lentil recipe is easy to adjust?

A soft lentil and vegetable purée is easy to adjust because you can change its thickness one spoonful at a time. This lentil and carrot purée has three ingredients (red lentils, carrot and tomato) and is a 6-month recipe:

For something heartier, this beef, sweet potato and lentil purée has no added salt, and puts the lentils into a mixed meal:

Whichever recipe you use, judge the lentils in the bowl in front of you. Cook them longer or mash them further if they still have a firm centre, then loosen or thicken the meal until it sits on a spoon without running straight off.

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Written by

  • Mag Shum

    Mag eats, occasionally taking on the challenge of making a dish or two. Co-founder of Nourishible, driven to rescue real food from meaningless, endless doom scrolling.