When can a baby have salmon?
최종 업데이트 2026년 8월 21일
영어만
Salmon can be given to a baby from around six months, cooked through and checked by hand for pin bones — it's one of the NHS's recommended early finger foods rather than something to hold back. Two separate questions come up alongside it: how much oily fish is too much, and whether smoked or raw salmon are a different food entirely. They are.
When can a baby have salmon?
From around six months, as a thick cooked strip a baby can hold, or flaked once a pincer grasp develops. Fish is also one of the UK's 14 declarable allergens, so the same one-at-a-time introduction logic that applies to peanuts or egg applies here too — offer it on its own the first few times so a reaction, if there is one, is easy to trace.
Check every piece by hand for pin bones before serving, even from a fillet labelled boneless — this is a manual check each time, not a one-off.
How much oily fish can a baby have per week?
At least one portion, with an upper limit that differs by sex later in childhood. NHS guidance recommends salmon and other oily fish about once a week as a minimum. From childhood onward, the NHS caps oily fish at up to four portions a week for boys, and up to two a week for girls — the difference is about pollutants that can accumulate in oily fish over time, weighed against the real benefit of the omega-3 it provides. For a baby just starting solids, the practical takeaway is simpler: oily fish belongs in the weekly rotation, not every day and not never.
Can babies have smoked salmon?
Treat it differently to cooked salmon rather than as a straight swap — smoked salmon is cured and higher in salt, and salt guidance for babies under 12 months is strict regardless of the food it's in. If you offer it, a small amount occasionally rather than as a regular substitute for cooked salmon keeps it inside general salt guidance for the first year.
Is raw salmon (sashimi) safe for babies?
This isn't a question this article answers with a single rule, because "raw fish" guidance depends on preparation, freezing and sourcing in ways a home kitchen usually can't verify — the general NHS position on raw or undercooked fish and shellfish is to cook it through for babies and young children. If you're eating out somewhere serving sashimi, that's the same "can you confirm what happened before it reached the plate" question the FSA raises about runny eggs when eating out — a different ingredient, the same shape of problem.
How do you serve salmon for baby-led weaning?
Cooked, flaked or in a soft strip, is the shape that works across ages — steamed or pan-cooked salmon mashed with avocado and a few drops of lemon is a simple version that covers iron and healthy fats in one bowl, and needs no salt or sauce to make it worth eating. As pincer grasp improves, the same cooked salmon can move from mash to flakes a baby picks up themselves.
The short version
Salmon can start at six months, cooked through and checked for bones by hand every time. Oily fish generally belongs in the weekly rotation rather than daily, with a lower ceiling for girls than boys later in childhood. Smoked salmon is a salt question, not a straight substitute; raw salmon depends on preparation this article can't verify for you, so cook it through instead.