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Can babies eat rice cakes and puffs?

Last updated October 2026

Rice cakes look like the perfect baby snack: light, plain and easy to hold. But rice takes up more arsenic than other grains, and some food agencies single out rice cakes in particular. Here is what the official advice says, where it differs, and what to offer instead.

Quick answer

  • Sweden's food agency advises not giving rice cakes to children under 6, and Norway's food authority also warns against rice cakes for children.
  • The UK (NHS) and the US (FDA) pages we checked give no rice-cake-specific rule, but the NHS says children under 5 should not have rice drinks.
  • Rice itself is fine as part of a varied diet. Rotate grains, cook rice in plenty of water, and keep rice snacks occasional rather than daily.
Illustration of a plate with round rice cakes and a small bowl of puffs next to toast fingers, banana pieces and oat porridge fingers
Rice cakes and rice puffs (left) next to everyday alternatives such as toast fingers, soft fruit and oat porridge fingers. Illustration, not a serving-size guide.

Why rice cakes get singled out

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and water, and rice tends to take up more of it than other grains. The levels are not an immediate danger, but inorganic arsenic is a substance food agencies want everyone to keep as low as possible, because long-term intake is linked to a higher risk of some cancers. Young children take in more per kilogram of body weight than adults, so they are the focus of the advice.

Rice cakes stand out because they are concentrated, dry rice. In its 2015 survey, the Swedish Food Agency found that a small child eating two to four rice cakes a week risked a high arsenic intake. Because rice cakes add almost no important nutrients and often contain salt, the agency now advises parents not to give them to children under 6. Norway's food authority describes rice cakes as a product with particularly high levels, and notes that puffed rice did not show the same high levels.

What different health authorities say

Official advice on rice cakes, rice drinks and rice for young children, by authority
AuthorityRice cakesRice drinksRice in everyday meals
Sweden – LivsmedelsverketNot for children under 6. From 6, occasionally, depending on other rice eaten.Not for children under 6.Children: rice and rice products (porridge, noodles, rice snacks) no more than 4 times a week. Don't always choose wholegrain rice.
Norway – MattilsynetWarns against rice cakes for children: they can contain particularly high levels.Children under 6 should not rely on rice drink, for example as a cow's milk replacement; ask a health professional about alternatives.No specific limits. Eat varied, for example avoid rice every day.
Finland – RuokavirastoNo specific restriction; rice cake consumption by Finnish children is low.Children under 6 should not drink rice drinks as their only drink.Fine as part of a varied, balanced diet.
UK – NHSNo rice-cake-specific advice on the pages we checked.Not for children under 5.Babies can eat rice. UK law caps arsenic in rice, with stricter limits for foods for young children.
USA – FDANo rice-cake-specific advice on the page we checked.Not covered on the page we checked.Eat a variety of nutritious foods to limit exposure to any one contaminant.

Checked against each authority's own pages on 19 October 2026. Follow the guidance where you live; when in doubt, the Swedish advice is the most cautious.

The authorities read the same evidence and reach different practical rules. None of them treats an occasional rice cake as an emergency. The difference is whether rice cakes should be a regular snack for a small child, and the Nordic agencies say no.

If you do offer rice snacks

  • Keep them occasional, not a daily snack, and count them together with rice porridge, rice noodles and other rice snacks. Sweden's weekly limit for children covers all rice products combined.
  • Choose plain, unsalted versions. The NHS advises against salty foods and added salt for babies.
  • Read the label of baby puffs: many are rice-based, others use corn, oats or mixed grains. Rotating brands and grains spreads the exposure.
  • For a beginner, only offer puffs that soften quickly when moistened. Hard rice cakes that snap into dry, sharp pieces are better left until chewing skills are well established.
  • Seat your baby upright and stay with them for every snack, as with any food.

Rice is still fine: how to cook it with less arsenic

  • Cook rice in a large amount of water and pour the excess away. The Swedish Food Agency says this can more than halve the arsenic content.
  • Don't always choose brown or wholegrain rice: arsenic collects in the outer layers, so wholegrain rice often contains more than white rice.
  • Buying organic does not help, because the arsenic comes from the soil.
  • Ready-made baby foods that use a little rice flour or starch to thicken them are fine; the amounts are small.
  • Rotate grains across the week: oats, barley, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, wheat pasta and corn all work for babies.
Illustrated week of seven breakfast bowls: four contain rice dishes and three contain oats, barley and buckwheat
Example of rotating grains over a week. Sweden's advice for children is rice or rice products no more than four times a week.

Snacks to offer instead

  • From around 6 months: soft ripe fruit in easy-to-hold pieces, such as banana or pear; steamed vegetable sticks; toast fingers made from lower-salt bread with a thin spread; oat porridge fingers.
  • From around 9 months, as chewing improves: plain full-fat yogurt with mashed fruit; small pieces of soft pasteurised cheese; soft-cooked pasta shapes.
  • Corn, oat or mixed-grain puffs, if you like the convenience of a puff, chosen unsalted and offered occasionally.

Frequently asked questions

My baby has already eaten rice cakes. Should I worry?
No need to panic. The concern in the guidance is regular intake over a long time, not an occasional rice cake in the past. Change what you offer from now on, and talk to your child health nurse or doctor if you have questions.
Are baby puffs the same as rice cakes?
Not exactly. Many puffs are made from rice, but not all. Norway's food authority found that puffed rice did not show the same high levels as rice cakes. Sweden still counts rice snacks towards children's weekly rice limit, so check the label and rotate grains.
Is brown or organic rice safer?
No. Brown and wholegrain rice often contain more arsenic than white rice, and organic farming does not change arsenic levels, according to the Swedish Food Agency.
Can my baby still have rice porridge or baby rice?
Yes, as part of a varied diet. In Sweden, count it within the limit of rice products no more than four times a week, and vary between types and brands.
At what age can children eat rice cakes?
Sweden says from age 6, occasionally, depending on how much other rice the child eats. The other authorities we checked set no specific age. Wherever you live, unsalted and occasional is the sensible approach.

Sources & References

This guide is informed by current guidelines from leading health organizations:

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