How to Serve Sardines for Baby
Last updated October 2026
Sardines are oily fish listed among the FDA/EPA lower-mercury Best Choices. They may be offered when a baby is ready for solids, usually around six months, if fully cooked, deboned as needed and served in a manageable texture.
Fish is an allergen. Canned sardines are typically cooked, but brands differ in salt and in how soft the bones have become. Inspect each portion and remove any firm or sharp bones: the phrase 'bones and all' is not a safety guarantee.
Quick answer
Babies ready for complementary foods at around six months may try a small amount of fully cooked sardine. Introduce fish separately from other new allergens when practical and seek individual advice for known fish allergy.
Select Baby's Age
6–8 months
Early feeding: carefully checked sardine mash
Use plain cooked sardines, ideally lower sodium. Drain, inspect the flesh and all bones, removing anything hard or sharp. Mash soft flesh into a moist vegetable purée. Canned sardine bones may crumble but should not be left in if they remain firm.
6 month baby feeding schedule for more tips.
9–11 months
Developing grasp: moist flakes
After verifying cooked fish is free of hard bones, break into small soft flakes and stir through moist cooked grains or vegetables. Avoid hard fish-cake crusts or dry lumps; match texture to actual feeding skills.
12+ months
Toddlers: keep checking bones and salt
Continue offering thoroughly cooked soft sardine flakes, with all hard or sharp bones removed. Check salt labels and avoid heavily seasoned tins. No particular weekly count or one-whole-sardine dose is required just because a child turns one.
When can babies eat sardines?
FDA/EPA lists sardines as a lower-mercury Best Choice. Its age-one-and-above weekly seafood serving guidance is not an infant sardine quota.
Cook fresh sardines thoroughly until flesh flakes and is opaque. US FDA guidance lists 63°C / 145°F for most seafood; follow applicable local regulations. Carefully remove bones and check the finished soft texture. For canned fish, follow storage instructions and check sodium labels.
See our first foods for baby guide for more ideas.
Sardine recipe ideas for babies
These meals use thoroughly cooked sardine flesh after inspection and removal of firm bones.
- Checked, deboned sardine mash with soft potato and peas
- Soft sardine flakes in moist millet and cauliflower
- Tender fish-potato finger foods with no hard bones or crust
- Soft sardine spread made with an already tolerated dairy ingredient
Explore our baby-led weaning food list and first foods for baby for more inspiration.
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View all feeding guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Can a baby eat the small bones in canned sardines?
Some canned bones soften substantially, but never assume every bone is safe. Inspect the fish and remove any firm or sharp bone, then mash to a manageable texture.
Is there a required weekly amount of sardines for babies?
No fixed infant sardine quota is established here. The US FDA/EPA fish portion examples begin at age one; vary complementary foods and follow local guidance.
Sources & References
This guide is informed by current guidelines from leading health organizations:
- ●FDA — Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely FDA
- ●FDA — Fish Advice for Children FDA
- ●NHS Best Start in Life - Introducing foods that could trigger an allergic reaction NHS
- ●NHS - Preparing Food Safely for Babies NHS
- ●CDC — Choking Hazards (reviewed March 2026) CDC
