There are different ways to serve eggs for baby-weaning, including making an egg omelet or cooking hard boiled eggs for baby. Egg is also a common allergen so precaution should be taken when introducing eggs. Look through our thorough guide to see how to introduce eggs for baby-led weaning.
When can babies have eggs?
In the past the recommendation for babies eating eggs was that they should start at about 2 years of age.
New recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics state that a baby can have eggs for the first time as soon as they are ready to start eating solid foods.
However there are a few things to consider - egg allergy and how to introduce eggs for baby.
Egg Food Allergy
Eggs are a common food allergen.
Egg white and egg yolk are separate allergens. They can be introduced together or separately. We advise you introduce them separately in order to know which allergy your baby has (if they have one).
Even the smallest amount of eggs can exhibit an allergic reaction. However, risk factors for egg allergies are a family history of allergies as well as allergies to another food.
As with other allergenic foods and food allergy, make sure you introduce the egg white and egg yolk (egg white being the more common allergen) separately and during the morning of a working day while you have your doctor working.
In case your child shows one of the following symptoms - rash or tingliness of the mouth or tongue, call your doctor and follow their medical advice.
In case of a severe allergic reaction like difficulty breathing, you will need to go urgently to the emergency room or call an ambulance.
Benefits of eggs
Eggs are one of the best foods you can give your baby when starting weaning as well as throughout their childhood.
They are a nutrient-rich food containing a high amount of protein and essential amino acids as well as b vitamins and vitamin D which can all help the child's brain development.
There has been a lot of talk that too much egg consumption, especially egg yolks, can lead to high blood cholesterol, but newer research shows that the amount of cholesterol from eggs in the body is only 30%.
How to introduce eggs to baby?
If you are starting with pureed food we advise you to wait until baby is ready to transition to finger foods (about 9 months old), just because egg puree sounds like a bad idea and not tasty at all.
If you are starting with baby-led weaning then there are different ways you can introduce eggs from 6 months of age. We do recommend you serve yolk and white separately on different days to know which of them is an allergen:
- hard boiled eggs for baby
- egg yolk and egg white separated. Hard boil the egg and then quarter it. Remove the yolk and mash it with some olive oil and serve on a preloaded spoon. The white will be big enough for baby to hold and crush with their gums.
- egg omelete for baby
- first time serving only egg white omelette and next time only egg yolk omelet
- after you have tested for egg allergy you can serve a normal egg omelet and even add some onion, spinach etc
- cut the egg omelette strips as shown in the image
- in pancakes, savory muffins, on french toast and any healthy baked good once you have tested baby for egg allergy
- At 9 months of age when using pincer grasp
- cut the hard-boiled eggs in bite sized pieces
- cut the omelete into bite sized smaller pieces
- scrambelled eggs into small pieces
- At 12 months of age
- whole hard boiled egg for baby to hold and bite. You can give them the egg with the peel on so they can learn to peel the egg and develop their fine motor skills.
- cutting eggs into bite sized pieces
- scrambelled eggs
- pancakes, savory muffins, on french toast, sugar-free muffins, egg-muffins, biscuits etc
Whichever way you choose you always need to make sure the eggs are fully cooked so to limit exposure to Salmonella.
How to make hard-boiled eggs for baby?
1. Place eggs in a pot of cold water and make sure the eggs are covered with water about 2 cm / 1 inch. Bring to boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook in that water for 12 minutes.
2. Transfer the eggs into a bowl with cold water (and you can add ice) and let them sit for 15 minutes. This will make them easier to peel later.
How to make egg omelette for baby?
This is a recipe for a basic egg omelette for baby. You can make it using just egg whites or egg yolks. Use 4 eggs in that case in order to get the volume, otherwise if using an entire egg then you can use 2 eggs.
1. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a non-stick skillet on the stove.
2. Crack 2 eggs in a bowl and beat with a fork until yolk and white are combined.
3. Pour the eggs into the skillet and use a silicone spatula to gently lift the cooked eggs from the edges of the pan. Tilt the pan so that the uncooked parts of the eggs flow to the edge of the pan.
4. Fold the omelette in half and slide it onto a plate.
5. Cut and serve it according to the age of the baby.
When can a child have runny eggs?
Truthfully, my kids aged 4 and 2 still have fully cooked eggs as I really like to make every precaution to avoid foodborne illness.
The recommendations on when a child can have runny eggs are different between countries. In the US, it is not recommended for anyone while in the rest of the world you will see people giving runny eggs to babies.
In general, I would say that if you are certain of the origin of the eggs and that they have been stored safely, it is safe to give your child runny eggs from the age of 5.
FAQ
No, but any food is a choking hazard. The egg yolk from hard boiled eggs may be too dry in which case coat it in some olive oil when serving to baby and make sure they always have a cup of water next to them.
It is not easy for a 6 month old baby to eat scrambled eggs. Best would be to wait until baby is using pincer grasp, which happens around 9 months of age. And then you can serve scrambled eggs in bite sized pieces.
There are different ways to feed baby eggs depending on their age. You can start baby-led weaning eggs at 6 months of age by giving baby pieces of hard boiled egg, thin long strips of egg omelet or egg in pancakes, egg muffins etc.
Baby-led Weaning
- 3-ingredient Oat Banana Pancakes for Baby
- Easy Thin Dairy-Free Crepes
- Healthy Gluten-Free Breakfast Apple Oat Cake (Flourless)
- Broccoli Cheese Patties (Suitable For Kids)
If you've tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then please rate it and leave us a comment below!
How to serve eggs for baby-led weaning
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
Instructions
How to make hard boiled eggs for baby?
- Place eggs in a pot of cold water and make sure the eggs are covered with water about 2 cm / 1 inch. Bring to boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook in that water for 12 minutes.
- Transfer the eggs into a bowl with cold water (and you can add ice) and let them sit for 15 minutes. This will make them easier to peel later.
How to make egg omelet for baby?
- This is a recipe for a basic egg omelette for baby. You can make it using just egg whites or egg yolks. Use 4 eggs in that case in order to get the volume, otherwise if using an entire egg then you can use 2 eggs.
- Heat olive oil on medium heat in a non-stick skillet on the stove.
- Crack 2 eggs in a bowl and beat with a fork until yolk and white are combined.
- Pour the eggs into the skillet and use a silicone spatula to gently lift the cooked eggs from the edges of the pan. Tilt the pan so that the uncooked parts of the eggs flow to the edge of the pan.
- Fold the omelette in half and slide it onto a plate.
- Cut and serve it according to the age of the baby.
Notes
- hard boiled eggs for baby
- egg yolk and egg white separated. Hard boil the egg and then quarter it. Remove the yolk and mash it with some olive oil and serve on a preloaded spoon. The white will be big enough for baby to hold and crush with their gums.
- egg omelete for baby
- first time serving only egg white omelette and next time only egg yolk omelet
- after you have tested for egg allergy you can serve a normal egg omelet and even add some onion, spinach etc
- cut the egg omelette strips as shown in the image
- in pancakes, savory muffins, on french toast and any healthy baked good once you have tested baby for egg allergy
- At 9 months of age when using pincer grasp
- cut the hard-boiled eggs in bite sized pieces
- cut the omelete into bite sized smaller pieces
- scrambelled eggs into small pieces
- At 12 months of age
- whole hard boiled egg for baby to hold and bite. You can give them the egg with the peel on so they can learn to peel the egg and develop their fine motor skills.
- cutting eggs into bite sized pieces
- scrambelled eggs
- pancakes, savory muffins, on french toast, sugar-free muffins, egg-muffins, biscuits etc
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