When and how can babies eat shrimp?

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Shrimp is a highly nutritious protein that can be a great addition to your baby's diet - and it is is easy to make. Find out how to serve shrimp for baby in age appropriate ways.

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Can babies eat shrimp?

Babies can eat shrimp as soon as they are ready to start eating solid foods.

American Academy of Pediatrics suggests common allergens such as shrimp be introduced as soon as possible in order to minimize the risk of development of food allergies.

Due to their round shape and rubbery surface shrimps do pose a choking hazard, however we have explained later on in this article safe ways to introduce shrimp for baby-led weaning.

If you are doing purees then wait until the baby develops pincer grasp in order to serve shrimp for baby.

Is shrimp high in sodium?

Shrimp can be very high in sodium, depending where it is sourced and whether you buy fresh of frozen. We recommend buying frozen shrimp but checking the ingredients - make sure that the ingredients are only shrimp and no added salt.

Do not serve or buy baby canned shrimp, shrimp powder, smoked, pickled, frozen breaded shrimp or any variations of shrimp.

Best is raw shrimp where you cook it perfectly to avoid any food-borne disease and where you know exactly what you are serving.

Shrimp health benefits

Shrimp is quite healthy for young children and supports healthy growth and development.

It is low in mercury yet a good source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B6, B12, iodine, calcium, selenium and zinc.

What kind of shrimp to buy?

There are many different varieties of shrimp you can buy. We recommend wild-caught shrimp since farmed shrimp are treated with antibiotics and hormones.

If you are based in the USA, a quick search through EWG gives you information on which shrimp contains the least toxins for you and your baby.

How to prepare shrimp for baby?

Never serve baby, toddler or pregnant women raw prawns due to a high risk of foodborne illness.

The best way to cook shrimp is by sautéing. This is the way we prepare it for our baby, toddler and adults in the family.

collage showing to cook shrimp for baby-led weaning

Remove the shrimp from the packaging and rinse to remove any bits of shell.
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and crushed garlic.
Once heated add the thawed whole shrimp and sauté until they all turn pink and curl up - around 5 minutes. Here you can add some lemon juice also.
Remove from heat and serve in an age-appropriate way.

How to serve baby-led weaning shrimp?

Due to shrimp being a high allergy risk, high choking hazard and comes with a risk of food poisoning there are 3 main things to consider - minimize choking by cutting it accordingly once cooked, cook it throughly and give in small pieces to control for any allergy.

6 month old baby-led weaning shrimp

cut into tiny pieces the size of a pinky fingernail and mix with some avocado and olive oil
make into shrimp cakes

9 month old baby-weaning when baby has developed pincer grasp and is ready to eat finger foods

same as you did for 6 month old baby
cut the shrimp lengthwise and then again into small pieces

12 months old +

same as for 9 month old baby
sliced lengthwise so they can hold it

image showing 3 different images of how to serve shrimp for baby

What to serve with shrimp for baby?

We like mashing the shrimp in some guacamole, but shrimp goes well with baked sweet potato, avochttps://www.creativenourish.com/first-baby-puree-avocado/ado, zucchini, broccoli for baby, peas, potatoes. Combine it with any starch and vegetable you have on hand and serve them all in an age appropriate way.

Shellfish Allergy Baby

Shrimps as a whole lot of other shellfish are known as allergenic foods so shellfish allergies are not that rare.

If your baby has an allergy you cannot really avoid it but you can make sure to do all precautions when you serve shrimp for the first time.

Make sure it is done during a weekday and at home in the morning / lunch hours where you have your doctor handy. An allergic reaction will almost always occur in the first 20 minutes from the time they eat the shrimp.

In case of a mild reaction, call your doctor and follow the steps they provide. In case it turns out to be a severe allergic reaction, you will need to either go to the ER or call an ambulance in parallel with your doctor. These severe allergic reactions are pretty rare and when they happen they are usually related to family history of seafood allergies.

FAQ

Can toddlers eat shrimp?

Yes toddlers can eat shrimp. Make sure that it is cooked throughly and always cut lengthwise so it is not round in shape and therefore you minimize the risk of choking. Also buy raw frozen shrimp that has no added salt or unnecessary ingredients.

How much shrimp can a 1 year old have?

There is no official rule as to how much shrimp a 1 year old can have but like with any other food I would not recommend to go overboard. Once you know you are clear of allergy then start by serving a handful of shrimps and see how it goes. Naturally if your child is asking for more you can give them.

It's more of a question how often it should be served and with shrimps you just follow the recommendation for fish and seafood of 2 - 3 times per week.

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