How to feed your vegetarian baby
If you’re vegetarian and are thinking about weaning your little one as a vegetarian, you’ve probably got lots of questions about how to give them the right nutrients.
Here's our helpful guide to vegetarian weaning to ensure your
baby gets a balanced diet.
What is a vegetarian diet?
Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish or animal by-products such as
gelatine. Some people eat fish but not meat (they are known as
pescatarians) and some people exclude some but not all types of
meat or fish from the diet.
This article focuses on vegetarian diets that do not include any
meat, fish or animal by-products but do include dairy foods and
Make sure your vegetarian baby eats foods from all 4
Vegetarian diets can be very nutritious, as long as you ensure
your baby gets a balanced diet with lots of variety. Not only will
this mean your baby enjoys a wide range of tastes and textures, it
also provides a good range of nutrients to help them grow and
develop. Try to offer a variety of foods from each of the 4
- Starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta, rice at
every meal - white versions are fine, as it's best not to give a
high fibre diet at this stage. Too much fibre can make babies get
full too quickly and can also stop some essential nutrients, such
as calcium and iron, being absorbed.
- Fruit and vegetables at every meal - these are a
great source of vitamins and minerals. Try to introduce a wide
range of different coloured fruit and vegetables to your baby to
get them used to the different tastes and textures. This will also
provide a wider range of nutrients.
- Dairy foods - milk is still an important source of
nutrients for your baby, so while weaning, you should still provide
at least 500ml breast milk or follow-on formula. Other dairy foods
you can offer include cheese and yogurt or fromage frais.
- Protein foods twice a day - examples include eggs
(make sure they are cooked through), beans, pulses, soya and nuts
(whole and chopped nuts are a choking hazard, only use ground nuts
or smooth nut butters).
Make sure you provide enough calories, protein, iron,
calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D
- Energy - some vegetarian diets can be very low in calories. To
provide enough energy for your baby to grow and develop, try to
include some healthy fats from foods like avocado, full fat
yoghurt, olive oil and smooth nut butters.
- Protein - babies need protein to grow. Most of
what they need is provided by breastmilk or follow-on formula but
you can also introduce foods like eggs, beans, pulses, yogurt,
cheese and soya. Try to give a variety of these foods in a day to
provide all the essential types of protein, rather than just
relying on cheese, for example.
- Iron - this mineral is essential for the
development of the brain and is mainly found in red meat. Non-meat
sources of iron include apricots, lentils, fortified baby cereals
and baby foods and green vegetables like broccoli. To help your
baby to absorb this iron, try to include a source of vitamin C with
meals, such as a diluted fruit juice.
- Calcium - this mineral is needed to help bones to
grow and is found primarily in milk (breastmilk or follow-on
formula) and other dairy products like cheese and yoghurt.
- Vitamin B12 - this vitamin is only found in animal
products, including milk, cheese and eggs. However, it is also
present in fortified baby cereals. The main function of vitamin B12
is to keep the nervous system healthy and to make red blood
- Vitamin D - this is needed for healthy bone growth
and can be found in eggs, dairy products and fortified baby
cereals. Most babies would benefit from a vitamin D supplement and
drops containing vitamins A, C and D are recommended by the
Department of Health. Your healthcare professional can tell you
more about these.
What should I feed and when?
Age of baby
What to feed
Foods to avoid
- The Department of Health recommends that babies are not weaned
before the age of 6 months. However, if you decide to wean earlier,
talk to your healthcare professional and never wean your baby
before the age of 17 weeks.
- Start with well cooked pureed vegetables and fruit or baby rice
mixed with baby's usual milk
- When introducing allergens such as egg, soya, cow's milk,
introduce each one separately, leaving a few days in between to
check for any allergic responses.
- If you have a history of allergies in the family, speak to your
healthcare professional before introducing any allergens.
- The latest advice on peanuts is that if you would like to give
your baby nuts, it's fine to do so, even if there is a history of
allergies in the family. Whole and chopped nuts should be avoided
as they are a choking
- Mashed well-cooked vegetables
- Mashed ripe fruit e.g. banana or cooked, peeled apple and
- Mashed lentils (dhal), split peas and hummus mixed with
- Mashed well cooked egg, tofu or pulses
- Full fat yoghurts and cheese provide calcium and energy
- Offer finger foods such as well cooked carrot sticks and slices
- Make sure eggs are cooked until solid all the way through
- Avoid adding salt and sugar to foods
- Make sure eggs are cooked until solid all the way through
- Do not offer cow's milk as a main drink until over the age of
- Do not give honey until after the age of 12 months as this can
cause food poisoning
- Lentils, split peas and chick peas
- Chopped up tofu
- Cubes of cheese
- Harder finger foods e.g. vegetables that are still a bit
'crunchy'; toast soldiers
- Slices of cheese or vegetable omelette
- Avoid using products like Quorn until your baby is older, as it
is very low fat so does not provide enough energy
- Adult meat substitute products such as vegeburgers should be
avoided as they have too much salt for babies
- Most foods can now be offered and your baby should now be
eating 3 meals and 2 snacks a day
- Food still needs to be chopped up so your toddler can feed
- Don't give semi-skimmed milk until the age of 2 years and don't
offer skimmed milk until 5 years of age
Can I give my baby a vegan weaning diet?
The Food Standards Agency does not recommend a vegan diet for
young babies as it is difficult to give them enough calories and
nutrients. However, with the right advice from a professional and
careful planning to provide the right nutrients, a vegan diet may