Can babies eat tuna? Yes, but in a controlled way. How? Let me tell you what I learned.
I still remember when I was young, canned tuna was honestly heavenly. My mom would toss it in a salad with a little onion and lemon, and for me, that was it. No bones to worry about, easy to check, so soft to the touch, and just so filling. It was my go-to quick fix when I came home hungry from school, and I know a lot of adults who exercise still eat it for the same reason.
So when my cousin’s baby passed the 6th month milestone last year, I had the same question you have now. Can we give him that same soft, bone-free tuna we all grew up loving? Is it good for big kids and babies too?
I asked his pediatrician and did a lot of reading, and here is the honest answer.
Yes, you can give tuna after 6 months, but you cannot give it like we eat it. The big issue is mercury.
I had no idea about this before. Apparently, all fish have a little mercury, and too much is not good for a baby’s developing brain. So the type of tuna matters a lot.
When you go to the store, you will see two types. The safe one is the small can that says “Chunk Light Tuna in Water”. That’s usually Skipjack tuna and it is low in mercury. That is the one you want for your baby.
The one you want to avoid is the can that says “Solid White” or “Albacore” tuna. My cousin made this mistake. White tuna has almost 3 times more mercury, so doctors say to avoid it for babies or give it only very rarely.
And portion size? This surprised me too. For a baby between 6 and 12 months, the FDA says only about 1 ounce per week. That is just 2 tablespoons of mashed tuna, once a week. Not every day. I thought you could give it daily like dal, but no.
How we make it for babies is also completely different from our spicy tuna salad.
For a 6 to 9 month old, here is what his mom does. She takes that Chunk Light Tuna in water, the low-salt one, drains it completely, and then mashes it super smooth with a little breastmilk or mashed avocado. She checks it with her fingers twice for any bone, even though canned tuna rarely has bones. She started with literally one small spoon and waited 3 days to check for any rash.
For 9 to 12 months, she now flakes it into tiny, tiny pieces and mixes it with soft khichdi or mashed sweet potato. Still no salt, no mayo, no black pepper.
Now that he is 13 months, she makes little soft patties. Just tuna, one egg, a little breadcrumb, lightly fried in olive oil. He loves it.
A few things I learned the hard way:
- Never give raw tuna or sushi from a restaurant to a baby.
- Never add mayo or salt before 1 year. I know it tastes bland to us, but avocado makes it creamy.
- Always ask your doctor first. Especially if anyone in your family has a fish or shellfish allergy.
So yes, that heavenly, soft, easy-to-check tuna we loved as kids can be good for babies too. It is full of protein and Omega-3 for brain development. You just have to serve the right type, in the right amount, in the right way.