When Can My Baby Eat Eggs?

Starting solid foods may be a fun and exciting baby milestone, but it also may come with a fair amount of uncertainty. You may wonder whether your baby is ready to safely eat solids, and even if they are, you might not be totally sure which foods are OK from the get-go.

If you are wondering whether you can serve your infant a helping of eggs at the table, know that eggs are an excellent food for babies over 6 months in age. As long as they are fully cooked, eggs are a good source of protein and iron that your baby can eat as one of their first foods. "Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse," says Krystyn Parks, RD, a pediatric registered dietitian and creator of Feeding Made Easy. "They are a great source of many of the nutrients that babies need to grow."

Are Eggs Safe for My Baby?

You can give your baby eggs when they are ready to start eating solid foods, generally around 6 months of age. While we often see age cited as indicating a baby is ready for solids, developmental markers are also a crucial sign. Signs of readiness include having good head control, sitting up without support, no tongue thrust reflex, a developing pincher grasp, weighing at least double their birth weight, and showing an interest in table foods.

Benefits of Giving Baby Eggs

Eggs are a versatile food choice that provide babies with many nutritional benefits.

Choline

Eggs contain choline, an essential nutrient required for metabolism. Choline promotes brain development and strengthens memory, while choline deficiency can cause liver problems. Mindfully feeding your baby choline-rich foods like eggs can help them get enough. "Choline is lacking in many diets," notes Parks.

Iron

Iron is an important nutrient for your baby. "At around 6 months of age, your baby will require foods that are high in iron in order to replenish the iron stores that have been used up over their first 6 months of life," explains Aimee Tyler-Smith RD, B.Ed, a registered pediatric dietician and the creator of The Nest: Nutrition for Mama and Baby. After this point, it is essential to get plenty of iron from supplements or food sources.

Babies 7 to 12 months old need about 11 milligrams of iron daily. A single egg contains about 1.67 milligrams of iron, getting in a good chunk of baby's daily requirement.

Protein

Eggs are a good source of high-quality protein. Infants over 6 months in age require about 1.12 grams of protein per kilogram that they weigh. So, an 8-month-old who weighs about 10 kilograms will need about 10 grams of protein daily. A single egg has about 12 grams of protein so it can cover a day's worth of protein all on its own, even if some pieces end up on the floor.

Safety Precautions

Feeding your baby eggs has many benefits, but there are a few safety precautions to be aware of.

Constipation

Animal foods high in protein, like eggs, tend to lack fiber and can cause constipation if they aren't consumed in conjunction with high fiber foods. The best way to combat this is to offer plenty of foods high in fiber, such as fruits and vegetables as well as adequate fluids, in the form of breast milk or formula.

Egg Allergy

Eggs are a top nine allergen so you should introduce them carefully and watch for a reaction. It is recommended to expose babies to common allergens early on, but not as first foods. Feed your baby eggs without introducing anything else new into their diet for three to five days and watch carefully for signs of an allergy.

If your baby does not have a negative reaction to eggs, it's OK to continue to feed them eggs regularly. This is recommended to reduce the chances of an allergy surfacing. "Introducing high-allergen foods early on is a great way to decrease the risk of your baby developing an allergy," notes Tyler-Smith.

Serve Eggs Fully Cooked

Your baby may prefer their eggs scrambled or hardboiled, but they should not have them over easy or poached. Infants should consume only fully cooked food to avoid the risk of salmonella. Note that cooking eggs is not the same as cooking them fully. To be considered safe for babies, the egg yolk should not run at all.

When and How to Introduce Eggs

Once your baby starts solids, it is safe to introduce eggs. Just in case they are allergic, it is advisable to wait to introduce eggs until after your baby has been exposed to several foods first. "Although a baby can be allergic to any food, I generally recommend to give a food that is less likely to be allergenic first, so that a baby doesn't have a reaction the first time they eat and associate that reaction with all foods," explains Parks.

Serve the eggs fully cooked so that the yolk does not run at all. Cook the whole egg or serve the yolk alone. "Much of the nutrition is found in the yolk, so I recommend giving the entire egg, not just the white," notes Parks.

Scrambling or hard boiling the eggs are both safe choices. Parks suggests preparing an omelet and then cutting it into finger-sized strips for self-feeding babies. You can also mash a hardboiled egg with avocado if you are spoon-feeding your baby.

What Amount of Eggs Should I Give My Baby?

Parents often wonder whether they can give their baby too much of a healthy food. This is probably the case with any food, mainly because babies require a variety of nutrients. As long as you offer your baby different food choices throughout the day, you probably will not give them too many eggs.

"If you are offering eggs to your child at every meal, that means you probably aren't offering a variety of other foods," explains Parks. "For allergy prevention, the recommendation is to serve a few times per week, if possible."

A Word From Verywell

Eggs are nutrient-rich and safe for babies. Just make sure to always cook eggs completely. Introduce eggs early on, but not as the very first food, and let your baby try eggs for three to five days while you watch for potential allergic reaction. During this time, do not introduce other new foods.

If your baby does fine with eggs, you can continue offering them regularly. If you have any questions or concerns about feeding your baby eggs, reach out to your pediatrician.