Toasted bread is a go-to for babies and toddlers — it’s an easy pleaser for little palates and you can top it with all kinds of wholesome ingredients.
Families following a baby-led weaning approach tend to introduce bread early on, but it’s an equally good option for spoon-fed babies who have graduated to finger foods. Here’s when you can add bread to the menu, how to serve it safely, plus the healthiest bread options for babies and toddlers.
When can babies have bread?
If you're trying baby-led weaning (an approach that introduces solids in the form of soft, gummable finger foods instead of spoon-feeding your baby purées), your mini muncher can take her first bite of bread early on after starting solids, usually around 6 months. But since bread is a finger food, you’ll want to make sure your cutie has met the milestones for self-feeding before putting it on the menu.
Confirm with your pediatrician, too, that you have the green light to introduce multi-ingredient foods. That’s especially important if you’re planning on serving a type of bread that contains multiple allergens — in addition to wheat, some breads also contain milk or eggs. (To tell if your little one has a possible food allergy, it’s important to introduce potentially allergenic foods by themselves before serving them mixed with other ingredients.)
How to prepare bread for your baby
Stick with soft or lightly toasted bread — very toasted bread can be dry and hard, and pose a possible choking risk. Remove the crusts, too, which can be tougher for babies and toddlers to chew.
The best types of bread for babies are made primarily with whole grains, but don’t rely on the front of the packaging to let you know what’s really inside your loaf. Instead, check the ingredients: The healthiest options contain whole grains like whole wheat (not just “wheat”) or oatmeal first on the list.
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The tips below can help parents determine how to serve bread at different stages, but keep in mind that all babies develop at their own pace. Speak with your pediatrician before beginning baby-led weaning, and talk to him or her if you have any concerns about your child's oral-motor skills, chewing skills, swallowing skills, or if you're unsure whether or not your baby is ready for certain food preparations.
How to prepare bread for a 6-month-old
Lightly toast bread, cut off the crusts and slice into thick strips (about the width of two fingers) for your baby to palm and gum. You can serve bread plain or add a very thin smear of hummus, mashed avocado, smooth nut butter or unsalted butter, once your child has been introduced to each of those ingredients separately.
How to prepare bread for a 9-month-old
Encourage your older baby to work on her pincer grasp by cutting soft or lightly toasted bread (crusts removed) into very small pieces. To make your life easier, spread any toppings on before cutting!
How to prepare bread for a 12-month-old
Your 1-year-old can try eating a quarter (or two quarters, if she’s really hungry) of a sandwich on soft or lightly toasted bread. Try hummus with finely shredded carrot or diced tomato; cream cheese with very thinly sliced and peeled cucumber; or a very thin layer of smooth peanut butter with sliced banana.
Bread serving ideas for babies and toddlers
The slices are good for more than smearing with peanut butter or avocado. Just remember to always introduce one food at a time, especially top allergens like eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, dairy and seafood.
Some delicious ways to work bread into the menu:
- Easy French toast sticks. For babies over 1 who can have cow's milk, dunk bread slices into beaten egg and milk (add a pinch of pure vanilla extract or ground cinnamon, if you’d like) and pan-fry in butter until golden. Skip the syrup and serve with fresh fruit for sweetness.
- Baked into a strata. Fold pieces of torn or cubed bread into beaten egg, veggies and cheese, and bake until golden and puffed.
- As a crust for baked eggs. Line muffin tins with pieces of bread, crack an egg into each tin and bake until the egg is set.
- Toasted cheese cubes. Make a toasted cheese sandwich and cut into small cubes for your baby to pick up with her fingers (or later, try spearing with a fork).
- Pizza toast. Spread a thin layer of low-sodium tomato sauce on bread, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and toast until bubbly.
- Sweet potato pie toast. Spread toast with a thin layer of smooth almond butter, followed by a layer of mashed baked sweet potato. Top with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
What are the benefits of bread for babies and toddlers?
Breads made from whole grains like whole wheat, oats, barley or brown rice offer important vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, selenium, potassium and magnesium to support your tot’s growth. They also serve up complex carbohydrates, giving your cutie lasting energy (read: she’ll be fuller for longer) and delivering fiber to keep constipation at bay.
Plus, since toast is such a good serving vehicle for other foods — think hummus, nut butter, avocado — it’s a helpful tool for upping the overall nutritional content of your cutie’s meal.
Can babies be allergic to bread?
Wheat, the main ingredient in most breads, is a common allergen. Depending on the bread, you might encounter other allergens like egg or milk, too. So if your little one has a known egg or milk allergy, be sure to check a bread’s ingredient list thoroughly before buying or serving.
Your baby or toddler might have a food allergy if, soon after eating (within minutes to a few hours), she experiences:
- Hives
- Itching
- Skin, lip or tongue swelling
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Throat tightness or trouble swallowing
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea
- Trouble breathing
Keep in mind, too, that exposure to wheat can trigger symptoms in babies and toddlers with celiac disease. Celiac disease, an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, is different from a wheat allergy, and is often marked by symptoms like diarrhea, gas, constipation or bloating and can cause digestive problems that make it difficult for children’s bodies to absorb nutrients and thrive.
If you suspect that your baby or toddler has an allergy to an ingredient in bread or a wheat intolerance, take the bread (and other foods containing the ingredient) off the menu and discuss her symptoms with your pediatrician right away. The doctor might recommend blood or skin testing to confirm the diagnosis.
Call your doctor right away if your child experiences symptoms of an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction may be more severe or possibly life-threatening (called anaphylaxis) if multiple areas of the body are affected. In the rare event that your child shows signs of a life-threatening allergic reaction like trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911 right away.
Is bread a choking hazard for babies?
Chunks of bread can be a choking hazard for babies. Make sure you're preparing bread safely for your little one by removing the crusts, lightly toasting it and cutting it into small, bite-sized pieces that are appropriate for her age.
Make sure, too, to always supervise your young child when she's eating, sit her upright during mealtimes and never serve food while she's reclining, walking, sitting in a car seat or playing.
When it comes to a source of complex carbohydrates that also serves as a delivery vehicle for other wholesome ingredients, bread can’t be beat. Just make sure to stick with whole grain options that are as low in salt and sugar as possible to ensure the best nutrition for your nosher.
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