The Benefits of Eggs for Babies + How to Serve Them Safely
October 2022
Last reviewed: October 2022
Author:
Hyemyung Kim, RD, CDN, CNSC, CLC
Coauthors:
Johane Filemon, MS, RDN, CLT
About Kids Eat in Color
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Author:
Hyemyung Kim, RD, CDN, CNSC, CLC
Coauthors:
Johane Filemon, MS, RDN, CLT
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Inside: Are eggs good for babies? Learn the concerns and the benefits of eggs for babies from a pediatric dietitian, including how to serve them safely as a puree or as a finger food for baby-led weaning.
Eggs contain valuable nutrients that support brain health and can therefore play a crucial role in infant development.
Because of this, eggs are an excellent food to serve when starting solids as a puree or as a finger food for baby-led weaning. Want to learn how to prepare them safely?
In this article, our pediatric dietitian talks all about eggs for babies, including how to cook them for any feeding style. We’ll also discuss how to prevent choking with eggs and how to know if your child may be allergic.
Note: While eggs are a nutrient-rich food that can be introduced to babies as soon as they are ready for solids, they should not be the first food offered, but rather introduced after the baby has tolerated a few other typical baby starter foods. Learn more below!
Yes. Eggs are good for babies because they are a nutrient-rich food high in protein, choline, iodine, selenium and B vitamins.
The egg yolk contains many of these nutrients plus more—fat-soluble vitamins (ADEK), carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin) and iron, for example. Egg whites provide most of the protein.
Eggs are unique in that its protein makeup contains all nine essential amino acids, and its protein is readily and highly bioavailable and used efficiently by the body.
More benefits of eggs for babies
Choline is very important for fetal brain development. One large egg will provide the daily choline needs for babies and toddlers.
Egg yolk is a good source of vitamin D and is one of few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Vitamin D is an important fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium and promote strong bones.
Eggs also act as a good source of naturally occurring DHA (approximately 30mg), which is an omega-3 fatty acid important for fetal growth and neurodevelopment.
Carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, found in egg yolks, are crucial for eye and brain development, especially as they are highly absorbed in eye and brain tissue during pregnancy and infancy. Did you know that lutein and zeaxanthin account for ~75% of the total carotenoids in the brain? (1,2)
Are eggs a choking hazard?
Yes, when they are served hard-boiled, eggs can be a choking hazard for babies due to the slippery texture of the egg white and dry, chalky texture of the egg yolk.
Gagging vs. choking
Eating is a new skill for your baby, and while learning to eat eggs, gagging can happen. Gagging is the body’s natural protective response to prevent choking.
Symptoms of gagging in babies include:
Gurgling
Coughing
Spitting
Audible gagging noises
The baby’s tongue will thrust forward to remove the food piece from their mouth.
The most important thing to remember is that gagging is normal and that you should not react when it happens. Instead, allow your child to work through their protective gag to continue eating/engaging with the new foods.
The symptoms of choking in babies include:
Silent/quiet struggling
Inability to cough
Inability to or difficulty breathing
If available to you, we recommend taking an infant CPR class.
When preparing eggs for babies, make sure to fully cook the egg with no runny or raw egg yolks. This minimizes the risk of your baby getting a foodborne illness like salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and even death.
Eggs can be prepared for babies in various manners including boiling, scrambling, frying and baking.
There are more creative recipes to offer an egg to baby, such as egg muffins, frittatas, egg pancakes and more, and these can be modified appropriately before serving to your baby.
The easiest way to make eggs for babies
The easiest method for serving an egg to a baby is to scramble and cook into large chunks, or to prepare an omelet and cut into thick, finger-length pieces.
Can you serve babies a hard-boiled egg?
A hard-boiled egg can be offered to your baby, but there is a higher risk of choking due to the slippery texture of the egg white and dry, chalky texture of the egg yolk.
It is easier to offer hard-boiled eggs mashed with a little breast milk, formula or water to add moisture to the mixture and serve on your baby’s favorite spoon.
How to puree eggs for baby
For parents who are doing purees to table food, here’s how you can make egg puree for your baby.
Blend a hard-boiled egg with breast milk, baby formula or water until the consistency is as desired. Serve puree to your baby on a spoon.
You could also mash a hard-boiled egg with breast milk, formula or water and serve it mixed into infant cereal or oatmeal and feed to your baby.
For parents who are doing baby led weaning, follow these steps to prepare eggs as a finger food for baby-led weaning.
One easy method is to serve the baby an omelet that is thoroughly cooked and cut into thick rectangular strips.
Another way is to whisk an egg with a splash of breast milk, formula or water and scramble the egg in a skillet, cooking it until it is firm enough to be picked up by hand. Using a smaller pan and allowing the egg mixture to first set slightly will make it easier to create large curds for the baby.
Once a baby develops their pincer grasp, a hard-boiled egg can be cut into quarters, or scrambled eggs can be made into smaller curds and given to baby to pick up using their fingers.
Are eggs an allergen?
Eggs are one of the most common food allergies and therefore part of the major food allergens list.
However, introduction to eggs should not be delayed. Research suggests that early introduction of egg at 4 to 6 months of age may significantly reduce the risk of egg allergy. (3)
Caution should be taken if your baby has risk factors for developing food allergies, including severe eczema, existing food allergy, and family history of atopic dermatitis, allergenic rhinitis, asthma or food allergy.
If risk factors are known, speak with your pediatrician to discuss the best steps to introduce egg to your baby safely.
Start feeding a few other foods first
Eggs should be introduced after your baby has tolerated a few other typical starter foods. Or, you can introduce them as an ingredient in other foods such as French toast strips, baked muffin with egg, infant cereal or oatmeal with egg.
After this combination introduction of eggs with other foods, they can then be offered to baby boiled, scrambled or as an omelet.
FPIES from eggs
Eggs can be a trigger for FPIES, or food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, which is different from a food allergy in that it is non-IgE mediated, so diagnosis is based on symptoms and responses to elimination diets and oral food challenges.
Symptoms for FPIES typically present itself within 1 to 4 hours after consumption, and the main symptom tends to be profuse, repetitive vomiting with or without diarrhea. FPIES is a rare food allergy that most often affects infants or young children. Most children will grow out of it by age 3 or 4. (4,5)
How to tell if a baby is having an allergic reaction to eggs?
If your baby is presenting with any of the following symptoms after eating eggs, they may be having an allergic reaction.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction include:
Hives
Vomiting
Itching
Swelling of the lip or tongue
Rashes
If any of these symptoms are observed, contact your pediatrician for guidance.
If signs of wheezing, throat tightness, difficulty swallowing or trouble breathing are observed, call 911 immediately as these are signs of an anaphylactic reaction.
Where to buy eggs
Eggs, although not a dairy food, are located in the dairy section of grocery stores. They can also be found in most farmer markets.
How to help babies learn to like eggs
Picky eating can start in infancy. As the parent, there are things you can do to prevent picky eating and help your child learn to like eggs.
Here are two activities you can try with your baby to support their relationship with food and their overall development.
Food play
Explore eggs through song. Consider singing to your baby about the eggs you are cooking, eating or serving. Here’s a song about eggs you can sing to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
“Yummy, yummy little egg, time to eat, don’t make me beg. Scrambled up for breakfast time, or hard-boiled, you are fine. Yummy, yummy little egg.”
Simple rhyming songs with familiar melodies engage your baby’s sense of hearing and assist with language development.
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Hyemyung Kim has been a registered and certified dietitian and nutrition support clinician for 10 years. She initially started her career as an inpatient dietitian with the adult population but fell into the role as a neonatal and pediatric dietitian after a co-worker needed to go on maternity leave. This led to her falling in love with this population and working with parents. She continued to progress her career working in the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units as the nutrition support dietitian and in the nutrition clinic as the outpatient dietitian. During this time, she also obtained her certification as a certified lactation counselor to promote breastfeeding and provide education and support for mothers.
It was while working as a clinical dietitian that Hyemyung got to meet and talk to parents about their struggles with picky eating, finding her passion for teaching and educating parents on tips to help their children to eat. She is passionate about working with parents on this common but tough issue and finds it rewarding when she hears about progress. Now as a new mom to a 1 year old boy, she is also dealing with selective eating and can empathize how parents feel when they are experiencing this. In her role as the dietitian and weaning specialist, Hyemyung strives to approach each parent with empathy, understanding and compassion as she educates and provides support.
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Inside: Are eggs good for babies? Learn the concerns and the benefits of eggs for babies from a pediatric dietitian, including how to serve them safely as a puree or as a finger food for baby-led weaning.
Eggs contain valuable nutrients that support brain health and can therefore play a crucial role in infant development.
Because of this, eggs are an excellent food to serve when starting solids as a puree or as a finger food for baby-led weaning. Want to learn how to prepare them safely?
In this article, our pediatric dietitian talks all about eggs for babies, including how to cook them for any feeding style. We’ll also discuss how to prevent choking with eggs and how to know if your child may be allergic.
Note: While eggs are a nutrient-rich food that can be introduced to babies as soon as they are ready for solids, they should not be the first food offered, but rather introduced after the baby has tolerated a few other typical baby starter foods. Learn more below!
Learn about eggs for babies:
Are eggs good for babies?
Are eggs a choking hazard?
How to serve eggs to baby safely
How to puree eggs for baby
How to prepare eggs for baby-led weaning
Are eggs an allergen?
How to help your baby learn to like eggs
Are eggs good for babies?
Yes. Eggs are good for babies because they are a nutrient-rich food high in protein, choline, iodine, selenium and B vitamins.
The egg yolk contains many of these nutrients plus more—fat-soluble vitamins (ADEK), carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin) and iron, for example. Egg whites provide most of the protein.
Eggs are unique in that its protein makeup contains all nine essential amino acids, and its protein is readily and highly bioavailable and used efficiently by the body.
More benefits of eggs for babies
Are eggs a choking hazard?
Yes, when they are served hard-boiled, eggs can be a choking hazard for babies due to the slippery texture of the egg white and dry, chalky texture of the egg yolk.
Gagging vs. choking
Eating is a new skill for your baby, and while learning to eat eggs, gagging can happen. Gagging is the body’s natural protective response to prevent choking.
Symptoms of gagging in babies include:
The baby’s tongue will thrust forward to remove the food piece from their mouth.
The most important thing to remember is that gagging is normal and that you should not react when it happens. Instead, allow your child to work through their protective gag to continue eating/engaging with the new foods.
The symptoms of choking in babies include:
If available to you, we recommend taking an infant CPR class.
Related: Top Choking Hazards & How to Prevent Choking in Babies
How to safely make eggs for babies
When preparing eggs for babies, make sure to fully cook the egg with no runny or raw egg yolks. This minimizes the risk of your baby getting a foodborne illness like salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and even death.
Eggs can be prepared for babies in various manners including boiling, scrambling, frying and baking.
There are more creative recipes to offer an egg to baby, such as egg muffins, frittatas, egg pancakes and more, and these can be modified appropriately before serving to your baby.
The easiest way to make eggs for babies
The easiest method for serving an egg to a baby is to scramble and cook into large chunks, or to prepare an omelet and cut into thick, finger-length pieces.
Can you serve babies a hard-boiled egg?
A hard-boiled egg can be offered to your baby, but there is a higher risk of choking due to the slippery texture of the egg white and dry, chalky texture of the egg yolk.
It is easier to offer hard-boiled eggs mashed with a little breast milk, formula or water to add moisture to the mixture and serve on your baby’s favorite spoon.
How to puree eggs for baby
For parents who are doing purees to table food, here’s how you can make egg puree for your baby.
Related: 10 Thing to Know About Toxic Heavy Metals in Baby Food
How to prepare eggs for baby-led weaning
For parents who are doing baby led weaning, follow these steps to prepare eggs as a finger food for baby-led weaning.
Once a baby develops their pincer grasp, a hard-boiled egg can be cut into quarters, or scrambled eggs can be made into smaller curds and given to baby to pick up using their fingers.
Are eggs an allergen?
Eggs are one of the most common food allergies and therefore part of the major food allergens list.
However, introduction to eggs should not be delayed. Research suggests that early introduction of egg at 4 to 6 months of age may significantly reduce the risk of egg allergy. (3)
Related: Can the Early Introduction of Allergens Prevent Food Allergies?
Risk factors
Caution should be taken if your baby has risk factors for developing food allergies, including severe eczema, existing food allergy, and family history of atopic dermatitis, allergenic rhinitis, asthma or food allergy.
If risk factors are known, speak with your pediatrician to discuss the best steps to introduce egg to your baby safely.
Start feeding a few other foods first
Eggs should be introduced after your baby has tolerated a few other typical starter foods. Or, you can introduce them as an ingredient in other foods such as French toast strips, baked muffin with egg, infant cereal or oatmeal with egg.
After this combination introduction of eggs with other foods, they can then be offered to baby boiled, scrambled or as an omelet.
FPIES from eggs
Eggs can be a trigger for FPIES, or food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, which is different from a food allergy in that it is non-IgE mediated, so diagnosis is based on symptoms and responses to elimination diets and oral food challenges.
Symptoms for FPIES typically present itself within 1 to 4 hours after consumption, and the main symptom tends to be profuse, repetitive vomiting with or without diarrhea. FPIES is a rare food allergy that most often affects infants or young children. Most children will grow out of it by age 3 or 4. (4,5)
How to tell if a baby is having an allergic reaction to eggs?
If your baby is presenting with any of the following symptoms after eating eggs, they may be having an allergic reaction.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction include:
If any of these symptoms are observed, contact your pediatrician for guidance.
If signs of wheezing, throat tightness, difficulty swallowing or trouble breathing are observed, call 911 immediately as these are signs of an anaphylactic reaction.
Where to buy eggs
Eggs, although not a dairy food, are located in the dairy section of grocery stores. They can also be found in most farmer markets.
How to help babies learn to like eggs
Picky eating can start in infancy. As the parent, there are things you can do to prevent picky eating and help your child learn to like eggs.
Here are two activities you can try with your baby to support their relationship with food and their overall development.
Food play
Explore eggs through song. Consider singing to your baby about the eggs you are cooking, eating or serving. Here’s a song about eggs you can sing to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
Simple rhyming songs with familiar melodies engage your baby’s sense of hearing and assist with language development.
Related: Food Play Every Day: 102 Activities for Kids Ages 1-10
Modeling at the table
Mealtimes are a good time to expose children to foods common in your home and to build positive associations with eating.
During meals, let your baby sit with you at the table in their high chair. Model eating the foods you want your baby to eat.
If your baby shows interest in what you are eating, offer them a small sample. Use simple clear language:
For more tips, read our blog to get kids and toddler to eat eggs.
More expert guidance on feeding babies
References