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We are frequently asked about serving soup to babies and toddlers. Learning to eat soup may be a messy process, but with practice kids figure it out! Soup is an awesome way to expose your child to different flavors, textures and nutrients – including lentils, vegetables and herbs!
Below are some examples of ways you can modify soup to serve it to babies and kids of various ages.
A few notes:
- Soup is usually high in salt, which we want to watch for babies under 12 months. Some salt is OK, but if you’re serving soup or broth daily (some families like doing bone broth) then aim for low-salt options.
- Many people like to serve soup or broth when babies 6+ months are sick. Remember – babies still need breast milk or formula as their main nutrition source, so keep broth or liquids other than baby’s milk to no more than 1-2 ounces a day around 6 months and 3-4 oz a day around 9 months. Once baby is about a year you can liberalize their soup/broth intake.
- Don’t forget to check out the last image regarding multi-texture soup like chicken noodle soup or vegetable soup. Many young toddlers will be able to eat chicken noodle soup or veggie soup as is, but sometimes a soup with both broth (a thin liquid) and noodles in it can be hard for kids who just want to swallow without chewing first. If your child isn't chewing well, strain the broth from this soup first. You can add small amounts of it as your child becomes more proficient.
- Toddlers WILL get messy with soup when feeding themselves using a regular spoon. By around 16-18 months, most toddlers can become proficient with spoons (scooping and rotating the wrist) if they get plenty of practice, but every kid is different. Don’t get discouraged, but keep offering soup for more practice! Thicker soups help stick on spoons.
We hope you enjoy eating soup with your kiddo!
