Turnip
Usually introduced around 6 months
Prep warning
Season lightly: skip added salt for babies. Turnip greens are also edible and can be cooked and finely chopped like other leafy greens.
Choking notes
Raw turnip is a hard root, like raw carrot, and a hard raw chunk or stick can break off and block a small airway. Cook it until fork-tender, or finely grate a small amount of raw turnip into a soft food. Avoid raw hard pieces until your child chews reliably, around age 4.
How to serve by age
6-9 months
Peel the turnip and cook it until a fork slides through with no resistance, then mash it smooth or stir it into a purée. For a piece to hold, offer a soft-cooked finger-length baton. Raw turnip is hard, so it is not suitable as a raw chunk or stick at this stage; cook it soft or finely grate a little raw into a soft food.
Soft-cooked and mashed, or a soft finger-length baton; finely grate any raw.
9-12 months
Serve soft-cooked turnip in small cubes or pieces as the pincer grasp develops, keeping every piece fork-soft. Finely grated raw turnip can be mixed into a soft food. Avoid raw hard rounds, coins, or sticks.
Small soft-cooked cubes; finely grated raw mixed in.
12-18 months
Offer soft-cooked turnip in small cubes or thin cooked matchsticks, or a little finely grated raw turnip mixed into other food. Hard raw pieces are still risky without a full set of molars, so keep raw turnip finely grated rather than in chunks.
Small soft cubes or thin cooked matchsticks; raw only finely grated.
Key nutrients
Common questions
When can my baby eat Turnip?
Most babies can try Turnip from around 6 months, once they show signs of readiness. Check the prep and cut-size notes above before you start.
General informational content, not medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician about introducing new foods, especially if your baby has any medical conditions or family history of allergies.
Track Turnip and every first food in nappi
Log solids, watch for reactions, and get reminders to reintroduce new foods. Free to try.