From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat Agretti? Yes, When Cooked Soft

Also known as monk's beard.

Agretti, also called monk's beard, is a grassy, slightly salty green that babies can eat from around 6 months once it is cooked soft and finely chopped. It is not a common allergen, but the thin whole strands are a choking risk raw.

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When to introduce: Around 6 months
Common allergen?: Not a common allergen
Texture: Cooked soft and finely chopped
Key nutrients: Vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron

Agretti is a spring green Italians go slightly wild for, sold in bunches that look like a handful of bright green grass. It has a fresh, mineral, faintly salty taste that comes from growing near the sea, and its other names, monk's beard or barba di frate, describe those long thin strands perfectly. From around 6 months, blanched or steamed until soft and finely chopped, it is a gentle way to introduce a grassy, savory flavor. It is not a common allergen. The one thing to plan for is the shape: raw, the strands are wiry and stringy, so agretti needs to be cooked soft and cut small for a baby.

Prep School: how to prepare agretti for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées

🍴 Baby-led weaning

6 monthsTrim off the tough root ends and blanch or steam the strands until fully soft, then chop them short and fold them into a soft food your baby can grab. Long strands are hard to chew and swallow, so cut them small.

9 monthsCook agretti soft, chop it finely, and fold it through soft-scrambled egg, pasta, rice, or mashed potato for something your baby can pick up and gum.

12 months+Serve finely chopped cooked agretti tossed with a little olive oil, lemon, and soft pasta, the way it is traditionally eaten. Keep the pieces short.

🥄 Purées

6 monthsTrim the woody root ends, then blanch or steam the strands until tender and finely chop or blend them into a puree or mash. Never serve it raw, since the strands stay wiry and stringy.

9 monthsStir soft-cooked, finely chopped agretti through rice, mashed potato, or a bean mash as your baby takes on more texture.

12 months+Fold chopped cooked agretti into soft pasta with a little olive oil and lemon. There is no need to add salt, since it grows in salty coastal soil and tastes briny already.

Is agretti safe? Choking & prep

Agretti is not a common allergen, so the main concern is texture. Raw, the strands are wiry and stringy and can be hard to chew and swallow, which is a choking risk, so always cook agretti until soft and finely chop it for a baby¹. Trim the woody root ends, which stay tough even after cooking. Because it grows in salty coastal soil it has a naturally briny taste, so there is no need to add any salt. Wash it well before cooking. If you want to introduce it carefully, offer a little on its own for about 3 days before mixing it into meals.

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Nutrition

Agretti is more nourishing than its grassy look suggests. It is a source of vitamin A and vitamin C, along with calcium and iron, and it carries the fresh mineral flavor that comes from its coastal origins. The vitamin C helps a baby absorb the iron in the same meal, so it works nicely alongside iron-rich foods. Like other tender greens it cooks down to a small amount, so it is a supporting player on the plate rather than the main event, but it adds both nutrients and a new savory flavor that helps widen a baby's range of tastes.

Goes well with

Soft pasta with a little olive oil · Soft-scrambled egg · Mashed potato · Soft-cooked rice · Flaked white fish or shredded chicken

Storage & freezing

Agretti is best used fresh, within a couple of days of buying, as the strands go limp quickly. Keep the bunch loosely wrapped in the fridge and wash it just before cooking. Once cooked, cover leftovers and use within a day, or freeze small portions of cooked, chopped agretti and thaw in the fridge before stirring into a meal.

More vegetables to explore

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Amaranth leavesAround 6 months

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Anaheim PepperAround 6 months

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ArracachaAround 6 months

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ArtichokeAround 9 months, once baby is comfortable with soft chopped finger foods

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ArugulaAround 6 months

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Ash gourdAround 6 months

Common questions

Can babies eat agretti?

Yes, from around 6 months, once it is cooked soft and finely chopped. Agretti is not a common allergen, but its wiry raw strands are a choking risk, so always cook and chop it small.

What does agretti taste like?

It has a fresh, grassy, mineral flavor with a naturally salty edge from growing in coastal soil. It is savory rather than bitter, which babies often take to.

Is agretti also called monk's beard?

Yes. Agretti is sold as monk's beard, barba di frate, or saltwort. They are all names for the same grassy green with long thin strands.

Do I need to add salt to agretti for my baby?

No. Agretti is naturally briny from its coastal soil, so it needs no added salt, which babies should avoid anyway. Just cook it soft and chop it finely.

Sources

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Last updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.

This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

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