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From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat Chicken Noodle Soup? Homemade From 9 Months

Chicken noodle soup is a good baby meal from about 9 months when you make it at home without salt, shred the chicken finely and cut the noodles short. Canned soup is the catch: one cup made up with water has about 830 mg of sodium, more than twice a whole day's adequate intake for a baby 7 to 12 months old, so the can waits until 12 months. The noodles bring egg and wheat, two common allergens.

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When to introduce
From about 9 months, homemade with no added salt, once your baby is handling soft, mixed textures. Regular canned soup waits until about 12 months because of the salt.
Common allergen?
Yes: egg and wheat, from the egg noodles. Many canned soups also list soy protein and some add milk, so read the label.
Texture
Soft shredded chicken, short soft noodles and soft vegetables in a thin broth. Cut pieces no bigger than half an inch, and serve the solids with a spoonful of broth at first.
Key nutrients
Protein, iron and zinc from the chicken, plus a little iron from enriched noodles. Canned soup is about 94% water.

Yes, from about 9 months, and the version that works best is the one you make at home. Chicken noodle soup is the sick-day classic, a can on the stove and a blanket on the couch, but a baby's bowl needs three changes: no salt, small pieces, and lukewarm instead of hot. Salt is the big one. USDA data puts canned condensed chicken noodle soup, made up with water, at about 830 mg of sodium in one cup.3 The National Academies set the adequate intake for babies 7 to 12 months at 370 mg a day from everything they eat and drink,2 and the CDC says to avoid feeding foods high in salt to young children and, for canned foods, to choose low sodium or no salt added.1 Made at home without salt, the same soup is soft chicken, soft noodles and soft vegetables, all things your baby can already eat. The AAP even lists well-cooked pasta and finely chopped chicken among good soft finger foods.6 The noodles do bring egg and wheat, two common allergens, so it helps to introduce each on its own first.8

⚠️ Regular canned chicken noodle soup is very salty: half a cup made up with water has about 415 mg of sodium, more than a whole day's adequate intake for a baby 7 to 12 months old.32 Before 12 months, make it at home with no added salt.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

9 monthsMake it at home with no added salt. Lift the solids out with a slotted spoon: finely shredded chicken, noodles cut into short pieces no bigger than half an inch, and carrot and celery cooked until they mash easily with a fork. Put a small pile on the tray with a spoonful of broth so the pieces stay moist and easy to pick up. Serve it lukewarm, keep your baby sitting up, and stay with them while they eat.
12 months+Offer a small bowl with the broth, homemade without salt or low in salt, with a spoon your toddler can load and a few toast strips for dunking. Keep shredding the chicken and cutting the noodles short, no bigger than half an inch, since chunks of meat stay on the AAP's high-risk list. Cool it to lukewarm, and never carry your toddler and a hot bowl at the same time.
The no-salt pot (9 months+)Simmer chicken with carrot, celery and onion in water or a no-salt-added broth, with no salt. Cook the chicken to 165F, then pull it off the bone by hand and feel through it for small bones, which are on the CDC choking list. Add egg noodles near the end and cook them very soft. Ladle your baby's portion out before anyone salts the pot, and season with dill, parsley, thyme or a squeeze of lemon instead.
Canned soup (12 months+)Regular canned soup waits until 12 months because of the salt: half a cup of condensed soup made up with water has about 415 mg of sodium, more than a whole day's adequate intake for a baby 7 to 12 months old. From 12 months, pick a can labeled low sodium, read the label for egg, wheat, soy and milk, and keep the bowl small. Stretching it with water or extra unsalted chicken, noodles and vegetables puts less salt in each spoonful. Drain the pieces a little, shred any big chunks of chicken and cut long noodles short before they go on the tray.

🥄 Purées

9 monthsMake it at home with no added salt. Cut the noodles into short pieces no bigger than half an inch, and cook the noodles, carrot and celery until they mash easily with a fork. Mash the solids with the finely shredded chicken and a spoonful of broth into a thick, lumpy mash that stays on a spoon, rather than serving a bowl of broth. Serve it lukewarm, keep your baby sitting up, and stay with them while they eat.
12 months+Move on to a small bowl of soup with the broth, homemade without salt or low in salt, and let your toddler practice with a spoon. Keep shredding the chicken finely and cutting the noodles short, no bigger than half an inch, since chunks of meat stay on the AAP's high-risk list. Cool it to lukewarm, and never carry your toddler and a hot bowl at the same time.
The no-salt pot (9 months+)Simmer chicken with carrot, celery and onion in water or a no-salt-added broth, with no salt. Cook the chicken to 165F, then pull it off the bone by hand and feel through it for small bones, which are on the CDC choking list. Add egg noodles near the end and cook them very soft. Ladle your baby's portion out before anyone salts the pot, mash the solids with a little broth, and season with dill, parsley, thyme or a squeeze of lemon instead.
Canned soup (12 months+)Regular canned soup waits until 12 months because of the salt: half a cup of condensed soup made up with water has about 415 mg of sodium, more than a whole day's adequate intake for a baby 7 to 12 months old. From 12 months, pick a can labeled low sodium, read the label for egg, wheat, soy and milk, and keep the bowl small. Stretching it with water or extra unsalted chicken, noodles and vegetables puts less salt in each spoonful. Mash or finely chop the solids, and shred any big chunks of chicken.

Is chicken noodle soup safe? Choking & prep

Salt is the main thing with chicken noodle soup, and it comes from the can or the stock. USDA FoodData Central lists canned condensed chicken noodle soup, made up with an equal amount of water, at 335 mg of sodium per 100 g, which is about 830 mg in a 1 cup bowl and about 415 mg in half a cup.3 Reduced sodium ready-to-serve soup is lower but still about 455 mg a cup, and even home-prepared chicken stock made the usual way has about 143 mg per 100 g, about 340 mg a cup.3 For babies 7 to 12 months, the National Academies set the adequate intake at 370 mg of sodium a day from all food and drink; for ages 1 to 3 it is 800 mg, with advice to reduce intake if it runs above 1,200 mg a day.2 The CDC says to avoid feeding foods high in salt to young children and to choose low sodium or no salt added canned foods, and soups are on the CDC's list of the foods that bring Americans the most sodium.113 That is why your baby's soup starts from water or a no-salt-added broth (USDA lists low sodium canned chicken broth at about 30 mg of sodium per 100 g), and why regular canned soup waits until 12 months.3 Shape is the second thing. Tough or large chunks of meat are on the CDC's choking list, and the AAP keeps chunks of meat on its high-risk list until age 4 or older, depending on each child, and says to cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than half an inch.45 So shred the chicken finely, cut the noodles short, and cook the noodles and vegetables until they mash easily with a fork.14 Bones are on the CDC choking list too, so if your pot started with a whole chicken or bone-in pieces, pull the meat off by hand and feel through it before it reaches your baby.4 Keep your baby sitting up and stay with them while they eat.45 Third, allergens. Egg noodles are made from wheat and egg, and both are among the nine major food allergens in the US.15 The AAP says there is no benefit to delaying allergenic foods and to give one new food at a time, so introduce egg and wheat on their own first, then let the soup keep them in the diet.8 If your baby has severe eczema or an egg allergy, talk with your pediatrician first.8 Many canned soups also list soy protein and some add milk, so read the label. After a new allergen, watch for about two hours. Call 911 (or your local emergency number) right away if any of these show up soon after a food, on their own or together: swelling of the lips, face, eyes, or tongue; swelling or tightness in the throat, or trouble swallowing; vomiting; hives that spread beyond the mouth and face; trouble breathing, noisy breathing, or wheezing; a cough that keeps going; a hoarse voice; skin or lips that turn pale or blue; or a baby who goes floppy or limp, or is suddenly sleepy or hard to wake. If the only sign is a new rash or a few hives around the mouth or face, stop the food, watch your baby closely, and call your pediatrician. If anything else about your baby worries you, call 911.161718 Fourth, heat. Soup holds its heat and microwaves heat unevenly, so stir it well or let it stand for two minutes, and serve it lukewarm.10 Do not carry your baby and a bowl of hot soup at the same time.11 Last, food safety: cook the chicken to 165F, and reheat leftover soup to 165F before you cool it for your baby.9

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Nutrition

The nourishing part of chicken noodle soup is what sits in the broth. USDA lists stewed chicken at about 27 g of protein, 1.2 mg of iron and 2 mg of zinc per 100 g, and cooked enriched egg noodles at about 1.5 mg of iron per 100 g.3 The AAP asks you to include foods that provide iron and zinc, such as meat, once solids start.6 Canned soup is thinner on all of that: USDA lists it at about 94% water, with about 1.2 g of protein and 0.3 mg of iron per 100 g.3 So build your baby's bowl from the solids, use the broth to keep them moist, and stir in a soft vegetable like peas or zucchini. Getting a baby to like it is mostly about meeting the parts first. If your baby already eats shredded chicken and soft noodles, the only new thing in the bowl is the broth. Serve the pieces a little drained so they are easy to pick up, and let the broth come along later. For flavor, reach for dill, parsley, thyme, garlic or a squeeze of lemon instead of salt. Some babies dive in with both hands and some look offended by anything wet, and you will find out which one you have. Log the try in YummyYucky with the date and a yummy, meh or yucky, so you can see how the bowl lands from one try to the next.

Goes well with

Carrot · Celery · Peas · Zucchini · Toast strips · Avocado

Storage & freezing

Cool the pot and get it into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Homemade chicken noodle soup keeps 1 to 2 days in the fridge, or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.19 Noodles keep drinking the broth and turn soft and bloated overnight, so for a freezer batch, freeze the broth, chicken and vegetables and cook a few fresh noodles when you reheat. Baby-size portions freeze well in an ice cube tray or small containers. Reheat only what you need to 165F, then stir it and let it cool to lukewarm before serving. Throw out whatever is left in your baby's bowl rather than pouring it back into the pot. For leftover canned soup, follow the storage line on the label.

More proteins to explore

🍗
Chicken nuggetsAbout 12 months
🥗
Chicken saladFrom about 12 months, made at home with the chicken shredded fine; whole or chopped nuts not before about age 5
🍗
Chicken tendersFrom about 12 months
🌭
Corn dogFrom about 12 months, as a small taste on an occasion; added sugar is best kept rare before age 2
🟤
ChickpeasAround 6 months
🐚
ClamsAround 6 months, fully cooked and minced or blended; small soft pieces from about 9 months

Introducing this allergen

Related reading

Common questions

Can babies eat chicken noodle soup?

Yes, from about 9 months, made at home without salt, with the chicken shredded finely and the noodles cut short.5 Serve the solids with a spoonful of broth at first, lukewarm. Regular canned soup waits until 12 months because of the salt: half a cup made up with water has about 415 mg of sodium, more than a whole day's adequate intake for a baby 7 to 12 months old.32

Can my baby have canned chicken noodle soup?

Not before 12 months, because of the salt, and that holds on a sick day too, when the can tends to come out. One cup of canned condensed chicken noodle soup made up with water has about 830 mg of sodium, more than the 800 mg a day the National Academies set as adequate for ages 1 to 3, and the AAP's advice for one-year-olds is to skip heavily salted foods.327 From 12 months it is fine as an occasional shortcut: pick a can labeled low sodium, keep the bowl small, and stretch it with extra unsalted chicken, noodles or vegetables, which matches the CDC's advice to choose low sodium or no salt added canned foods.1

Is chicken noodle soup good for a baby with a cold?

The AAP's cold advice does not single out soup. It says there is no cure for the common cold, and the best thing you can do is make your child comfortable and make sure they get plenty of rest and drink a lot of fluids.12 Soup is mostly water, so a lukewarm, unsalted bowl can sit alongside your baby's usual drinks, but it is comfort food rather than medicine.3 If you are worried about how sick your baby seems or how much they are drinking, ask your pediatrician.

Are the noodles and chicken in soup a choking hazard?

The pieces are what to watch, and both are easy to fix. The CDC lists tough or large chunks of meat as a choking hazard, and the AAP says to cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than half an inch.45 Cut the noodles short, shred the chicken finely, and cook everything until it mashes easily with a fork.14 Keep your baby sitting up and stay with them while they eat.4

Does chicken noodle soup have egg in it?

Usually, yes. The noodles are egg noodles, made with wheat and egg, and both are among the nine major food allergens.15 Introduce egg and wheat to your baby on their own first, then the soup is an easy way to keep both in the diet.8 If the noodles you cook with list no egg on the package, your homemade pot has none, but nearly all canned soups use egg noodles, so check the label.

Is low sodium chicken noodle soup okay for babies?

It is the better can to buy once your child is 12 months old, but read the words on the front carefully. On a US label, low sodium means 140 mg or less per serving, while reduced sodium only means at least 25% less than the regular product.13 USDA lists reduced sodium canned chicken noodle soup at about 455 mg of sodium a cup, more than half of the 800 mg a day adequate intake for ages 1 to 3.32

How warm should soup be for a baby?

Lukewarm, not hot. Soup holds its heat and microwaves heat unevenly, so stir it well or let it stand for two minutes so the heat evens out, then check it before it reaches your baby.10 The AAP also says to avoid carrying your baby and hot liquids like soup at the same time.11

How long does homemade chicken noodle soup keep?

Get it into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking,9 and use it within 1 to 2 days, or freeze it for 1 to 2 months.19 Reheat what you need to 165F, then cool it to lukewarm before serving.9 The noodles go mushy in storage, so for the freezer, freeze the soup without them and cook fresh noodles when you reheat.

Can my baby have the broth from chicken noodle soup?

A few spoonfuls of homemade, unsalted broth to moisten the solids, yes. Salt is the issue with bought broth: USDA lists regular canned chicken broth made up with water at about 306 mg of sodium per 100 g, against about 30 mg for low sodium canned broth.3 From 12 months, a small bowl with the broth is fine if it is low in salt.

Sources

  1. CDC, Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit (avoid foods high in salt; some canned foods, choose low sodium or no salt added)
  2. National Academies (NASEM), Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019), Summary, Table S-2: sodium adequate intake 370 mg a day at 7 to 12 months and 800 mg at 1 to 3 years; reduce intakes if above 1,200 mg a day at 1 to 3 years
  3. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, per 100 g: chicken noodle soup, canned, prepared with equal volume water (172909) 335 mg sodium, 94.17 g water, 1.16 g protein, 0.33 mg iron, 1 cup 248 g; chicken noodle soup, reduced sodium, canned, ready-to-serve (174064) 186 mg sodium, 1 cup 245 g; chicken stock, home-prepared (172884) 143 mg sodium, 1 cup 240 g; chicken broth, low sodium, canned (171609) 30 mg sodium; chicken broth, canned, prepared with equal volume water (174551) 306 mg sodium; chicken, meat only, cooked, stewed (171451) 27.29 g protein, 1.17 mg iron, 1.99 mg zinc; egg noodles, enriched, cooked (169732) 1.47 mg iron
  4. CDC, Choking Hazards (tough or large chunks of meat; bones in meat or fish; sit up while eating)
  5. AAP HealthyChildren, Choking Prevention (chunks of meat; pieces no larger than one-half inch)
  6. AAP HealthyChildren, Starting Solid Foods (soft, small pieces such as well-cooked pasta and finely chopped chicken; foods that provide iron and zinc)
  7. AAP HealthyChildren, Feeding and Nutrition Tips: Your 1-Year-Old (skip heavily salted foods)
  8. AAP HealthyChildren, When to introduce common food allergens (no benefit to delaying; one new food at a time)
  9. FDA, Safe Food Handling (poultry and leftovers to 165F; refrigerate within 2 hours)
  10. AAP HealthyChildren, Microwave Safety Tips to Prevent Burns (stir well or let it stand two minutes)
  11. AAP HealthyChildren, Treating and Preventing Burns (do not carry your baby and hot liquids like soup at the same time)
  12. AAP HealthyChildren, Children and Colds (rest and plenty of fluids)
  13. FDA, Sodium in Your Diet (what low sodium and reduced sodium mean on a label; soups among the top sources of sodium)
  14. CDC, When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods (cook food soft enough to mash with a fork; remove skin and bones from poultry)
  15. FDA, Food Allergies (the nine major food allergens include eggs and wheat)
  16. NIAID Addendum Guidelines, Appendix D: Instructions for Home Feeding of Peanut Protein
  17. ASCIA: Anaphylaxis
  18. NHS: Anaphylaxis
  19. FoodSafety.gov: Children Under Five, Safe Storage of Puréed and Solid Baby Food (homemade baby foods: 1 to 2 days refrigerated, 1 to 2 months frozen)

Further reading

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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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