Can Babies Eat Kohlrabi Greens? How to Cook and Serve
Kohlrabi greens are the leafy tops of the kohlrabi plant, and they eat much like collard or turnip greens. Cook them soft, strip out the tough central stems, and they can be offered from around 6 months. Raw leaves are too tough and are a choking risk, so always cook them down. Not a common allergen.
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- When to introduce
- 6 months+
- Common allergen?
- Not a common allergen
- Texture
- Cooked soft, tough stems removed, finely chopped or blended
- Key nutrients
- Vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, calcium
People buy kohlrabi for the round bulb and often toss the leaves, which is a shame, because those greens are perfectly good food. They cook down like any hearty leafy green and carry a mild, cabbage adjacent flavor. For a baby, leafy greens are less about a big serving and more about getting your little one used to that slightly earthy, green taste, and folding a little into foods they already eat is the easiest way in.
Prep School: how to prepare kohlrabi greens for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées
Are kohlrabi greens safe? Choking & prep
Cooked until soft, kohlrabi greens can be offered from around 6 months, the same starting point as the kohlrabi bulb.1 Strip the leaf off the tough central stem and midrib, since those are stringy and hard to chew, and cook the leaves until very soft. Do not serve raw leaves to a baby: raw greens are tough, easy to bunch up, and a choking risk, so they need to be cooked and finely chopped or blended.1 Like other leafy greens, kohlrabi greens naturally contain nitrates, which is not a concern from 6 months in normal food amounts, but it is a good reason to cook them, serve promptly, and not leave cooked greens sitting at room temperature.2 They are not a common allergen. Keep any dish low in salt.
Trying kohlrabi greens today? Log the first taste and whether it was a hit, a hard maybe, or launched across the room, dated and ready for the pediatrician.
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Nutrition
Kohlrabi greens are rich in vitamin C and vitamin K, and offer folate, calcium, and some plant iron and vitamin A. Vitamin C in the same meal helps your baby absorb plant iron, and greens like these are a gentle way to widen the range of vegetables in your baby's week. Since a baby eats only a small amount of greens at a time, treat them as a flavor and variety food rather than a main iron source.
Goes well with
Potato · Lentils · Egg · Rice · Cheese · Chickpeas
Storage & freezing
Refrigerate the leaves loosely wrapped and use within a couple of days, as leafy greens wilt fast. Cooked greens keep covered in the fridge for about 1 day, or freeze a finely chopped or pureed portion in an ice cube tray. Serve reheated greens warm, and because of their nitrate content, avoid leaving cooked greens at room temperature and do not reheat them more than once.
More vegetables to explore
Related reading
- Best first vegetables for babies →
- How to cut food to prevent choking →
- Signs your baby is ready for solids →
- Baby-led weaning vs. purées →
Common questions
Can babies eat the leaves, not just the kohlrabi bulb?
Yes. The leafy tops are edible and cook down like collard or turnip greens. Remove the tough stems, cook until soft, and finely chop or blend them into other foods.
Are raw kohlrabi greens okay?
No, not for a baby. Raw leaves are tough, easy to bunch into a wad, and a choking risk. Always cook them until soft before serving.
Should I worry about nitrates in leafy greens?
From 6 months this is not a real concern in normal food amounts. Cooking the greens, serving them soon after, and not leaving cooked greens sitting out keeps things simple and safe.
Sources
- CDC: Choking Hazards (Infant and Toddler Nutrition)
- EFSA: Possible health risk for children from nitrate in leafy vegetables
Further reading
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Starting Solid Foods
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage and Limit
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Start tracking for freeLast updated July 2026. Next review January 2027. How we write these: grounded in widely published pediatric guidance (the AAP, WHO, the NIAID 2017 allergen guidelines, and the LEAP study), and pending independent review by a pediatric professional. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these.
This is general information, not medical advice, and has not been individually reviewed 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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