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From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat New Zealand Spinach? How to Cook and Serve

A hardy leafy green (warrigal greens) from the Pacific. Nutritious once blanched and cooked, but it must not be eaten raw.

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When to introduce
Around 6 months, blanched
Common allergen?
No (not a common allergen)
Texture
Blanched and cooked soft, finely chopped
Key nutrients
Vitamin A, vitamin C, iron

New Zealand spinach, or warrigal greens, is a hardy Pacific leafy green with a taste like spinach. It is nutritious but high in oxalates raw, so it must be blanched first (see above), then cooked soft, from around 6 months.

⚠️ Blanch New Zealand spinach (warrigal greens) in boiling water for a minute or two and discard that water before cooking it further. Raw, it is high in oxalates that are irritating; blanching removes much of them. Never serve it raw.1

Why it matters: Raw New Zealand spinach is high in oxalates, natural compounds that sting the mouth and bind calcium and iron so a baby absorbs less, but oxalates dissolve into hot water, so blanching and dumping the pot leaches most of them out.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

6 monthsBlanch the leaves briefly and discard the water, then cook soft and finely chop. Stir into food your baby can pick up.
9 monthsServe blanched, well-cooked, finely chopped New Zealand spinach mixed into soft dishes.
12 months+Add blanched, cooked New Zealand spinach to family meals, kept mild.

🥄 Purées

6 monthsBlanch the leaves briefly and discard the water, then cook soft and blend. Stir into food to spoon-feed.
9 monthsServe blanched, well-cooked, finely chopped New Zealand spinach stirred into soft dishes.
12 months+Add blanched, cooked New Zealand spinach to family meals, kept mild.

Is new zealand spinach safe? Choking & prep

Always blanch New Zealand spinach and discard the water before cooking (see the note); never serve it raw.1 Then cook it soft and finely chop for younger babies. Not a common allergen.

Trying new zealand spinach 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

Blanched and cooked, New Zealand spinach provides vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron, much like regular spinach. Blanching lowers its oxalate content.

Goes well with

Potato · Egg · Rice

Storage & freezing

Keep fresh New Zealand spinach refrigerated and use within a few days, or blanch and freeze.

More vegetables to explore

🥔
OcaAround 6 months
🫛
OkraAround 6 months, once cooked very soft
🌺
Roselle (hibiscus calyx)Around 9 months
🍲
Bamia okra stewAround 9 months
🫒
Olives9 months and up, in small amounts
🧅
OnionAround 6 months, cooked

Related reading

Common questions

When can babies have New Zealand spinach?

From around 6 months, blanched first (water discarded), then cooked soft and finely chopped. Never raw.

Why blanch New Zealand spinach?

Raw, it is high in oxalates that are irritating. Blanching briefly and discarding the water removes much of them before further cooking.

Is New Zealand spinach a common allergen?

No, it is not a top-9 allergen. Blanch, cook soft, and introduce it like any new food.

Sources

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Starting Solid Foods

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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