YummyYucky
🥬

New Zealand Spinach for Babies: Blanch, Then Cook

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

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

When can babies eat new zealand spinach?

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.

How to prepare new zealand spinach for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées, by age

6 monthsBlanch the leaves briefly and discard the water, then cook soft, finely chop or blend, and stir into food.
9 monthsServe blanched, well-cooked, finely chopped New Zealand spinach in 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. Then cook it soft and finely chop for younger babies. Not a common allergen.

Trying new zealand spinach today? Log the first taste and it lands on your baby's tried-it list, dated and ready for the pediatrician.

Log new zealand spinach today →

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 9 months
🧅
OnionAround 6 months, cooked
🥕
ParsnipAround 6 months
🫛
PeasAround 6 months
🥔
PotatoAround 6 months

Related reading

Frequently asked 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

😋 🤢

Track it in YummyYucky

Log first tries, get nudged through the allergen watch, and keep every bite in one place you can share with your pediatrician.

Start tracking for free

Last updated July 2026. 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.

Some links in our guides are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only suggest things we'd actually use, and it never changes our guidance.