Olives for Babies: Why Whole Olives Are Unsafe and How to Serve Them
A whole olive is a round, firm object with a slippery skin, and any pit inside makes it worse. That shape and firmness are a serious choking hazard for babies, and olives are also very salty. They are only reasonable in small amounts once pitted, rinsed, and chopped small, around 9 months and up.
- When to introduce
- 9 months and up, in small amounts
- Common allergen?
- No (not a common allergen)
- Texture
- Pitted, rinsed, and chopped small
- Key nutrients
- Unsaturated fats, vitamin E
When can babies eat olives?
Olives are the small, firm fruit of the olive tree, sold whole, sliced, pitted, or stuffed. In their classic whole form they are not safe for a baby: the round shape, firm flesh, and any pit are a real choking risk, and they carry a lot of salt from the brine. Babies can have a small taste of a well-prepared olive from around 9 months, once you have removed the pit, rinsed the salt, and chopped it small. This is a food to offer in tiny amounts, not a staple.
How to prepare olives for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées, by age
Are olives safe? Choking & prep
The two big concerns with olives are choking and salt. A whole olive is round, firm, and roughly the size of a baby's airway, which is one of the highest-risk shapes there is, and a pit compounds that risk because it is hard and does not compress. Never hand a baby a whole olive, and never assume a "pitted" olive has no pit; check each one with your finger, because stray pits and pit fragments are common. To serve safely, remove the pit, rinse the olive well under water to wash off surface brine, and cut it into small pieces (quartered lengthwise or finely chopped), never round slices, which can still pose a risk. On salt: olives are cured in a salty brine and babies under 12 months need very little sodium, so rinse well and keep portions to a taste rather than a serving, and skip stuffed or flavored olives (blue cheese, garlic, anchovy, chili) which add more salt and sometimes other ingredients. Olives are not a common allergen, so allergic reactions are uncommon, though as with any new food, offer them on their own for the first taste and watch for a reaction.
Nutrition
Olives provide unsaturated fats, mostly monounsaturated, along with vitamin E and a small amount of fiber. Their color comes from plant compounds, and green and black (ripe) olives differ mainly in ripeness and processing rather than in a meaningful nutrition gap for a baby-sized taste. Because portions are kept small owing to the salt, olives are more of a flavor and texture experience than a source of everyday nutrition.
Goes well with
Hummus · Cucumber · Feta (small amount, rinsed) · Whole grain pita · Roasted tomato
Storage & freezing
Keep unopened jars or cans in the pantry until the date on the label. Once opened, store olives submerged in their brine in a covered container in the fridge, where they keep for a few weeks. If you have chopped olives for a baby, keep the prepped pieces in a small covered container in the fridge and use within a day or two, and rinse again before serving to cut the salt.
More vegetables to explore
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
Can babies eat whole olives?
No. A whole olive is a round, firm choking hazard, and any pit makes it far worse. Always remove the pit, rinse, and chop the olive small before offering it to a baby around 9 months or older.
Are olives too salty for babies?
Olives are cured in a salty brine and babies need very little salt, so they should only be a small taste, not a serving. Rinsing the olives well under water before you chop them helps wash off some of the surface salt.
Aren't pitted olives safe since the pit is removed?
Do not rely on the label. Pitting machines miss pits and leave fragments, so check every olive with your finger before serving, and still chop it small to remove the round-shape choking risk.
Are green or black olives better for a baby?
The difference is mostly ripeness and processing, not nutrition at a baby-sized taste. Both need to be pitted, rinsed, and chopped small either way, and both should be kept to small amounts because of the salt.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Starting Solid Foods
- CDC: Foods and Drinks to Encourage and Limit
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 freeLast 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.