Can Babies Eat Orache? Yes, From 6 Months
Orache, also called mountain spinach, is a spinach-family green babies can eat from around 6 months. It is not a common allergen. Cook it soft and finely chop it, and like spinach serve it in moderation rather than in large amounts.
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- When to introduce
- Around 6 months
- Common allergen?
- Not a common allergen
- Texture
- Cooked soft and finely chopped or blended
- Key nutrients
- Vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium
Orache is an old-fashioned leafy green that gardeners grow as a colorful stand-in for spinach, sometimes in a striking deep red. Its other name, mountain spinach, is a fair description of how it tastes and cooks: soft, mild, and slightly earthy. It is in the same goosefoot family as spinach and chard, which is worth knowing, because it shares their habit of carrying oxalates and nitrates. From around 6 months, cooked until soft and finely chopped, orache is a fine green for a baby served the way you would serve spinach: cooked, mixed into meals, and in moderation rather than by the bowlful.
Prep School: how to prepare orache for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées
Is orache safe? Choking & prep
Orache is not a common allergen, and it has two things to keep in mind, both shared with spinach. First, texture: whole leaves can bunch and stick, a choking risk, so cook it soft and finely chop or blend it1. Second, because orache is in the same family as spinach and chard, it carries oxalates and nitrates. Food-safety guidance is that greens like this are fine as one ingredient in a baby's varied diet from 6 months, especially cooked, which lowers nitrate levels, but they are best served in moderation rather than as a large daily portion2. Wash it well and skip added salt. Introduce it on its own for a couple of days if you want to watch how it goes.
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Nutrition
Orache holds its own with spinach nutritionally. It is a source of vitamin A and vitamin C along with iron and calcium, and the red varieties carry extra plant pigments. As with spinach, the vitamin C in the leaf helps a baby absorb the iron in the same meal, so pairing cooked orache with iron-rich foods makes good sense. The oxalates that come with the goosefoot family can bind some minerals, which is one more reason to serve orache as part of a varied plate rather than relying on it heavily, but as an occasional green in the rotation it is a genuinely nutritious choice.
Goes well with
Mashed potato or sweet potato · Soft-cooked lentils or beans · Soft-scrambled egg · Soft pasta or rice · Shredded chicken or flaked fish
Storage & freezing
Keep orache loosely wrapped in the fridge and use it within a few days, since the leaves wilt like spinach. Wash it just before cooking. Once cooked, cover leftovers and use within a day, or freeze small portions of cooked, chopped orache and thaw in the fridge before stirring into a meal.
More vegetables to explore
Related reading
- First vegetables for babies →
- Iron-rich foods 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 orache?
Yes, from around 6 months. Orache, or mountain spinach, is not a common allergen. Cook it soft and finely chop it, and like spinach serve it in moderation rather than large amounts.
Is orache the same as spinach?
Not quite, but it is a close relative in the same goosefoot family and is often called mountain spinach. It cooks and tastes much like spinach and is prepared the same way for babies.
Does orache have nitrates like spinach?
Yes. As a spinach-family green it carries oxalates and nitrates, so serve it cooked and in moderation as one part of a varied diet, which food-safety guidance considers fine for babies over 6 months.
How do I cook orache for a baby?
Wilt or steam the leaves until fully soft, then finely chop or blend them into a purée, mash, or another food. Wash well and skip salt.
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards (Infant and Toddler Nutrition)
- Solid Starts: Spinach (nitrates and leafy greens for babies)
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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