From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat Porgy? How to Cook and Serve

Porgy, also called scup, is a mild, slightly sweet fish that is fine for babies once it is carefully deboned. Cook it through and flake it soft, watching for its many small bones.

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When to introduce: 6 months+
Common allergen?: Yes - fish
Texture: Well cooked, deboned, and flaked
Key nutrients: Protein, omega-3s, B12, selenium

Porgy, known as scup in the Northeast, is a small, mild, slightly sweet fish that shows up whole at a lot of fish counters. Small, short-lived fish tend to carry less mercury, but porgy is not listed on the FDA and EPA advice chart, so we list it with the moderate-mercury fish: an occasional fish rather than an everyday one. The main thing to know is that porgy is a bony fish, so it takes patient deboning before it is ready for a baby.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

6 monthsPorgy carries a lot of small bones, so this is not a hand-it-over fish yet. Cook it fully, to 158°F (70°C) on a food thermometer,⁵ lift the flesh off the bones, mash it soft, and mix a spoonful into mashed potato on a loaded spoon.

9 monthsOffer soft, deboned flakes to pick up, or fold them into mash shaped into little mounds. Keep feeling for small bones every time.

12 months+Serve flaked porgy with rice, soft veg, or in a low salt tomato sauce. Still debone fully and keep salt down.

🥄 Purées

6 monthsCook the fish fully, to 158°F (70°C) on a food thermometer,⁵ then lift the flesh off the bones and mash it soft, checking carefully. Stir a spoonful into mashed potato or vegetable puree.

9 monthsMash a little lumpier, or stir deboned flakes through a vegetable mash. Run your fingers through every piece to catch strays first.

12 months+Spoon flaked porgy through rice or a low salt tomato sauce with soft veg. Still debone fully and keep salt down.

Is porgy safe? Choking & prep

Porgy, also called scup, is a small, short-lived fish, but it is not one of the species on the FDA and EPA advice chart, so we treat it conservatively and list it with the moderate-mercury fish: now and then, and the only fish that week, rather than an everyday fish.¹ The job to take seriously is bones: porgy has a lot of small bones, so cook it fully, to 158°F (70°C) on a food thermometer,⁵ flake the flesh, and run your fingers through every piece to catch strays before serving. Fish is a common allergen, so give a small first taste on its own and watch for a reaction over the next couple of hours.² Keep salt low and skip the bones and crispy skin for the youngest babies.

Trying porgy 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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Free, no account needed. Takes about 10 seconds.

Nutrition

Porgy offers babies lean protein, some omega-3 fats, vitamin B12, and selenium in a soft, mild package. Its gentle flavor makes it an easy fish to introduce.

Goes well with

Mashed potato · Rice · Peas · Sweet potato · Zucchini (soft) · Lemon (a squeeze)

Storage & freezing

Porgy is often sold whole, so keep it cold and cook it within a day or so, or freeze it. Cooked, deboned flakes keep sealed in the fridge for about a day. Thaw frozen fish in the fridge and cook the same day.

More proteins to explore

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RockfishAround 6 months

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RohuAround 6 months

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SablefishAround 6 months

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SalmonAround 6 months

🥓

PorkAround 6 months

🦐

River prawnFrom about 6 months

Introducing this allergen

Common questions

Is porgy safe for babies?

Yes, from around 6 months, as an occasional fish. Scup, or porgy, is mild, and since it is not on the FDA and EPA advice chart, we list it with the moderate-mercury fish. The one real task is removing its many small bones.

Is porgy the same as scup?

Yes, porgy and scup are common names for the same fish in the Northeast. Other porgy types exist worldwide; they are generally mild fish, handled the same way and kept occasional the same way.

How do I handle the bones?

Cook the fish first, then flake the flesh slowly off the bones and run your fingers through each piece. Because porgy is bony, take your time and do not rush this step.

Is fish a common allergen?

Yes. Offer a small amount of porgy on its own the first time and watch for any reaction. Introducing fish early is fine; for regular meals, lean on lower-mercury fish like salmon or cod and keep porgy occasional.

Sources

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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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