Sushi and Sashimi for Babies: What Is Safe and What to Skip
Raw sushi and sashimi are not safe for babies. Raw fish can carry bacteria and parasites a baby's immune system cannot fight off, and some raw fish is high in mercury. Only fully cooked sushi, like cooked shrimp, egg, or vegetable rolls, is appropriate, kept low-salt and cut small.
- When to introduce
- 12 months+, and only fully cooked
- Common allergen?
- Yes - fish (and shellfish if it contains shrimp or crab)
- Texture
- Cooked rolls only, cut into small pieces
- Key nutrients
- Protein, carbohydrates, iodine from nori
When can babies eat sushi and sashimi?
Sushi is a Japanese dish of vinegared rice served with fish, seafood, egg, or vegetables, and sashimi is thin-sliced raw fish served on its own. The important thing to know before ordering it for a baby is that raw fish is not safe for babies. Their immune systems are not developed enough to fight off the bacteria and parasites that raw fish can carry, and some raw fish is also high in mercury. If you want to share sushi with your baby, the only appropriate choice is a fully cooked roll, such as cooked shrimp, egg, or a vegetable roll, and even then usually from around 12 months once you can keep the salt low and the pieces small.
How to prepare sushi and sashimi for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées, by age
Is sushi and sashimi safe? Choking & prep
The core rule is simple: no raw fish for babies. Skip all sashimi and any roll made with raw fish, such as raw tuna, salmon, or yellowtail. Raw fish can carry bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella and parasites that a baby's immune system cannot handle, and high-mercury species like tuna are a further reason to avoid them raw. The only sushi that is appropriate is a fully cooked one, such as cooked shrimp (ebi), egg (tamago), cooked eel, or a plain vegetable or avocado roll. When you do serve a cooked roll, cut it into small pieces so the sticky rice and any whole cooked shrimp are not a choking risk. Keep it low-salt: soy sauce is very high in sodium and should be left off a baby's portion entirely, and pickled ginger and wasabi are not for babies. Fish and shellfish are both common allergens, so if a cooked roll contains shrimp, crab, or other shellfish, introduce it the way you would any new allergen, on a day you can watch your baby, and offer a small amount first.
Nutrition
A cooked, low-salt sushi roll can offer a mix of the rice's carbohydrates, protein from cooked shrimp, egg, or fish, and, in vegetable rolls, foods like avocado and cucumber. Cooked fish and shrimp provide protein and, depending on the type, some of the fats that support development. The nori (seaweed) wrapper adds a little iodine. Keep in mind that plain sushi rice is often seasoned with sugar and salt, so it is not the main event nutritionally, and any benefit depends entirely on the roll being fully cooked and served without the high-salt condiments.
Goes well with
Steamed rice · Cooked salmon · Cucumber · Avocado · Edamame (mashed)
Storage & freezing
Sushi is best eaten fresh and does not store well, since the rice dries out and any seafood is highly perishable. If you have leftover cooked-roll sushi, refrigerate it in a sealed container and use it within 24 hours, and never save anything that contained raw fish for a baby. Do not freeze made sushi, as the texture breaks down. When in doubt, throw it out rather than serving day-old seafood to a baby.
More proteins to explore
Introducing this allergen
Related reading
- Fish for babies: mercury & safe choices →
- Best first proteins for babies →
- How to cut food to prevent choking →
Frequently asked questions
Can babies eat raw sushi or sashimi?
No. Raw fish is not safe for babies. Their immune systems cannot fight off the bacteria and parasites raw fish can carry, and some raw fish is also high in mercury. Wait until well past the toddler years for raw fish.
Is any sushi safe for a baby?
Only fully cooked sushi, such as cooked shrimp, egg, cooked eel, or a plain vegetable or avocado roll, and usually from around 12 months. Cut it small, leave off the soy sauce, ginger, and wasabi, and skip anything with raw fish.
Why can't babies have soy sauce with sushi?
Soy sauce is extremely high in salt, which is hard on a baby's kidneys. Leave it off your baby's portion entirely. Pickled ginger and wasabi are also not for babies.
What about the mercury in sushi fish?
Some fish used in sushi, like tuna, are high in mercury, which is another reason to avoid them for babies. When you do serve fish, choose fully cooked, low-mercury types like salmon or cod instead.
Is sushi an allergen risk?
Yes. Fish is a common allergen, and many rolls also contain shellfish like shrimp or crab, which is a separate common allergen. Introduce a cooked roll on a day you can watch your baby, starting with a small amount.
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.
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