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From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat Tuna? Watch the Mercury

Tuna is fine for babies in small, occasional amounts, but it carries more mercury than most fish, so it belongs in the rotation as a sometimes food, not a daily one. Fish is also a top-9 allergen.

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When to introduce
Around 6 months
Common allergen?
Yes (fish, a top-9 allergen)
Texture
Flaked soft, drained, bones checked
Key nutrients
Protein, omega-3, B12, selenium

The worry with tuna is real but manageable. Tuna is a moderate-mercury fish, which is why it is fine in small amounts yet should be limited rather than served every day. The good news is that the choice you make at the shelf matters most. Canned light tuna (often skipjack) is lower in mercury than albacore, also labeled white tuna, or a fresh tuna steak, so light tuna in small portions is the baby-friendly pick. On top of the mercury question, fish is one of the top-9 allergens, so tuna is worth introducing on its own and watching for about 3 days.

⚠️ Choose canned LIGHT tuna over albacore (white) or fresh tuna steak, keep portions small and occasional, and introduce it as a fish allergen.

Why it matters: Bigger, longer-lived fish like albacore and tuna steak accumulate more mercury over their lifetime, and a baby's developing brain is especially sensitive to it, so small, occasional portions of light tuna keep that exposure low.

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

🍴 Baby-led weaning

6 monthsFlake canned light tuna, drain and rinse to cut the salt, and check carefully for bones. Press the moist flakes onto a soft strip of toast or fold them into sticky rice or a soft fish cake shaped into a graspable finger so baby can pick it up. Keep it occasional. If you use a fresh tuna steak instead, cook it all the way through, to 158°F (70°C) on a food thermometer, before you flake it.4
9 monthsSmall flaked portions mixed into pasta or rice, or a soft fish cake. Check for bones. Keep it occasional.
12 months+A little tuna now and then as part of varied family meals, rotating with lower-mercury fish.

🥄 Purées

6 monthsFlake a small amount of canned light tuna, drain and rinse to reduce salt, check for bones, and stir into a moist mash or sauce. If you use a fresh tuna steak instead, cook it all the way through, to 158°F (70°C) on a food thermometer, before you flake it.4
9 monthsSmall flaked portions mixed into pasta or rice. Check for bones. Keep it occasional.

Is tuna safe? Choking & prep

Tuna is safe for babies from around 6 months when you manage two things: mercury and the allergen. On mercury, the FDA and EPA advise limiting higher-mercury fish for young children1, and tuna sits in the moderate range. Canned light tuna is lower in mercury than albacore (white) tuna or a fresh tuna steak, so choose light, keep the portion small, and treat tuna as an occasional food rather than a fish you serve daily. Between tuna meals, lean on genuinely low-mercury fish like salmon, cod, or sardines, and skip the highest-mercury fish entirely: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, marlin, orange roughy, and bigeye tuna. Bigeye matters here because fresh and frozen tuna steak is often bigeye or yellowfin, and both are sold as ahi,2 so ask which one you are buying. On the allergen side, fish is a top-9 allergen, so offer tuna by itself, earlier in the day, in a small amount, then watch your baby for about 3 days before pairing it with other new foods. Cook a fresh tuna steak all the way through, to 158°F (70°C) on a food thermometer.4 To serve, flake it soft, drain and rinse canned tuna to cut the salt (or buy no-salt-added and packed in water), and check for any stray bones so nothing firm remains.

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Nutrition

Tuna is a good source of lean protein, omega-3 fats, vitamin B12, and selenium, all of which support brain development and healthy growth. The catch is that its moderate mercury content is exactly why it stays an occasional food rather than a staple, so you get the nutrition benefits without leaning on it too often.

Goes well with

Sweet potato · Pasta · Rice · Peas · Avocado

Storage & freezing

Opened canned tuna keeps 1 to 2 days in the fridge in a covered container, never left in the open can. Cooked tuna dishes also keep 1 to 2 days and freeze reasonably well.

More proteins to explore

🥗
Tuna saladAround 6 months, made with avocado or plain yogurt instead of mayo; the classic mayo version from about 12 months
🐟
TurbotAround 6 months
🐟
WalleyeAround 6 months
🐟
WhitebaitAround 9 months
🦃
TurkeyAround 6 months
🫘
Urad dalAround 6 months

Introducing this allergen

Related reading

Common questions

Is tuna safe for babies given the mercury?

Yes, in small, occasional amounts. Tuna is a moderate-mercury fish, and the FDA and EPA advise limiting higher-mercury fish for young children, so keep portions small and do not serve it daily.

Is canned light tuna better than albacore or a tuna steak?

Yes. Canned light tuna (usually skipjack) is lower in mercury than albacore (white) tuna or fresh tuna steak, so canned light is the better choice for a baby.

How much tuna can a baby have?

Keep it to small, occasional servings rather than a weekly staple. There is no need to serve tuna often, so treat it as a sometimes food and rotate in other fish.

What lower-mercury fish can I serve instead of tuna?

Salmon, cod, and sardines are all low-mercury fish that make great regular choices. Rotate these on the days you are not serving tuna, and skip the highest-mercury fish entirely, including bigeye tuna, which is what a lot of fresh tuna steak actually is.

Is tuna a common allergen, and how do I introduce it?

Yes, fish is one of the top-9 allergens. Introduce tuna on its own, in a small amount earlier in the day, and watch for a reaction over about 3 days before adding other new foods.

How do I serve tuna to a baby?

Flake it soft, check for any stray bones, and stir it into a moist mash, pasta, or sauce so it is easy to swallow. Draining and rinsing canned tuna also helps cut the salt.

Should I choose water-packed or no-salt-added tuna?

Yes, where you can. Tuna packed in water rather than brine or oil, and no-salt-added versions, keep the sodium lower for a baby.

Can a 6 month old eat tuna?

Yes, a small amount of canned light tuna from around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids. Flake it soft and keep the portion small.

Is tuna healthy for babies?

Yes. Tuna provides protein, omega-3 fats, B12, and selenium. The only reason to limit it is mercury, which is why it stays an occasional food rather than a daily one.

Can babies eat raw tuna or tuna sushi?

No. Serve canned tuna, or cook a fresh tuna steak all the way through, to 158°F (70°C) on a food thermometer,4 or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.3 A seared steak that is still rare in the middle is raw fish, which is not recommended for babies because of the risk from bacteria and parasites.

Sources

  1. FDA/EPA: Advice about Eating Fish
  2. Hawaii Seafood Council: Bigeye Tuna (Ahi) (in Hawaii, ahi refers to two species, bigeye and yellowfin tuna)
  3. CDC: Safer Food Choices for Children Under 5 (fish cooked until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork; raw or undercooked fish, including sashimi and sushi, is a riskier choice)
  4. Health Canada: Safe cooking temperatures (fish 70°C (158°F); shellfish and crustaceans 74°C (165°F))

Further reading

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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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