From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

Healthy fats for babies: how much, and which foods

Why babies need so much fat

Babies grow fast on small meals, so what they eat has to pack a lot of energy into a little space. Fat does that: fats and oils are a concentrated source of energy, and of some essential fats children need to grow.¹

• Brain. The omega-3 fats in fish, called DHA and EPA, are among the nutrients that support a child's brain development.²
• Vitamins. Fat helps the body absorb vitamin A and the other fat-soluble vitamins.¹

How much fat, by age

These are the shares nutrition experts plan a child's diet around. They are worth knowing, but they are not numbers to count at the table.

• Birth to 6 months: breast milk or formula is the whole diet, and about half of breast milk's calories are fat.¹ The National Academies' reference amount, 31 grams a day, is simply what breastfed babies take in on average.³
• 6 months to 2 years: fat should make up about 30 to 45 percent of the energy from milk and food together, says the WHO.¹
• 1 to 3 years: 30 to 40 percent of calories.³⁴
• 4 years and up: 25 to 35 percent.³⁴

Two things stand out. Babies start at about half their calories from fat and come down slowly. And every one of these ranges starts higher than the 20 to 35 percent set for adults.³

You do not need to count

Until 12 months, breast milk or formula is still the main source of nutrition,⁵ and breast milk gets about half its calories from fat,¹ so milk covers a lot on its own. What you add on top is simple:

• Choose full-fat dairy. Plain whole-milk yogurt and full-fat cheese from about 6 months,⁵ and whole milk as the main drink from 12 months to age 2.⁶ See yogurt and cheese and cow's milk.
• Add a little fat to meals. The WHO's advice for babies on solids is a little oil or fat in a meal each day:¹ a drizzle of olive or canola oil stirred into a purée, grains or mashed vegetables, a thin spread of nut butter on a toast strip, or some mashed avocado.
• Serve fish. Salmon, sardines and other fish lower in mercury bring the omega-3 fats.² Our fish for babies guide has the low-mercury list.

The best foods for healthy fat

• Avocado. Soft, mild and no cooking: mash it, or serve ripe spears.
• Full-fat yogurt and cheese. Plain, pasteurized, and unsweetened. Milk is a common allergen, so the first time, offer it on its own.
• Salmon, sardines and trout. Flake well and check for bones. Fish is a common allergen too.
• Nut and seed butters. Peanut, almond, sunflower or tahini, thinned with water, breast milk or formula and spread thinly. Never a thick spoonful and never whole nuts, which are a choking risk. See nut butters for babies and seeds for babies.
• Olive and canola oil. A drizzle in purées and grains. Canola (rapeseed) and soy oils supply essential fatty acids,¹ and the 2025 US Dietary Guidelines point to oils such as olive oil.⁵
• Eggs. Cooked through, yolk and white. Egg is a common allergen; see how to introduce egg.

Most of these are common allergens, and that is not a reason to hold them back. Introduce each one on its own the first time, then keep it in the diet. Our allergen guide covers how.

Low-fat foods can wait

Under 2, skip the low-fat and "light" versions. Young children, especially under 2, need the energy that fat provides,⁷ and fat should not be restricted at all in the first year.⁴

After the first birthday, the advice on milk differs between countries. In the US, the AAP says whole milk from 12 months to 2, then low-fat or skim.⁶ The NHS allows whole or semi-skimmed milk as a drink from age 1, lower-fat dairy foods from 2 for a child who eats well and is growing well, and no skimmed or 1% milk as a main drink before 5.⁷⁸ The 2025 US Dietary Guidelines now say to include full-fat dairy.⁵ For your own child, ask your pediatrician.

Can a baby have too much fat?

Yes, in the sense that it can crowd out other food. The WHO says fat should not go above about 45 percent of a young child's energy, or they will not eat enough of the foods that bring protein, iron and zinc.¹ So fat rides along with a meal rather than replacing it: a drizzle of oil, not a fried dinner. The 2025 US guidelines also say to keep nutrient-poor and highly processed foods out of a baby's diet,⁵ which rules out chips and packaged snacks as a fat source.

When to ask your pediatrician

• Your baby is gaining weight slowly. Our guide to foods that help a baby gain weight leans on healthy fats.
• Your family has a history of high cholesterol, or your baby has a medical condition.
• You are raising your baby vegetarian or vegan and want to cover omega-3 fats without fish. See feeding a vegetarian baby.

Related reading

See iron-rich first foods, how much a baby should eat, easy food combinations, and sugar for babies.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. World Health Organization: Infant and young child feeding, model chapter for textbooks (2009): fat in breast milk and in complementary foods
2. FDA and EPA: Advice about eating fish (nutrients in fish that support a child’s brain development)
3. National Academies: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2002/2005)
4. MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Dietary fat and children (reviewed July 2025)
5. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030: infancy and early childhood, dairy, and healthy fats
6. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Recommended drinks for young children ages 0 to 5
7. NHS: What to feed young children (fats, and milk and dairy)
8. NHS: Drinks and cups for babies and young children

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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