Pumpkin for babies: when to start, mash, wedges and seeds

Pumpkin is an easy first vegetable for both spoon-feeding and baby-led weaning. Babies can have it from around 6 months, once they've started solids. Butternut squash and other pumpkins work the same way: the NHS guide to feeding from around 6 months lists butternut squash among the vegetables to offer, and Australia's allergy body ASCIA suggests roasted vegetable wedges as a finger food.

The key is cooking it soft all the way through, taking off the skin and scooping out the seeds. Start with mash, then move on to soft wedges and fingers as your baby's skills grow. This guide covers roasting versus steaming, preparation by stage, pumpkin seeds, canned purée and soup, what pumpkin adds nutritionally, and when to get help.

When can babies eat pumpkin?

From around 6 months, once your baby shows the signs of readiness described in starting solids.

The Australia's ASCIA guide to introducing solid foods from Australia says iron-rich foods should be offered at around 6 months and other solid foods can be introduced in any order. Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby includes puréed fruit and vegetables among first foods. The NHS first solid foods guide lists soft cooked butternut squash among finger foods. The CDC's guide to introducing solid foods suggests one single-ingredient food at a time, waiting 3 to 5 days between new foods.

Should pumpkin be one of the very first foods?

It can be one of them. Like sweet potato and carrot, pumpkin tastes fairly sweet. The NHS suggests starting with vegetables that aren't so sweet, such as broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, so your baby gets used to a range of tastes, and in Australia, ASCIA puts iron-rich foods first. Pumpkin mixes well with both.

Which pumpkin or squash should I use?

Any pumpkin or winter squash sold for eating works, including butternut and the larger, firmer pumpkins sold in wedges. The NHS also lists courgette (zucchini), a softer summer squash, among vegetables to offer. What matters is the texture once cooked, not the variety, and firm, dense pumpkins take longer to soften, so check each batch.

Should I roast or steam pumpkin for my baby?

Either works, as long as it ends up soft all the way through.

• Steaming or simmering. The NHS guide to preparing food safely suggests softening firm vegetables by steaming or simmering until soft, then cutting them into slices or narrow batons. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests vegetables cooked with a small amount of water.
• Roasting. Australia's ASCIA lists roasted vegetable wedges, as well as steamed vegetables, among suitable finger foods.

Test every batch. New Zealand's Ministry of Health, in its advice on reducing food-related choking, describes soft food as food that can be easily squashed between your thumb and forefinger, or on the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Press the ends of roasted wedges too, as browned edges can stay firm.

The AAP's starting solids page says fresh foods should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning.

How do I prepare pumpkin at each stage?

1. Rinse and halve. Rinse the outside under running water, as the CDC's food-safety advice suggests for fresh produce, then cut it open.
2. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibres. KidsHealth New Zealand suggests removing high-risk parts of food, such as peeling off skin or removing strong fibres.
3. Peel it, or cook it in its skin and scoop out the flesh afterwards.
4. Cook until very soft by steaming, simmering or roasting, with no salt.
5. Shape it for your baby's stage using the table below, then cool it and check the temperature.

Around 6 months. The NHS says finger food works well in pieces about the size of your own finger, big enough to hold in a fist with a bit sticking out. A long, soft wedge is easier for a young baby to grab than a small cube.

7 to 9 months. The NHS guide for 7 to 9 months suggests more mashed, lumpier foods and a variety of finger foods. It also says shop-bought pouches and jars shouldn't be relied on as an everyday food.

12 months and beyond. Australia's ASCIA says to aim for your baby to be eating soft, cut-up or roughly mashed family meals by 12 months. Pumpkin works in risottos, curries, pasta sauces and traybakes; take your child's portion out before adding salt or stock. For how textures progress, see food textures.

Can I batch-cook and freeze pumpkin?

Yes. The NHS guide to storing and reheating food says to cool cooked food (ideally within 1 to 2 hours), use refrigerated food within 2 days, defrost frozen food in the fridge, and reheat it only once, until steaming hot all the way through, then let it cool. Throw away half-eaten portions. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby also says never to reheat food that has already been reheated, or that has sat at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Can babies eat pumpkin seeds?

Not whole. The CDC's choking hazards list includes whole or chopped nuts and seeds, and chunks or spoonfuls of nut and seed butters. KidsHealth New Zealand says to avoid small hard foods such as whole nuts and large seeds, including pumpkin and sunflower seeds, until children are at least 5 years old, and New Zealand's Ministry of Health tells early learning services to leave large seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds off the menu altogether.

• Scoop the seeds out when you prepare pumpkin, including any that have been roasted with it.
• Watch seeded breads and crackers. The CDC lists crackers or breads with seeds among choking hazards.
• Seed butters need the same care as nut butters: spread thinly or stirred into food, never as a chunk or spoonful (see nut butters for babies).

Seeds can also cause allergies. Australia's ASCIA's peanut, tree nut and seed allergy FAQ from Australia counts pumpkin seeds among small seeds, alongside sesame, sunflower and poppy seeds. Of these, sesame is the one on Australia's ASCIA's list of common allergy foods.

Is canned pumpkin purée okay for babies?

It can be, if you check the label first.

• Salt. The CDC's list of foods to avoid or limit names some canned foods among those high in sodium, and says to choose low-sodium or no-salt-added versions. The NHS says babies shouldn't eat salty foods because salt isn't good for their kidneys.
• Sugar. The CDC says infants and young children should not have added sugars, and that children younger than 24 months should not have them at all. It suggests using the Nutrition Facts label to find foods with no added sugars.
• Pie filling or pie mix. These are made for desserts. Check the ingredients for sugar and spices, and choose a can that lists pumpkin only.

Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby gives the same advice for any shop-bought baby food: read the labels and try to avoid foods high in sugar and salt. The NHS suggests choosing the product with the least sugar.

What about pumpkin soup, bread and muffins?

Homemade pumpkin soup is fine if it's made without salt or stock. The NHS first solid foods guide says not to add sugar or salt, including stock cubes and gravy, to your baby's food or cooking water. The AAP says processed foods made for adults often contain more salt. Pumpkin bread, muffins and pie are usually sweetened, and the CDC names muffins among foods with added sugars, so save them for later.

What nutrients does pumpkin give my baby?

Victoria's Better Health Channel in Australia lists pumpkin among the orange and yellow vegetables containing beta-carotene, the pigment the body uses to make vitamin A. Food doesn't replace any vitamin supplements recommended where you live; vitamin D for babies explains what applies.

Pumpkin isn't one of the iron-rich foods. Australia's ASCIA lists iron-fortified cereals, meat, poultry, fish, well-cooked egg, tofu and legumes such as chickpeas and lentils as the iron-rich foods to offer from around 6 months. Some pairings to try:

• pumpkin mash with minced beef, lamb or chicken
• pumpkin and red lentils cooked together and mashed
• soft pumpkin wedges with strips of well-cooked omelette
• pumpkin stirred through iron-fortified infant cereal

First foods and iron explains why iron matters from 6 months, and sweet potato for babies covers another orange vegetable prepared the same way.

Why has my baby's skin turned slightly orange?

La Leche League describes carotenemia, an orange tinge to the skin from eating a large amount of carotene, found in foods such as carrots, squash, sweet potato and pumpkin. It says it's most often seen in babies and toddlers, that cooking, mashing or puréeing foods increases how much carotene is absorbed, and that it's nearly always harmless. Offering a wider mix of foods usually helps.

An orange tinge with normal, white eyes is different from jaundice. The NHS jaundice page lists yellow skin or yellow whites of the eyes, darker pee and paler poo as signs, and says to get an urgent GP appointment.

Is pumpkin a choking risk?

Cooked soft, it's one of the gentler textures. Raw or undercooked, it isn't. The CDC lists pieces of hard raw vegetables among choking hazards and says to cook hard vegetables so they can be easily mashed. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby lists uncooked vegetables among small hard foods, and says babies can choke on food of any texture.

Watch out for hard, undercooked centres, crisp or chewy roasted edges, skin left on wedges, and stray seeds. The CDC says to keep your child sitting up while eating, watch them the whole time, and avoid eating in the car or pram. Gagging on soft wedges is common while babies learn; choking vs gagging explains the difference.

These steps follow the NHS choking first-aid guide, which also says to get medical help afterwards even if the food came out. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne in Australia recommends that anyone caring for children does a first-aid course and learns infant CPR, and the AAP's choking-prevention advice recommends a certified CPR and first-aid course.

Can babies be allergic to pumpkin?

It's possible with any food, but pumpkin isn't on ASCIA's list of the most common allergy foods in Australia: cow's milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, sesame, fish and shellfish. Australia's ASCIA says allergic reactions usually happen within minutes to two hours, and that a mild rash only around the mouth, with no other signs, is not usually an allergic reaction. Introducing allergens covers the common allergy foods.

When should I get help?

Call 999 now if your baby:

• can't breathe, cough or cry because food is stuck, turns blue or becomes unresponsive
• has sudden swelling of the lips, tongue or throat after eating
• has difficult or noisy breathing, a wheeze or a persistent cough after eating
• becomes pale, floppy or drowsy, collapses, or has a hoarse or weak cry

The NHS urgent-help guide lists swollen lips, tongue or throat and difficulty breathing among reasons to call an ambulance. For signs of anaphylaxis, the Australia's ASCIA first aid plan for anaphylaxis from Australia says to hold young children flat, not upright, give an adrenaline device if one has been prescribed, call an ambulance, and start CPR if your baby is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

Get medical help today if your baby:

• has hives beyond the mouth, swelling of the face or eyes, or vomits after a food, and is breathing normally (stop the food and watch closely)
• needed back blows or chest thrusts, even if they now seem well
• has yellow whites of the eyes, pale poo or dark wee

Talk to your GP or health visitor if:

• your baby's skin looks orange and you'd like it checked
• your baby still can't manage mashed or lumpy food by around 9 months
• you're worried your baby isn't getting enough iron