Celery

Celery may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Raw celery presents a high risk of choking, so be sure to prepare it in an age-appropriate way.

Celery comes from wild greens that originated in the fertile lands around the Mediterranean Sea. Humans learned to cultivate the vegetable thousands of years ago, which led to a variety of cultivars, including celeriac, leaf celery (common throughout Asia), and celery stalks that are widely available in the Americas.

Yes. Celery offers lots of vitamin K for healthy blood, some folate for baby’s development and growth, and plenty of carotenoids, many of which convert to vitamin A for skin, eye, and immune health. Plus, it contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that benefit the gut and immune system.

Worried about the sodium in celery? There’s no need to be. While celery is higher in sodium than many other vegetables, it is not a high-sodium food.

No. Allergies to celery are uncommon, but are reported to be increasing in prevalence, with reactions ranging from mild to severe. Individuals with Oral Allergy Syndrome (also known as pollen food allergy syndrome), particularly those who are allergic to birch and mugwort pollen and/or are sensitive to other foods within the Apiaceae family, such as carrot and fennel, may also be sensitive to celery. Other spices that cross-react with celery include coriander, caraway seed, celery, chervil, cumin, dill, aniseed and parsley. Oral Allergy Syndrome typically results in short-lived itching, tingling, or burning in the mouth and is unlikely to result in a dangerous reaction. Cooking celery can help minimize the reaction, but some individuals may still be sensitive to cooked celery. Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis with celery has been reported when individuals consumed celery in the 4 hours before exercise.

Celery is also associated with phytophotodermatitis, a skin condition that can occur after contact with the food. Compounds in celery are activated by the sun and cause a pigmented, itchy, and occasionally blistering and painful rash on the skin. Cleansing the skin after contact with celery and using sun protection can help to prevent the phytophotodermatitis rash.

As you would when introducing any new food, start by offering a small quantity of celery for the first few servings. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future meals.

Yes. Raw celery poses a high risk of choking because it is very firm and often cut in small pieces that are challenging for babies. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve celery in an age-appropriate way. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals. For more information on choking, visit our sections on gagging and choking and familiarize yourself with the list of common choking hazards.

Learn the signs of choking and gagging and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

No, there is no need to worry. You may have heard that celery and other vegetables (like arugula, beets, carrots, lettuce, spinach, and squash to name a few) contain nitrates, naturally-occurring compounds which, if consumed in large amounts, may negatively affect oxygen levels in the blood. Babies younger than 3 months of age and/or those with health concerns may be more susceptible to the effects of nitrates. Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the European Food Safety Authority view nitrates in vegetables as generally not a concern for most healthy children and that the benefits of eating these vegetables as part of a varied diet typically outweigh the risks of excess nitrate exposure.

Wait to serve celery juice as a drink until after 12 months of age. Note that it can be beneficial to wait until a child is older to regularly share juice. While celery juice is regarded as a popular health drink, consider limiting or avoiding celery juice even after 12 months of age, as it can be excessively high in nitrates. While celery juice is not sweet like fruit juices, offering celery in its whole form is still more nutritious. Learn more about serving juice to babies and toddlers.