Age Suggestion
12 months
Iron-Rich
No
Common Allergen
Yes
Fresh or frozen crab meat is best introduced after your baby’s first birthday as the natural sodium in crab is a bit high for young babies. When you are ready to introduce crab, take care to purchase fresh or frozen crab and avoid imitation crab, which has flooded the market. While imitation crab does contain actual fish (typically pollock), it also contains artificial food dye and flavors that are inappropriate to introduce to babies.
After your baby’s first birthday, yes! Crab meat is a lean source of quality protein that offers high levels of essential nutrients like vitamin B12, selenium, copper and zinc, which fuels a baby’s developing blood cells, nervous and immune systems. Crab is also a good source omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain development, and provides noteworthy levels of other B-vitamins for energy metabolism. Crab also contains dietary cholesterol which, contrary to popular media, is super important for cell integrity (and will not increase your baby’s total cholesterol levels). On the downside, crab is naturally high in sodium.
Like all ocean fish, crab and other shellfish contain toxins as a result of water pollution, including traces of mercury, which can have devastating effects on central nervous and neurological systems, particularly in babies and young children. While crab is not among the fish with high mercury levels, there is no known acceptable level of mercury exposure. When it comes to seafood, the old adage “all things in moderation” is a good rule of thumb for babies and adults alike. When served on occasion, crab can be a real treat for the whole family.
Yes. Crab—and especially the claws—can be tough for little babies to chew, and it’s easy for them to accidentally swallow a piece that is too big. If your baby is younger than 18 months, or has not mastered chewing and swallowing, finely chop or shred cooked crab meat. Alternatively, use the finely chopped crab meat to make a fish patty.
For more information, visit our section on gagging and choking and familiarize yourself with common choking hazards.
When shopping for your baby, try to buy fresh or frozen blue crab meat from Maryland or dungeness crab meat from the West Coast.
There are more than 850 species of crab living in fresh, saltwater, and terrestrial habitats around the world, and they vary greatly in color, size, taste, and texture. In the United States, popular species for cooking include king and snow crabs from the Bering Sea, blue crab along the East Coast, dungeness crab along the West Coast, jonah and peekytoe crabs in New England, and stone crabs along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. Live crabs can be purchased at some grocery stores, specialty fish counters, and farmer’s markets, but fresh or frozen cooked crab meat is fine. The meat is sold in different grades (colossal or jumbo lump, lump, backfin, special, or claw) depending the size of the crab and the body part from which the meat was taken.
When you see packaged lump or jumbo lump crab meat for sale, chances are it’s blue crab. Blue crab comprises the largest crab fishing industry in the United States, and about 50% of blue crab in the United States hail from Maryland waters. Just like all crab species, blue crab has a season, which means their availability can be limited for those who want to purchase “fresh local crabs” from a reliable fishery. Maryland’s blue crab season starts in April and runs through December, but the popular shellfish is available for purchase year-round from other states like North Carolina and Louisiana, or as far away as China, Indonesia, or Venezuela.
Packaged crab tastes nearly as sweet as freshly cooked crabs—plus it can be more readily available and affordable. Just be sure to read the fine print on the labels:
Watch the salt. From seafood to produce, canned products often have high levels of sodium. Crab meat is naturally high in sodium, so any additional salt added during the preserving process can elevate the sodium level considerably. Canned crab meat is best reserved for special meals after your baby’s first birthday.
Be careful with BPA. BPA is a chemical used to line the interior of cans and plastic bottles that can disrupt your baby’s bodily functions. Because it attaches to fats, BPA is often found in fatty fish and seafood. Look for cans or pouches that are marked “BPA-free” when purchasing crab for a baby.
Finally, consider the environmental impact of your purchase. Like so many other seafood, some crab populations are under threat of being overfished while others are caught using fishing methods and equipment that damage our oceans. A widely-respected go-to resource, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommends avoiding many domestic and international sources of crab because of these environmental impacts and more.
Yes. Crab is a type of shellfish, and shellfish are among the most common of food allergens. While 60% of people allergic to shellfish experience their first reaction as an adult, it’s possible that a shellfish allergy will also develop in childhood. Unfortunately, most shellfish allergies are lifelong. If you have a family history of allergies, or suspect your baby may be allergic to fish or shellfish, consult an allergist before introducing crab.
As with all new foods, introduce by serving a scant quantity of cooked crab and watch closely as your baby eats. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future servings.
Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.
Avoid due to sodium levels. A small taste here and there is fine, however.
While there are a number of ways that you could serve shredded crab (in pasta or risotto, on its own, mixed with mayonnaise or butter), you may find that homemade crab cakes are best as the disc shape makes it easy for little ones to pick up and eat independently.
Offer shredded crab meat on its own or crab cakes. If you feel your baby is ready, you can try serving crab claws (a choking hazard) as well. If you do, be sure that you are creating a safe eating environment.
When buying fresh or frozen packaged crab meat, take care to wash and pick through the flesh to ensure there are no lingering shards of shell.
For more information on how to cut food for babies, visit our page on Food Sizes & Shapes.
Sign up for weekly tips, recipes and more!
The content offered on SolidStarts.com is for informational purposes only. Solidstarts is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or your medical or health professional, nutritionist, or expert in pediatric feeding and eating. By accessing the content on SolidStarts.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with an array of content “baby-led weaning” information, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on SolidStarts.com.