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Miso

Legume

Age Suggestion

6 months

Iron-Rich

Common Allergen

Yes

white miso paste on a table before being prepared for babies starting solid food

When can babies have miso?

Food containing miso may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. While miso is high in sodium, an occasional taste of food with miso is fine as part of a varied diet. Note that miso contains common allergens, including soy and in some cases, wheat and seafood.

Miso is a seasoning from East Asia, where it has been used in cooking for centuries. Miso flavors all sorts of foods—from bread and baked goods, to soups and stews, to salads and pickles, and much more. Miso is typically made of salt, soybeans, and kōji—the Japanese word for the Aspergillus oryzae fungus that breaks down the beans into fats and sugars, which give miso a distinctive umami taste. Miso ranges in color from deep red to rusty orange to earthy brown to pale yellow, depending on fermentation time and ingredients.

How do you serve miso to babies?

Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.

6 months old +:

Feel free to offer a bite of food with miso from your meal as long as soy and any other common allergens in the dish have been safely introduced. Be sure to prepare foods with miso in an age-appropriate way for baby's developmental ability. For example, break miso-glazed salmon into strips (all bones and skin removed) for baby to hold and munch on, or chop miso ramen noodles and serve in a bowl for baby to scoop. While miso is high in sodium, sharing a small amount of an age-appropriate dish is completely fine. Avoid miso candies and other firm or chewy foods that contain miso, since these pose an increased choking risk.

12 months old +:

Use miso as you normally would in family meals, as a marinade, as a seasoning in sauces, stews, or soups, as desired. When serving miso soup, offer a small amount of just the liquid in an open cup for the child to practice drinking, and take out any age-appropriate solids in the soup and serve them separately on the child’s plate or tray. Continue to avoid miso candies and other firm or sticky foods that contain miso until a child has developed advanced chewing and swallowing skills and is able to sit calmly and follow directions, which tends to occur sometime after the 2nd birthday.

Videos

Callie, 13 months, eats miso tofu for the first time.

Max, 15 months, tastes miso for the first time with cooked tofu.

Is miso a choking hazard for babies?

No. Miso presents a low risk when safely prepared for a child’s age and developmental ability, though, in theory, an individual could choke on any food. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve miso in an age-appropriate way as described in the How to Serve section. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals.

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

Is miso a common allergen?

Yes. Miso is made from soy, a common allergen, and may contain other common allergens such as finned fish and wheat. That said, some individuals with allergies to soy protein or wheat are able to tolerate miso in moderation. If baby has a known allergy to soy, discuss with your doctor before introducing miso.

Prior to sharing food with miso with a child, it is important to introduce soy (and any other common allergens in the dish) and rule them out as allergens. This way, when you are ready to offer food with miso, you will be confident that the child has already safely eaten soy, and any other common food allergens in the dish. This approach can also help you identify which food is responsible if the child has an allergic reaction when eating food with miso.

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

Is miso too salty for babies?

No, not when it is consumed as an ingredient in food as part of a varied diet. While miso is high in sodium, the amount of sodium that babies eat tends to be low as they learn the skills to feed themselves, and some sodium is important for supporting baby’s electrolyte balance, hydration, and movement. While many health organizations recommend avoiding or reducing salt in food shared with baby, recent reviews of literature suggest that this may not be necessary. Furthermore, sharing family meals, even if they contain salt, has its benefits: baby has opportunities to explore a wider variety of food, share their family food culture, and practice eating a variety of textures. In addition, miso offers benefits like prebiotics and probiotics to support baby’s developing gut microbiome.

If you would like to reduce sodium levels in a family meal, you can:

Use a lower-sodium miso.
Use less miso than the recipe suggests.
Use other ingredients like mushrooms, garlic, ginger, onions, seaweed, or dashi to boost a dish’s umami flavor.
Dilute miso with water or rice vinegar.

How much food should I serve to baby?

When first getting started, offer a small amount and trust that baby knows how to show interest in wanting more by grunting, pointing, or reaching out. Keep in mind that most babies between 6 and 9 months of age do not consume much solid food at first. For babies between 10 and 12 months of age, work toward what a balanced adult meal would look like, just with smaller portions than what you might have. Follow the child’s lead: when baby indicates “more”, offer more food. When baby shows signs that they are finished, stop offering food.

Does baby need a high chair?

While a high chair can help create a safe eating environment, there are alternative ways for baby to eat safely, such as holding the child on your lap or sitting together on the floor. For more information, see our article on high chairs.

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