Yogurt
DairyGreat first food- AGE
- 6 months +
- COMMON ALLERGEN
- Milk (dairy)
- CHOKING RISK
- Low · prep still matters
- IRON
- Not iron-rich
- GOOD FOR
- Calcium · Protein
When can babies have yogurt?
From 6 months (corrected age) — and it’s one of our curated great first foods.
- Calcium and protein that support growing bones and muscles
- Whole-milk fat supplies energy dense enough for tiny stomachs
- Contains live cultures, which many babies digest more comfortably than fluid milk
How do I serve it at each age?
Safe form at 6–8 months
Plain, unsweetened whole-milk yogurt served thick and spoonable, offered on a preloaded spoon or stirred into a fruit or vegetable puree the baby already knows.
Pass/fail test: Read the label first — the ingredient list should say milk and live cultures, nothing more — then tilt a loaded spoon: the yogurt should cling rather than dribble straight off.
Why this form: A thick, clinging texture survives the wobbly journey of a palmar-grasp baby steering a preloaded spoon, and yogurt is one of the gentlest vehicles for the cow's-milk-protein introduction.
How to prepare
- Choose plain, unsweetened, whole-milk (full-fat) yogurt — no vanilla, honey, or fruit-on-the-bottom varieties.
- Load a small spoon and hand it over, or stir a spoonful into a familiar puree.
- First time: serve early in the day, a small amount, and watch for 2 hours.
- Serve alongside familiar foods, never another new food, so any reaction can be traced to the milk.
Common mistakes
- Grabbing low-fat or flavored yogurt — babies need the fat, not the added sugar.
- Using a honey-sweetened yogurt: honey in any form is off-limits before 12 months.
- Confusing yogurt-the-food with milk-the-drink — yogurt is fine now, but cow's milk shouldn't replace breast milk or formula as a drink before 12 months.
How much?
A teaspoon or two on a preloaded spoon or stirred into a familiar puree to start — build up as the milk introduction goes smoothly.
Once tolerated, fine as an everyday food — steady exposure also maintains dairy tolerance.
Amounts are starting points, not targets — watch the baby, not the numbers.
How do I get the texture right?
- Yogurt and cheese are fine as foods from 6 months, but cow's milk must not replace breast milk or formula as a drink before 12 months.
- Label shortcut: the ingredient list should read like 'milk, live cultures' — anything longer usually means added sugar.
- Too-thin yogurt fix: strain regular plain yogurt through a coffee filter for 20 minutes, or just start with plain Greek-style.
- Thick plain yogurt is the house allergen vehicle: a smooth base for stirring in thinned peanut butter or other nut butters later.
- Tame the tang gradually by stirring in mashed banana or fruit puree, then step the fruit down as the baby acclimates.
Is yogurt a choking hazard?
Low risk in the forms above — shape and texture do the safety work. Any food can be a hazard served the wrong way, so match the form to your baby’s age.
Is yogurt a common allergen?
Common allergen: Milk (dairy)
Yes — introduce it early in the day, alongside familiar foods, and watch for 2 hours. See the Milk (dairy) introduction program →
Anything to watch for?
Flavored, drinkable, and 'toddler' yogurts are usually the most sugared items in the dairy aisle — plain whole-milk is the habit to keep.