Allergen note
Sweet bell peppers of any color are not a common allergen; rare reactions are sometimes linked to pollen or latex allergy. Offer a small amount of soft-cooked pepper the first time. These tips are for sweet peppers; hot chili peppers are a different food because their heat can irritate a baby's mouth.
How to serve
From around 6 months, offer large, soft strips of roasted and peeled pepper that your baby can hold and squash, or blend cooked pepper into purées, lentils and sauces. From 9 months, cut soft pepper into small pieces for pincer practice. Toddlers who chew well can try very thin raw strips.
Preparation
Wash the pepper and remove the stem, seeds and white ribs. Roast, steam or sauté it until very soft; roasting it whole until the skin blisters, then covering it for 10 minutes, lets the skin peel off easily. Red, yellow and orange peppers taste sweeter than green ones; skip salt, and rinse jarred roasted peppers, which are often salty.
Texture and choking risk
Raw pepper is crunchy, and its thin, waxy skin can come off in tough pieces that stick to the roof of the mouth and make babies gag or choke. Cook it until soft, peel the skin for new eaters, offer raw pepper only as very thin strips to toddlers, and always supervise meals.
Sources: cdc.gov · cdc.gov · healthychildren.org · healthychildren.org · nhs.uk · nhs.uk
Starting ages are typical guidance for healthy, full-term babies who show signs of readiness. Your paediatrician may advise differently, especially where there is a family history of allergy.
Recipes with bell peppers
Yogurt Labneh & Roasted Pepper Swirls
Red Lentil & Sweet Pepper Fingers
Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Red Pepper Wedges
Black Bean & Butternut Mash Cakes
Turkey Thigh and Red Lentil Hotpot
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries bell peppers, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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