Allergen note
Garlic is not a common allergen, and true garlic allergy is rare, though it can cause gas, heartburn or a skin rash in some children. Offer it from 12 months, starting with a small amount cooked into a familiar dish, and watch for a rash or tummy upset.
How to serve
From 12 months, share family dishes cooked with garlic, such as lentil soup, tomato sauce or roasted vegetables, or spread a little soft roasted garlic thinly on toast strips. Start small, since raw or strong garlic can upset a young tummy and make food taste too sharp.
Preparation
Cook garlic until soft and mellow: roast a whole bulb until the cloves squash easily, or mince it and sauté gently in oil without browning. Use fresh garlic instead of garlic salt, and keep homemade garlic-in-oil in the fridge and use it within 4 days, because room-temperature storage carries a botulism risk.
Texture and choking risk
Raw garlic cloves are firm, small and rounded, so they can block a toddler's airway; mash or flatten even soft roasted cloves before serving. Skip crunchy fried garlic chips and hard garlic-bread crusts, keep your child seated, 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 garlic
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries garlic, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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