Allergen note
Radish allergy is rare. Radishes belong to the mustard and cabbage family, so check with your pediatrician first if your child has a mustard allergy. Offer a little cooked radish the first time; raw radish tastes sharp and peppery, which some babies dislike at first.
How to serve
From around 6 months, offer soft roasted or steamed radish: quartered small red radishes or wedges of larger white radish such as daikon, or radish mashed into potato. From 9 months, cut cooked radish into small pieces. Toddlers who chew well can try raw radish finely grated or sliced paper-thin.
Preparation
Trim the leaves and root tip and scrub off any soil. Roast halved radishes at 200°C400°F for 20–25 minutes, or steam or simmer them until a fork slides in easily; cooking turns them mild and slightly sweet. Grate or slice raw radish just before serving, and stir tender cooked radish greens into dishes.
Texture and choking risk
Raw radishes are hard and crunchy, and small red ones are round, which makes them a choking hazard for young children. Cook radishes until soft and quarter small ones lengthwise, offer raw radish only finely grated or paper-thin, and always supervise your child sitting upright.
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.
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries radish, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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