Babies can start eating yogurt around 6 months old, which is typically when they begin solids. The best yogurt for babies is plain, unsweetened, full-fat or whole milk yogurt without additives like sugar, flavorings, or chunks of fruit to avoid choking hazards and potential allergic reactions. Yogurt is easier to digest than milk because the fermentation process breaks down proteins and lactose, making it suitable for infants. At around 6 months, you can offer baby plain yogurt either cool or at room temperature, and there's no need to add anything to it. By 9 months, yogurt can be mixed with pureed fruits or other baby foods, though plain yogurt remains fine on its own. Serving sizes can range between a quarter to half a cup, but there's no strict amount since solids at this stage are more about exploration than nutrition replacement. Yogurt offers benefits such as probiotics for a healthy gut, plus protein, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins important for development. It's important to avoid giving babies cow's milk to drink until after one year, as their kidneys can't process it well, but yogurt and small amounts of cheese can be introduced safely at 6 months. In summary:
- Yogurt can be introduced at about 6 months.
- Choose plain, full-fat, unsweetened, pasteurized yogurt.
- Avoid yogurt with added fruit chunks, sugars, or honey.
- Serve plain or mixed with purees.
- Monitor for allergic reactions and introduce new foods one at a time.
- Continue breast milk or formula as the primary nutrition source until at least 12 months.
