← Starting solids: the overview
Orange for babies: when and how?
From the start of solids at around 6 months you can offer orange. Segments without membrane, mashed or as a whole segment to suck on.
Everything here comes from the food catalogue inside the HeyFini app: the traffic light, how to prepare it at 6, 9 and 12 months, and the source behind every safety statement.
Well suitedfine from the start of solids
How to prepare it, by age
All three stages stand side by side. We don't know how old your child is, so read the stage that fits you.
At 6 months
Segments without membrane, mashed or as a whole segment to suck on. The acid can irritate the mouth.
From 9 months
Segments without membrane, cut into small pieces to pick up.
From 12 months
Eaten as segments or pieces of mandarin. You still remove membranes and seeds.
Sources: WHO and UNICEF on texture stages, ESPGHAN 2017 on the lumpy-food window in months 8 to 10.
This page gives general information and does not replace medical or dietetic advice. Every child develops differently. When in doubt, talk to your paediatrician or a registered dietitian.
The ages are rough guides. What counts is not the calendar but what your child can already do with mouth and hands.
A tip from everyday life
Offer segments without membrane. The acid sometimes irritates the mouth or a sore bottom, in which case simply take a break.
The five safety rules
- Quarter round food lengthwise. Grapes, cherries and cherry tomatoes never go on the plate whole.
- Cook hard food soft or grate it finely. Raw carrot and raw apple break into hard pieces otherwise.
- Nuts are never whole, only as a butter or finely ground.
- Eating happens sitting upright, never lying down and never on the move.
- Stay with your baby while they eat. Choking happens silently.
Sources: AAP, the German BfR and Netzwerk Gesund ins Leben. All dangerous foods at a glance
All 234 foods in the app
HeyFini shows the preparation that fits your own child's age, plus the food passport and the allergen companion for all 14 main allergens.
Common questions
When can my baby eat orange?
As soon as solids are under way, so at around 6 months. Segments without membrane, mashed or as a whole segment to suck on. The acid can irritate the mouth.
How do I prepare orange for my baby?
Offer segments without membrane. The acid sometimes irritates the mouth or a sore bottom, in which case simply take a break.
What changes with orange from 12 months?
Eaten as segments or pieces of mandarin. You still remove membranes and seeds.
What changes at 9 months?
Segments without membrane, cut into small pieces to pick up.
Read on
General guidance, not medical advice. For questions about your child, talk to your paediatrician or midwife. In an emergency call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US).