Tuna For Babies: Safety, Health Benefits, Risks And Recipes

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Tuna is among the most consumed fish in the world. The United Nations even celebrates “World Tuna Day” on the second of May to mark the economic and nutritional importance of the fish (1). However, you may be doubtful about the safety of tuna for babies as it is quite likely to contain mercury, which may have adverse effects on your baby’s health (2).

Keep reading this post, where we provide more information about the health benefits of tuna for babies, precautions to observe, and recipes to prepare delicious fish dishes for infants.

Types Of Tuna – What Is Safe And What Is Not?

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There are a total of 15 species of tuna, out of which five commercially important tropical species are most commonly used as food. These species are yellowfin, bigeye, bluefin, skipjack, and albacore (3).

Internationally, tuna is used fresh, frozen, or canned. As per FDA, the best choices of tuna are light canned skipjack tuna, canned/fresh/frozen albacore, yellowfin, and white tuna.

The FDA recommends avoiding bigeye tuna (4). These recommendations are made on the basis of mercury levels and other contaminants that might be present in the fish.

Can Babies Eat Tuna?

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Yes, babies can eat tuna. However, the right age to include it in your baby’s diet is not clear.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a baby’s diet can include fish within a few months of starting solids (5). Therefore, once your infant shows the signs of readiness for solids, then you can consider introducing tuna. However, it is best to consult a pediatrician before you feed tuna to your baby.

How Much Tuna Can A Baby Eat?

The US FDA and EPA recommend the consumption of one ounce (28 grams) of fish per week for kids aged two years. This recommendation mainly includes marine-derived “oily fish”, such as tuna (4) (6). However, for babies below two years of age, no specific serving size per day or week has been mentioned. To decide on a safe intake limit, consultation with a pediatric nutritionist is advisable.

Nutritional Value Of Tuna

Apart from being a good source of essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acid, selenium, iron, and vitamin-D, tuna has plenty of protein, too (7)(8).

Below is the approximate nutritional composition of 100 grams of fresh tuna.

Sources:

U.S. Department of Agriculture (9) and World Health Organization (10)

Health Benefits Of Tuna For Babies

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Below are some benefits that your baby could reap by consuming tuna in a well-balanced diet.

1. Growth and development: Coldwater fishes such as tuna are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA and EPA (11). Both EPA and DHA are essential fats that are required in optimum amounts to support the proper growth and development of your baby’s eye, brain, immune, and nervous system (12).

2. Physiological functions: Protein helps in the regulation of various body functions crucial for sustenance (13). Tuna has a considerable amount of high-quality protein, which can be helpful in the healthy growth of the baby (14).

3. Bone development: Vitamin-D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is necessary for calcium absorption. Besides, it is required to perform various other functions such as regulation of neuromuscular processes and hormone production in the body (15). Tuna is considered as an essential source of vitamin-D, considering the nutrient is naturally found in very few foods (16).

4. Overall health: Tuna is a good source of various micronutrients such as magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, selenium, and thiamine. Owing to these nutrients, regular consumption of tuna could have beneficial effects on the overall health of the baby in the long run.

As you know the benefits, it is also wise to know the possible side-effects of consuming tuna.

Risks Of Tuna For Babies

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Tuna (fresh/canned) is associated with mercury exposure. As per WHO consideration, mercury is one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern (17). Exposure to mercury during the early years of life can cause serious health effects on the nervous, immune, and digestive systems.

Besides mercury, canned tuna has other possible contaminants due to commercial handling and processing. A few examples are the elements lead and cadmium, which can be bad for health too. Therefore, the Office of Community and Public Health, USA (OCPH) recommends “avoiding excessive amounts of tuna in diet”. Eating one can per week should not be a problem for children under six years of age (18). However, it is best to stick to an ounce or less for babies. Consult a pediatrician or pediatric dietician to learn the safe quantity of tuna for your baby.

Be watchful

Symptoms of mercury toxicity may include tremors, headaches, cognitive and motor dysfunction, and insomnia (17).

Precautions To Take While Introducing Tuna To Babies

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Below is a list of precautionary steps to observe when feeding tuna to babies.

1. Acknowledge the fact that all tunas can be possibly contaminated. It may not always be possible to avoid mercury entirely. So look for options with less mercury over the ones with possibly higher levels. Canned tuna, especially white, tend to have high amounts of mercury, whereas canned light tuna is considered to have low levels of mercury.

Expert says

According to the FDA, albacore tuna has three times more mercury than canned light tuna. Therefore, it should be consumed less frequently (21).

2. Follow FDA’s latest advice about eating fish. It will help you choose the best for your baby and yourself.

3. Check for labels while you are buying canned tuna. Labels will help you identify the safest option available over the shelf.

4. As you prepare tuna for your baby, ensure that you remove bones. This is important if you are using fresh tuna instead of canned.

5. While feeding, start with small amounts. Watch for the possible signs of fish allergy or intolerance. If any concerns are observed, discontinue feeding immediately. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), fish is one of the common allergens that account for approximately 90% of all allergic reactions. Hence, staying vigilant for potential allergic reactions is preeminent.

6. Avoid introducing tuna with any other new food. It can help you determine allergies easily and might also prevent any cross-reaction with other food items.

7. To know more about the levels of mercury, see the FDA food safety website or the EPA website. You can also look for your local advisories, especially for tuna caught fresh.

As always, make sure there is variety in your child’s diet, just because fish is a good source of nutrition, do not forget it has its hazards as well.

Precautionary steps, when followed accurately, mitigate the potential health risks associated with tuna.

Let’s check some interesting recipes that you could try for your baby.

Tuna Recipes For Babies

Tuna puree is the simplest option to choose when introducing tuna to the baby for the first time. Once your baby gets comfortable with it, then you can try these interesting and nutritionally sumptuous fish recipes for babies.

1. Tuna Mash Pie

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An ideal tuna recipe since it is easy to swallow and is nutritionally balanced.

You will need:

• 1 small potato (peeled and diced)
• 1 cup broccoli
• 20g tuna (canned, light)

How to:

1. Take a thick bottom pan and boil potatoes in water for 15 minutes.
2. Mash the boiled potato with a fork until you get a rough paste.
3. Next, wash and separate the broccoli florets. Put the cleaned florets and tuna in another pan and boil them for about 10 minutes.
4. Drain the water and add the mashed potato to the cooked broccoli and tuna.
5. Stir together until all mixed. Serve the dish warm

Quick tip

You may add clarified butter and cooked spinach to the recipe to make it more flavorful and nutritious.

2. Grilled tuna with avocado and cucumber

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You will need:

• ¼ cucumber, diced
• 1 cup small tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, sliced
• ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 avocado, thick slices
• 2 fresh wild tuna steaks (approx. eight ounces or 226 grams)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted
• Extra virgin olive oil

How to:

1. Take a medium-sized bowl, put the cucumber, tomatoes, ginger, onions, lime juice, one tablespoon olive oil, and salt.
2. Mix everything together well and then fold the mixture in the avocado slices.
3. Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high.
4. As the grill is getting heated, rub both sides of the tuna with oil.
5. Grill each side for three to four minutes.
6. Once done, slice the tuna and sprinkle sesame seeds.
7. Serve hot with a homemade sauce of your choice.

Once your little one is comfortable with this meal, you can increase the nutritional value of their diet by serving tuna with avocados and nuts while being mindful of any allergies. This can offer a well-balanced meal that is abundant in omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, in addition to the omega-3 fatty acids already present in the tuna.

Infographics: Does Canned Tuna Have Contaminants?

Fresh fish is less likely to have additives in them. Tuna, when canned, may acquire chemicals, besides mercury, from the packing materials or substances used to process and preserve the fish. The infographic below lists some contaminants that may be present in canned tuna.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Can Babies Eat Tuna? Benefits Risks And Precautions To Take

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Whip up a super fast, healthy and delicious tuna puree recipe for your little one with help from this recipe video.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Jyoti BenjaminMS, RD, CSO, FAND, CD

Jyoti Benjamin has 25 years of experience as a clinical dietitian and currently works in Seattle. She focuses on teaching people the value of good nutrition and helping them lead healthy lives by natural means.Benjamin has a masters in Foods and Nutrition, and has been a longtime member and Fellow of AND (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) and the International Confederation of Dietetic Association.

Read full bio of Jyoti Benjamin

Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

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Rohit GarooBSc, MBA

Rohit Garoo is a writer-turned-editor with over 9 years of experience in content writing, editing, and content marketing. He did his bachelors in Science at St. Xavier's College, Hyderabad, and masters in Business Administration at Osmania University.

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Ghazia ShahMSc, MA, BEd

Ghazia is a scientist-turned-writer with three years of research experience in Cancer Biology. She did her masters degree in Biotechnology at the University of Kashmir and bachelors in Education at the same university. Ghazia then delved deeper into the science of language with a masters in English.

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