You should not give your baby Quorn before they are nine months old.
What is Quorn?
Quorn is a vegetarian source of protein. It’s low in fat, high in fibre and doesn’t contain many calories.
Quorn is a mycoprotein, which means it’s made from fungi, such as mushrooms. It is not soya based like textured vegetable protein (TVP).
Some people have reported allergic reactions to mycoprotein, but this is rare.
Introducing Quorn to your baby’s diet
Unlike an adult diet, a baby’s diet should generally contain lots of calories and nutrients in a small amount of food. As Quorn doesn’t contain many calories, it should only make up a small part of your baby’s diet.
If Quorn is part of your family’s diet and you want to give it to your baby, you can introduce small amounts gradually when your baby is nine months old and eating a range of foods.
Quorn is high in fibre which can cause wind, making your baby feel uncomfortable. High-fibre foods can also fill your baby up. If your baby doesn’t have enough room for other foods, they may not get enough energy or the wide range of nutrients they need from their diet.
Salt in your baby's diet
Foods that aren’t made specifically for babies can often be high in salt. Babies shouldn’t eat much salt because it’s not good for their kidneys. Therefore, it’s important to check food labels to see how much salt a food contains. Babies under one year old should have less than 1 gram of salt a day.
The amount of salt contained in Quorn products varies. Check the food labels to see how much salt the product contains.
Introducing your baby to solid foods
Your baby’s first solid foods should be simple foods that they can easily digest, such as vegetables, fruit or rice. You could try:
- mashed or puréed cooked parsnip, potato, yam, sweet potato or carrot
- mashed or puréed banana, avocado, cooked apple or pear
- mashed or puréed rice or baby rice (mix the rice with a bit of your baby’s usual milk)
- pieces of soft fruit or vegetables that are small enough for your baby to pick up
From nine months old, as your baby gets more used to eating solid foods, it’s important to offer them a range of different foods.
For more information about weaning your baby, see:
Talk to your GP or health visitor if you have any concerns about your baby’s diet and what foods you can give them.
Read the answers to more questions about children’s health.
Further information:
Your health, your choices