Is Pesto OK For Baby-Led Weaning?

Short answer
Yes, pesto is fine for weaning babies to eat, provided it is introduced gradually, is not too chunky, and doesn't contain any ingredients to which your baby has already displayed allergic reactions.

Long answer
In Genoa, the home of basil pesto, the locals will tell you that pesto is the second thing a baby will taste after its mother's milk, and we can't think of a better way of saying that yes, pesto is fine for babies to eat.

Baby-led weaning (BLW) has inspired an untold number of academic studies, cookbooks, opinions, and family arguments. Those of a certain generation whose grandparents grew up having cognac rubbed on their gums, were sent up chimneys at age four, and were locked in their bedroom until they cried themselves to sleep may not be best placed to advise on today's different approaches to weaning.

Anyway, we digress; we're not here to judge. We have no opinions on when weaning should start, whether it should only start with purees or what the correct ratio of sweet-to-savoury vegetables should be. That's for people to bicker about on Mumsnet.

We do have ample opinion and knowledge about pesto, though. Along with basic guidance from the NHS, we believe that introducing pesto to a baby's diet as soon as it starts weaning is absolutely no problem.

There are a few caveats, though:

Allergies
As this is your baby's first foray into solid food, it's essential to introduce pesto slowly and in tiny quantities, especially if there is a family history of allergies.

Dairy (in the form of cheese) is worth monitoring, mainly because traditional basil pesto contains cheese made from cow's and sheep's milk. Although their name may imply otherwise, pine nuts are seeds that could cause a reaction. Many cheaper pestos may contain other kinds of nuts (even peanuts), so always check the label.

Unexpected ingredients
With so many different pesto sauces available, don't assume that they are all created equal. We know of pestos containing beetroot, anchovies, and even cured meat, so ensure you're not inadvertently feeding your baby something you hadn't factored in.

Texture
Plenty of pestos, especially premium ones, are left chunky for a more enjoyable eating experience. Thankfully, your baby is not yet a critic of your cooking skills, so we advise you to puree pesto until it is super smooth to reduce the risk of choking.

Acidity
The pestos you find in the ambient pasta aisle must be quite acidic to have such a long shelf life, and that acidity could come from various sources, including citrus juice, vinegar, or powdered acids. Just be aware that weaning babies may still have quite a low tolerance for overly acidic foods.

Fat and salt
Weaning babies should not be fed excessively salty or fatty foods. If you follow the food traffic light system, you'll have seen that pesto tends to carry a couple of amber and red warnings. With 99% of pestos, we don't think it's of enormous concern because your baby will be eating such small quantities of it, and we don't consider it bad for people anyway.

However, it's worth looking out for excessively salty pestos. We know of one for sale in the UK that contains a whopping 5.1% salt. In context, that's over twice as salty as most supermarket bacon!