Food guide
Olives
Olives can be introduced around 6 months when pitted and prepared safely. They're high in sodium so use sparingly.
How to serve at this age
6-9 months: Mash pitted olives or offer thin slices. 9-12 months: Serve quartered pitted olives. 12-24 months: Keep olives pitted and quartered or finely sliced - never whole or halved before age 4.
Nutrition
Good source of healthy monounsaturated fats. Contains vitamin E and antioxidants. High in sodium.
A note from the editors
Rinse olives to reduce sodium. Black olives are generally milder than green. Kalamata olives have intense flavor.
Good to know
Always remove pits. High sodium - offer sparingly. Cut or slice to prevent choking. Some olives are very salty. Cut food no larger than 1 cm (about half an inch), and keep round, hard or slippery foods quartered lengthways until age 4.