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Barley

A chewy, nutty whole grain with a knack for thickening soups and stews into something hearty.

Barley
Starting age
6+ months
Choking risk
Low
Common allergen
No

Choking risk

Soft, well-cooked barley is a low choking risk - the small grains turn tender and squash easily.

Cook it until very soft and mix the loose grains into porridge, mash, or a thick soup so they hold together on a spoon. See how to serve for age-by-age prep.

Allergens

Barley isn't one of the nine most common food allergens, and a true barley allergy is uncommon, so for most babies it can go in like any other grain.

What matters with barley is gluten - it contains gluten, along with wheat and rye. If your baby has celiac disease, barley is off the menu. And if your baby has a wheat allergy, ask your pediatrician before offering barley: wheat, barley, and rye are closely related, and many children allergic to wheat react to barley too.

Barley malt turns up in a lot of cereals, breads, and drinks, so it's worth checking labels if you're keeping gluten out.

Start with a small amount and watch for a reaction.[2]

If baby refuses

Barley is mild and a little nutty, and usually goes down well. If it's refused, cook the porridge with your baby's usual breast milk or formula, swirl in a fruit purée or a pinch of cinnamon, or stir the grains into a soup or mash they already like. New foods often take a good few goes before they land.

How to serve

6+ months old

Soft barley porridge or purée

Serve barley well cooked and very soft, blended into a smooth porridge or stirred into a soft mash rather than as loose grains. Pre-load a spoon and hand it to baby. Cooking the porridge with your baby's usual breast milk or formula gives a familiar flavour.

How to cook

Simmer pearl barley in unsalted water, roughly 1 part barley to 3 parts water, for about 40 to 45 minutes until very soft, then blend or mash with a little of the cooking water, breast milk, or formula.

12+ months old

Barley in family meals

Whole soft grains, stirred through a dish

Barley works in family food now - in soups, stews, risotto-style dishes, or as a soft side alongside a meal. Keep it moist and clumped rather than loose and dry, and offer a fork or spoon for practice, though your toddler will probably still use their hands for a while yet. Keep choosing salt-free or low-salt stock so the dish suits everyone.

How to cook

Cook pearl or hulled barley until soft, then use it however the family eats it - soups, stews, risotto, or as a side. Check labels on ready-made soups and broths, which are often high in salt.

Tips

  • Pot or hulled barley keeps more of the grain. It holds onto the bran and a bit more fibre than pearl barley, which has been polished. Pearl is perfectly fine and cooks faster - worth knowing the difference rather than worrying about it.
  • Watch the stock. Barley usually ends up in soups and stews, and ready-made broths and stock cubes are where the salt sneaks in. Use a salt-free stock or just water, and season the adults' portions at the table.
  • Batch-cook it. Barley takes 40 minutes, so it's worth making a big pot - it keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months frozen, ready to stir into porridge, soup, or mash.

Sources

  1. Food Allergies (the 9 major US allergens) - FDA
  2. When to Introduce Egg, Peanut Butter & Other Common Food Allergens - AAP HealthyChildren
  3. When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods - CDC
  4. Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit (added sugar, salt) - CDC
  5. Barley, pearled, cooked (FDC 170285) - USDA FoodData Central

See also: Rice Cakes, Muffins, Breakfast Cereal, Granola, Waffles, Graham Crackers