You might not expect that red meat, poultry or pork would make the list of first foods for your baby. But in fact, meat can be a great option to introduce early on, since it’s packed with nutrients that can be tough for your little eater to get elsewhere.
And while purées are one option, meat can work just as well for families trying baby-led weaning, an approach that involves introducing solids around in the form of soft, gummable finger foods. Here’s when to start adding animal proteins to your tot’s plate or tray, plus plenty of finger food-friendly serving ideas to help get you started.
When can babies have meat?
You can add meat to your baby’s menu any time after starting solids, which is usually around 6 months. In fact, experts recommend that foods like meat and poultry, along with fortified baby cereal and beans, get introduced early on, since they provide key nutrients like iron and zinc.
If you’re trying baby-led weaning, you'll want to offer meat after 6 months, when your baby is more capable of handling finger foods and self-feeding.
How to prepare meat for your baby
If you're spoon-feeding, you can prepare meat by puréeing it until smooth. But if you're following a baby-led weaning approach, meat should first and foremost be tender and soft, so it's easy for your growing gourmand to gum.
Options like ground beef, turkey, chicken or pork are good choices in the beginning, since they can be shaped into pieces that are easy for early eaters to hold and gum — think little balls or logs. Strips of soft-cooked steak or chicken can work, too, though at first your cutie might do more sucking or gnawing than actual eating.
Whenever possible, skip processed meats or those with added fillers, preservatives or sodium. Speaking of sodium, while you probably wouldn’t dream of making a burger or steak without salt, avoid adding it any to meat you’re preparing for your baby. She doesn’t need it (and she won’t know the difference).
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As for what to avoid? Tough or chewy cuts of meat, or meat with visible pieces of fat can be hard for new eaters to gum or chew, and may be a choking hazard, so keep them off the menu. Steer clear of smoked or cured meats like bacon, too, and only offer deli lunch meats in very small quantities — they’re all loaded with nitrates, added sodium and preservatives that your baby doesn’t need.
The tips below can help parents determine how to serve meat at different stages, but keep in mind that all babies develop at their own pace. Speak with your pediatrician before beginning baby-led weaning, and talk to your pediatrician if you have any concerns about your child's oral-motor skills, chewing skills, swallowing skills or if you're unsure whether or not your baby is ready for certain food preparations.
How to prepare meat for a 6-month-old
Puréed meat works well for babies who are being spoon-fed, while simple homemade meatballs or logs are great choices for baby-led weaning families, as these preparations are easy for your baby to gum. (Pictured: soft-cooked chicken meatballs.)
Try combining cooked, puréed ground meat with a small amount of any binding ingredient your baby has already tried (think mashed sweet potato, mashed beans or infant cereal) and baking until firm but not overly crispy. Depending on the size, you can cut the balls or logs into halves or quarters for your new nosher to pick up. Or mash them and put them on a loaded spoon for your baby to hold herself.
How to prepare meat for a 9-month-old
Help your mini muncher practice her pincer grasp by offering small bits of shredded or very thinly sliced soft-cooked beef or poultry (pictured: chicken). You can also cut meatballs or meatloaf into bite-sized pieces. Avoid serving cubes or chunks of meat, though — even small ones pose a choking risk.
How to prepare meat for 12 months old and up
As a newly minted toddler, your emerging epicure likely has the teeth and chewing skills to tackle smaller pieces of cut-up meat or poultry, including working on picking them up with a fork.
Meat recipes for babies and toddlers
Want more ideas for getting meat onto your mini muncher’s menu? Here are some simple serving options that are guaranteed to please. Just remember to always introduce one food at a time, especially top allergens like eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, dairy and seafood.
- Mini meatballs. Start by combining ground meat with a simple binder like mashed sweet potato, mashed beans or baby cereal. As your growing gourmand’s palate expands, so, too can the ingredients you add to your meatballs — think grated cheese, eggs, fresh herbs or rolled oats.
- Pasta and meatballs. Simmer mini meatballs in tomato sauce (use low-sodium if store-bought) and serve over whole grain pasta.
- Mini meatloaf muffins. Combine ground beef with mashed sweet potato or pumpkin purée, a beaten egg, plus enough whole wheat breadcrumbs to bind and bake in mini muffin tins.
- Deconstructed tacos. Serve little mounds of cooked ground beef or turkey, black beans, shredded cheese and diced tomato with strips of corn or whole wheat tortilla.
- Simple chili. Cook ground beef with crushed tomatoes and finely diced onion, along with small sprinklings of seasonings like cumin or mild chili powder. Add enough beef or vegetable broth to reach a thick, chili-like consistency that your baby can scoop with her hands.
- Deconstructed slider. Make slider-sized burger patties; serve halved or quartered topped with melted cheese alongside pieces of whole grain burger bun and diced tomato.
- Slow cooker beef stew. Combine cubed stew beef with canned diced tomatoes, halved potatoes, sliced carrots and frozen peas in a slow cooker. Serve for toddlers 12 months and up, with the beef cut into small pieces.
What are the benefits of meat for babies and toddlers?
You know that meat is packed with high-quality protein to support your little one’s growth. But that’s just the beginning. Foods like chicken, beef, turkey and pork are also top sources of iron, a mineral that’s needed to manufacture red blood cells — and red blood cells are needed to deliver oxygen to every part of the body.
Meat serves up plenty of zinc, too, which plays a key role in supporting your little one’s immune system and is also involved in healthy growth.
Can babies be allergic to meat?
Meat and poultry allergies exist, but they’re less common — especially in babies and toddlers. That said, research shows some kids who are allergic to milk are also allergic to beef. So if you know that your baby is allergic to milk, talk with your pediatrician about whether to have your little one tested for a beef allergy before introducing red meat.
Of course, even with foods where allergies may be less likely, it’s always a good idea to watch for signs of a possible reaction, especially when serving a food for the first time. Your baby or toddler might have a food allergy if, immediately or within an hour or two after eating, she experiences:
- Hives
- Itching
- Skin, lip or tongue swelling
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Throat tightness or trouble swallowing
- Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea
- Trouble breathing
Call your doctor right away if your child experiences symptoms of an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction may be more severe or possibly life-threatening (called anaphylaxis) if multiple areas of the body are affected. In the rare event that your child shows signs of a life-threatening allergic reaction like trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911 right away.
Is meat a choking hazard for babies?
Chunks of meat are a common choking hazard for children under 4. Make sure you're serving meat safely to your little one by offering puréed or soft, gummable meat (like meatballs or logs made from ground meat) for the earliest eaters, then cutting meat into small, bite-sized pieces for bigger babies and toddlers.
Make sure, too, to always supervise your young child when she's eating, sit her upright during mealtimes and never offer food while she's reclining, walking, sitting in a car seat or playing.
Meat might not be the first (or second, or third) food that comes to mind as your baby starts eating solids. But as long as it’s prepped in an age-appropriate way, there’s no reason to hold off on serving it — and offering it sooner can help your baby get more of important nutrients.
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