Introducing Meatballs to Your Baby

Meat is a top source of nutrition for babies and toddlers, and it deserves a place on your mini muncher’s menu soon after starting solids.

And if you’re going the baby-led weaning route (an approach that introduces solids in the form of soft, gummable finger foods instead of spoon-feeding your baby purées), meatballs are one of the very best early foods — thanks to their soft texture and serious versatility in the flavor department.  

Still, you might have some questions: When are meatballs okay to introduce, since they’re a multi-ingredient food? Can you use Grandma’s famous meatball recipe for your baby? And is it appropriate to serve baby store-bought or frozen meatballs? Here, answers to all those questions and more.

When can babies have meatballs?

It’s generally considered perfectly fine to offer your baby foods made with multiple ingredients like meatballs early on in her journey with solids, sometime between 6 and 9 months. But you should get the green light from her pediatrician before adding multi-ingredient foods to the menu. 

In general, it’s always a good idea to introduce different foods and ingredients individually before serving them mixed to see how your baby reacts. This is especially true with foods like meatballs, which are often made with common allergens like dairy, eggs or wheat.

For instance, if your baby showed signs of an allergic reaction after eating a meatball made with eggs, cheese and breadcrumbs, and she hadn’t yet tried all of those ingredients individually, it would be hard for you to figure out whether the culprit was the eggs, the bread crumbs, the cheese or another ingredient altogether.

How to prepare meatballs for your baby

Stick with soft textures and small sizes. Meatballs with a hard or dry exterior can be difficult to gum or chew and pose a choking hazard, so instead, cook your baby’s meatballs by simmering them or baking until just set and serving with a sauce, like homemade marinara.

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Mini meatballs are a better option than the gigantic ones from your favorite red-checkered tablecloth joint, since your tot only needs a small portion. But avoid serving them whole, as small, round foods can be a choking hazard. 

The tips below can help parents determine how to serve meatballs 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 him or her 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 meatballs for a 6-month-old

Once she's been introduced to all of the ingredients in a meatball recipe, halve mini meatballs or slice larger ones into strips for your baby to grab and gum. If she’s having trouble, you can also try mashing meatballs and serving them on a pre-loaded spoon.  

How to prepare meatballs for a 9-month-old

Give your older baby a chance to work on her pincer grasp by cutting meatballs into small pieces and letting her pick them up with her fingers. 

How to prepare meatballs for 12 months old and up

Small, cut-up pieces are still the safest way to go throughout toddlerhood. But now your little one may be ready to practice picking her meatball pieces up with a fork. 

Healthy meatball tips for babies and toddlers

Your new nosher’s meatballs should be free of added salt, additives and preservatives — and ingredient control is much easier when you cook meatballs yourself. Some tips for making them both wholesome and tasty:

• Keep the ingredients simple. Start off with balls made simply from ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey or pork are all good) and a basic binder like mashed sweet potato, mashed beans or even infant cereal. As your tot tries more foods, you can gradually add more flavors so the meatballs look more like the ones Grandma might’ve made for you.
• Experiment with salt-free flavors. Meatballs are an easy vehicle for introducing your baby to the wide world of herbs and spices. Try adding flavor with fresh chopped basil, dried oregano and tiny sprinklings of ground cumin or curry powder. 
• Add some veggies. Finely diced onion, shredded carrot, shredded zucchini or even shredded beet all add extra flavor, texture and nutrition to your baby’s meatballs. 
• Stick with whole grains. If you’re using breadcrumbs as a binder, opt for plain whole wheat crumbs instead of white or seasoned ones (seasoned often contain added salt). Or trade the breadcrumbs for rolled oats or oat flour.
• Rethink your simmer sauce. Basic tomato or marinara are classics, but why stop there? Change up the flavor profile by simmering meatballs in coconut milk with garlic and ginger, homemade curry sauces, or low-sodium beef or chicken broth. 
• Go veggie. Meatballs don’t always have to be made from meat. Experiment with meatless balls made from simple ingredients like mashed tofu or beans, veggies and whole grains. 
• Be choosy if you go with store-bought. Look for options with a short, simple ingredient list. Sodium-free meatballs are ideal, but if they’re impossible to find, look for the meatballs with the least amount of sodium possible and serve them with other foods made with little or no sodium to balance out the total salt content of the meal. 

What are the benefits of meatballs for babies and toddlers?

Meatballs are a tasty way to offer up high-quality protein to support your little one’s growth. But that’s just the beginning. Ground beef and poultry 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. 

Meatballs serve 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 meatballs? 

Meat and poultry allergies do exist — but they’re less common, especially in babies and toddlers. It’s more common for a tot to have a possible allergy to another ingredient often used in meatballs, such as eggs, cheese or wheat. 

All of which reinforces the importance of serving ingredients as part of a meatball only after you’ve introduced them individually. And if you’re serving store-bought meatballs or having them at a restaurant, thoroughly check the ingredients before putting them on your cutie’s plate or tray.

Of course, even with foods where allergies are unlikely, 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.

Are meatballs a choking hazard for babies?

Meatballs that are hard, cut into too-big chunks or served as smaller, round mini meatballs can be a choking hazard for babies. Make sure you're serving them safely by making sure meatballs are soft and served with a sauce, and cutting them up into small, bite-sized pieces.

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.