Graphic for post- meat for baby - purees or baby-led weaning - beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork. Images are in a grid of colorful kid plates with meat on them.

Meat is a slap-up kickoff nutrient for babies and it can be made into a infant food puree, mashed into a chunky puree, served on the bone, shredded, or served in strips as a finger food or for baby-led weaning. These six meat babe nutrient ideas are simple, salubrious, and quick to make using beef, craven, turkey, lamb and pork. This guide is perfect for babies half-dozen months and up!

Graphic for post – meat for babies – beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, purées or baby lead weaning. Images are in a grid of colorful baby plates Full of purées and finger foods.

Medically reviewed and co-written by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Meat Baby Nutrient

Serving your infant meat from the commencement might seem like an unconventional kickoff choice, but meat is an extremely nutrient-dense food for babies half-dozen months and up.

This guide will requite you 6 easy ways to incorporate meat 🍗 into your baby'south nutrition – served every bit a baby food puree, mashed with veggies, served on the bone, made into meatballs, served in strips, shredded or ground. You can serve meat to baby doing purees or baby-led weaning. These recipes are bully for babies six months – two years of age!

Kickoff time making homemade babe food? Then, I would advise that you offset by reading my very in-depthGuide on how to Make Bootleg Baby Food – which goes over all the important information such as the best cooking tools to have on paw, prophylactic storage, how to know when baby is set up for solids, how to introduce purees, the best get-go foods for baby, and more! If yous are doingBaby-Led Weaning, then be sure to check out myComplete Guide to Baby-Led Weaning – which covers what exactly is baby-led weaning, to every parent's concern of baby-led weaning and choking, this guide goes over it all. I will also share how to know when baby is set for BLW, the tiptop 10 best first foods, a helpful sample blw feeding schedule, helpful tools to accept on manus, and much much more!

Desire more than information?And then make sure to cheque out my acknowledged cookbook for even more data and recipes!

Meat for Babe Video

Watch this video to find out how to feed meat to your baby!

Reasons to Dearest These Meat Recipes for Baby

  • tin can be served as a babe food puree
  • also corking for baby-led weaning or the finger nutrient stage
  • nutrient-dense
  • like shooting fish in a barrel to accept one meal for the entire family
  • excellent sources of poly peptide, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and niacin
  • practiced sources of iron, vitamin B6, and phosphorous
  • puree and ground meat are freezer-friendly

Benefits of Meat for Baby

Unlike meats will have different nutrient profiles, but in general, meat is an excellent source of protein, which is essential for proper growth and development of all organ systems and for maintaining and repairing tissues. It is considered a consummate protein, meaning it has all of the amino acids that are needed to brand protein.

Meat tends to exist a proficient source of fe, needed for making red blood cells and for neurodevelopment, and zinc, needed for growth and development and supporting the immune organization. Animate being sources, including meat, are high in B12, which is essential for brain development and healthy red blood cells.

Best Meat to Serve Infant

There are a diversity of meats your baby tin eat right from the first! And with then many options on how to serve them, your baby volition never get bored. Try serving your baby a new meat dish every calendar week for maximum exposure.

  • Beef: served on the bone (ribs), made into meatballs, ground, in strips, shredded or pureed
  • Chicken: served on the bone (drumsticks), fabricated into meatballs, footing, in strips, shredded or pureed
  • Turkey: served on the os (drumsticks), fabricated into meatballs, footing, in strips, shredded or pureed
  • Lamb: served on the os (lamb chops), made into meatballs or ground
  • Pork: served in strips, shredded, made into meatballs, ground or pureed

You will want to stay away from any processed meats such every bit bacon, hot dogs, shop-bought sausage, ham, deli meat, etc, ideally equally long equally possible, but at to the lowest degree until i twelvemonth of age, since processed meats tend to be full of preservatives and take been linked to cancer. You volition also want to season the meat at home with bootleg spices or spice blends and avoid whatever shop-bought marinades, rubs, or sauces as they tend to be as well loftier in sodium and sugar. Make sure all meat is fully cooked to prevent any food-borne illnesses that can exist caused by undercooked meat. That means no rare or medium-rare steak for your baby.

Meat Sources: you certainly tin can buy organic, pasture-raised, and grass-fed meat, which is lower in saturated fatty and higher in Omega 3'south and antioxidants than conventional, if you prefer and your budget allows. Simply conventional meats are likewise completely safe and salubrious for babies.

Often Asked Questions

When can you introduce meat to baby?

Whether you first babe on purees or are doing baby-led weaning, meat is an amazing showtime nutrient for baby! When a infant tin start on solids is adamant past their own charge per unit of development, which generally comes between 4-6 months of historic period for purees and at or subsequently half dozen months for baby-led weaning. Some of the developmental milestones your babe needs to achieve in order to commencement solids include: if your baby has solid control of their head and neck, if your babe has doubled their birth weight, and if your baby is reaching for or opening their rima oris when you lot consume (see my guide here). Before you start baby on purees, y'all should consult with your pediatrician to brand sure your kid is developmentally ready.

Is meat a choking hazard for babies?

Yes, meat is one of the more common choking hazards for babies. You want to brand sure the meat you are serving to your baby is soft, tender, and appropriately sized for your baby'due south age. When in doubt, go for a bigger 2-3′ strip (2 adult finger size) of meat for your baby, or a puree. For safe ways to prepare meat for your baby, come across my recommended recipes below. And always be well-nigh babe or toddler when they are eating meat of any kind.

How do babies chew meat without teeth?

The question of how babies tin can chew foods without teeth, especially meat, makes all of us scratch our heads! But in reality, we all chew food with our dorsum molars, not our front teeth, which baby doesn't become until 18-22 months of age. Good thing babies have super tough and strong gums, which they use to mash, gnaw and chew foods. Infant's gums are amend at chewing food than you lot would think, and your baby volition be able to chew more foods the older they get, even without their molars.

Is meat a common allergen for infant?

No, meat is not a common allergen, even so, as with any nutrient, start with a small portion and be aware of any signs that might be an allergic reaction after introducing it

Does craven crusade constipation for babies?

No, meat is not known to cause constipation in babies, however it won't really help with constipation either since it lacks cobweb.

How to Cut Meat for Baby

A good dominion of thumb to follow is the younger the baby, the bigger the piece of meat. I know information technology sounds counterintuitive, but the bigger the piece of meat, allows baby to hold onto information technology while chewing and sucking on it without posing every bit loftier of a choking take chances. For babies vi-ix months, you will want to cut the meat into two-three′ strips that are roughly the size of 2 adult fingers. You tin slice the meat thinner for babies 9-12 months or shred information technology into small pieces.

Storage Instructions

  • For Meat Puree: you can store meat puree in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze individual portions in a freezer tray for upwardly to 2 months. To defrost, gently heat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.
  • For Ground Meat: you can store cooked footing meat in the fridge for upwardly to iv days or freeze individual portions in a freezer tray for up to 2 months. To defrost, gently heat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.
  • Meatballs: you can store cooked meatballs in the fridge for upwardly to 4 days or freeze them for upward to 2 months. To defrost, gently heat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.
  • Meat on the Bone, Strips, and Shredded: can be stored in the fridge for upwards to 4 days.

Feeding Tips

  • Watch for signs that your baby is ready to start solid foods, usually around 6 months of age. Expect for sitting with minimal assistance, expert control of their head and body, bringing hands and toys to their mouth, and appearing interested in what you are eating.
  • Throwing spoons is a mutual phase that all babies become through at one point or another. One of the best means to handle spoon throwing is to ignore it and keep feeding babe as usual (with an extra spoon you lot already accept at the table). If baby ends upward too throwing back up spoons #ii AND #3, merely encourage your baby to consume with their hands until they appear to be finished with the meal.
  • Take a spare spoon (or 3!) – even very young babies frequently want to exist involved in feeding themselves as much equally possible. Giving baby an actress spoon to hold can be helpful in giving her a sense of command and likewise promotes mitt-heart coordination. Permit baby to utilize spoons as a teether during the meal. At that place are many bang-up options out there but a few we particularly dearest include the Olababy 3 Piece Set, the NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils, and the ChooMee FlexiDip Infant Starter Spoons.

Helpful Tools

These tools will make doing feeding babe so much easier. For more of my favorite kitchen tools make sure to check out my store.

  • steamer handbasket
  • medium saucepan
  • storage containers for fridge
  • highchair
  • suction bowl or infant bowl
  • baby spoon
  • open hat cup
  • bib with catch pocket

Meat Puree for Baby

Serving a meat puree to your baby is a great way to expose your baby to the taste and nutritional benefits meat has to offer. While you can serve baby just the meat puree, it does take a very intense flavor that some babies may not care for. If this is the example, I would recommend you add a spoonful of chicken, beef, or turkey puree into another fruit or veggie puree your baby likes. Some great combinations are beefiness with sugariness potato puree, craven and mango puree, or chicken and broccoli puree. Since meat is not a common allergen, you tin can serve a meat combination puree as before long every bit your baby has tried the other fruit or vegetable. You can also serve baby a chunky mashed meat and veggie puree (recipe beneath) for a elementary phase two puree.

Meat for Baby-Led Weaning

It's very piece of cake to serve meat to babies for baby-led weaning starting at half-dozen months or every bit a finger foods starting at ix months. You volition want to start past serving baby the bigger pieces of meats (ribs or drumsticks, 2-three inch adult finger size strips, or longer meatballs) and work your style downwardly to the smaller pieces every bit your infant develops their pincer grasp, usually around 9 months of age.

Palmar vs. Pincer Grasp

Palmar grasp and pincer grasp can be disruptive, so let'southward go over the nuts.

Palmar Grasp

The palmar grasp is when your infant takes an entire 2-3′ slice of food and places nigh of the food into the palm of their hand with their fingers curling around the food. This leaves a small portion to stick out of the meridian of their paw, which is what they will chew on. The palmar grasp usually develops around 6 months of historic period, making information technology the first way your baby will move food from their plate to their mouths.

Pincer Grasp

A pincer grasp is when a baby uses their alphabetize finger and thumb to pick up smaller pieces of food. A baby will typically develop a pincer grasp around ix months of historic period simply can vary as all children develop at different rates.

HOW TO SERVE MEAT TO Infant

There are several different ways to prepare meat for baby. Here are 6 of my favorite ways:

  • Meat Puree (4-half dozen+ Months)
  • Mashed Meat with Veggies (half-dozen+ Months)
  • Meat on Os (half-dozen+ Months)
  • Meatball or Patty (half dozen-7+ Months)
  • Basis (8-ix+ Months)
  • Shredded or two-three inch Strips of Meat (Strips – 6+ Months, Shredded – 9+ Months)
Gray baby bowl filled with Beef Puree.

Meat Puree for Baby

You can serve baby pureed chicken, beef, or turkey puree. The key to making delicious pureed meat is to keep the meat tender during the cooking procedure. I like to simmer the meat in a low or no-sodium goop until only cooked before letting it cool then blending until smooth. You tin add veggies such as onions, carrots, celery, and red peppers to the goop for actress flavor. Once made, the meat puree volition last four days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.

Meat to Use: you can employ chicken, beef, turkey or lamb to make a babe puree.

Meat on the Bone

While serving meat on the bone to your baby may seem a piddling intense, information technology'southward actually the perfect nutrient for modest hands to grasp and be able to cocky-feed as the bones brand for the perfect handle. Make certain to remove whatever skin, fatty, or modest basic earlier serving.

Meat to Employ: Yous tin serve baby craven or turkey drumsticks, ribs, or lamb chops.

Meatballs for Infant

You can serve meatballs for babies starting around six-7 months of age. I beloved to make homemade meatballs for baby so that I can form them into long finger shapes, which are easier for babies to grasp and eat. Y'all tin can also piece the longer meatballs into strips or chop them into smaller 'pea' size pieces. If using store-bought meatballs, look for a make that doesn't have a ton of added ingredients and has lower sodium. If serving a round meatball to your baby, you tin cut it into quartered strips or pocket-size pieces.

Meat to Utilize: you can use beef, chicken, turkey or lamb to make meatballs for baby.

Basis Meat for Infant

Serving cooked ground meat is a great way for your baby to eat meat, as it is soft and tender than other cuts of meat, which makes information technology easier for your baby to chew and swallow. I also love that yous can add in seasonings such every bit dried oregano, basil, paprika, garlic pulverization, balmy chili powder, etc, to your meat while cooking to give it an exciting seasoned sense of taste. You can serve ground meat to babies 9 months and up that are working on their pincer grasp or load some of the cooked basis meat onto a baby fork or self-feeding spoon to feed them or paw the utensil over to your infant to feed themselves.

Meat to Apply: Feel free to utilise ground turkey, chicken, beef or lamb.

Pink baby plate with chunks and shredded chicken and beef.

Pulled or Strips of Meat

The get-go food my daughter e'er had was a huge slice of steak she grabbed off of my husband's plate! Pulled (shredded) or strips of chicken, beef, pork, lamb, or turkey are one of the easiest ways to serve meat to babies. Take a ii-3′ strip, which is roughly the size of two adult fingers, of meat that you are going to have for dinner and serve information technology to your baby. You lot tin also shred the meat into smaller pieces for slightly older babies (ix+ months). Just make certain you lot remove any skin, fat, difficult pieces, or small bones before serving.

Mashed Meat with Veggies

This method works bully for babies on Stage 2 or Phase Three babe nutrient purees or only starting on finger foods. To brand this, you lot volition brew a small slice of chicken, beef, or turkey forth with a spoonful of cooked veggies such equally carrots, sweet potatoes, or broccoli until they are combined yet nevertheless slightly mesomorphic. And so you tin can feed baby this chunky puree, or you can load a self-feeding spoon and have them feed themselves.

Tips

  • Soft and Tender: With any meat you are serving, brand sure information technology is soft and tender to make it easier for your babe to chew. You don't want to serve baby tough overcooked meat, skin, minor bones, or pieces of fat equally those are all choking hazards.
  • Serve a Diversity: make sure you serve your babe various meats in a few dissimilar variations to diversify their textures and tastes, which helps with picky eating. Don't exist afraid to step out of your comfort zone and offering baby craven liver, veal, mutton, goat, buffalo, or organ meats such as heart, kidney, and liver.
  • Choose Dark Meat: offer baby nighttime turkey or chicken meat whenever possible as information technology has about double the amount of atomic number 26 in it.
  • Serve Fully Cooked Meat: Ensure yous are serving your baby fully cooked meat as "rare" and "medium rare" are a no for baby.

  • i/two pound ground chicken or turkey
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or basil
  • i/two tsp garlic powder
  • Prep: If baking, preheat the oven to 400° F. Line the baking sail with parchment paper or a silicone mat and coat with a little cooking spray.

  • Mix: In a medium mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients. Mix together with your hands or a spatula until just incorporated.

    Clear mixing bowl full of ingredients for meatballs.

  • Course: Roll the mixture into 3" long rolls – roughly 10 in total. Identify on the baking sail.

    Tray of long meatballs for baby.

  • Bake: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for xx minutes or until done all the way through. Let absurd and serve to baby.

    Blue baby plate filled with homemade meatballs whole and cut up for baby to feed themselves.

Age: 6-7+ months

Yield: 10 longer meatballs

Storage: will store in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for 2 months. To reheat, gently estrus the meatballs in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove top until just warm.