When Can Babies Have Meat? Benefits of Introducing Meat to Your Baby’s Diet

Estimated time to read 11 minutes

For the first six months of your baby’s life, all of their nutrition comes from either breast milk, formula, or a combination of both. While you were eagerly waiting for your baby to show readiness for solid foods, you might now feel overwhelmed with the feeding process.

You may ask yourself about when and how to offer them various foods, especially meat. Although meat may seem a little intimidating at first, it’s packed with complete protein, vitamins, antioxidants, and key nutrients that are crucial for your baby’s growth—and it’s actually easy for your baby to digest starting at around six months of age.

In this article, we'll explore the nutritious benefits of feeding your baby meat, tips for introducing meat to your baby, how to prepare meat according to age, and the potential risks associated with feeding meat to your baby. We'll also provide delicious, baby-friendly meat recipes and discuss meat alternatives.

All you need to know about giving meat to a baby

Meat is power-packed with nutrients babies need as they grow.

Is it healthy to give meat to a baby?

Once your baby is at least six months of age and has started to demonstrate the main signs of readiness to begin eating solids, you can introduce meats. While it might seem like meat could be tough to digest, that isn’t the case. A baby’s tummy contains all the enzymes necessary to digest meat and other animal products.

While the specific nutrition will vary depending on the type of meat you choose, offering your little one a variety of meats is a great way to incorporate different nutrients into your baby’s diet, while also taking advantage of the flavor window to expose babies to savory flavors.

How can you choose and store meat for your baby?

In most cases, babies can eat any kind of meat. Introducing them to different types of meat will also offer a wider range of vitamins and nutrients. We recommend choosing high-quality raising practices such as grass-fed beef and free-range poultry.

In addition to the usual choices, babies can also eat nutrient-rich organ meats. Some common organ meats include:

• Liver, which is rich in vitamin A, iron, and zinc (Check out our article on How to Make Liver Bone Broth, which is a great way to get your baby some extra nutrients)
• Heart, which is rich in iron, zinc, selenium, and folate
• Kidney, which contains omega 3 fatty acids

How to introduce meat to a baby?

Whether it's beef, pork, or chicken, cooking it properly is key. Meat can have a texture that is tougher than many other foods, so you may have to slightly alter how you prepare it, based on the age of your child. Serving meats like steak in age-appropriate forms reduces the risk involved with feeding. It’s important to pay attention to your child’s current development, such as how well they are able to chew, when deciding how to introduce meat into their diet.

Experts generally suggest preparing purees or pre-chewing (also called premastication) meat for younger babies, while shredded, ground, and cubed meats are usually acceptable for older babies and toddlers. This will help ensure that your child is getting the nutritious benefits of meat, regardless of their age.

5 reasons why it’s a great first food

#1 It is easy to digest

Our modern culture has led us to believe that refined grains and cereals are a great first food as they are bland and easy to digest. But the reality is, grains and cereals have little valuable nutrition (and what they do have is generally just fortified with synthetic vitamins) and can actually irritate your baby’s digestive tract. The transition to cooked baby foods can be seamless when handled correctly.

A baby’s stomach more easily digests proteins and fats than starches. Meat is a digestible complete protein, and tends to be of higher nutritional value than grains, beans, and other plant sources. That means that more of the protein from meat is effectively absorbed and used by the body.

#2 It has healthy fat

Fat is critical for brain development, hormone regulation, and supporting the immune system. Fat is also needed for a baby's digestive system to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Saturated and monounsaturated fats also increase intestinal absorption of calcium necessary for rapid growth.

#3 It is savory, not sweet

Studies have shown that infants are biologically wired to prefer sweet tastes, and those tastes are further developed through the consumption of breastmilk and/or formula for the first several months of life. But just because babies prefer sweet tastes doesn’t mean that they need to consume high-sugar foods when introducing solids. In fact, just the opposite - they already like sweet tastes, so it’s time to introduce them to something new!

#4 It is full of the nutrients babies really need

Babies go through very important and specific developmental processes, and they rely heavily on certain nutrients to successfully grow and develop properly. Here are some of the specific nutrients:

• Vitamin B12: Used in many metabolic processes and important for neurological health.
• Zinc: Plays a role in growth, development, neurological function, immune function, and cell metabolism.
• Iron: Essential for proper growth and neurological development.

#5 It’s versatile

Meat can be served in various forms—smooth puree, chunky puree, large strips for gumming, or softer smaller pieces like meatballs for basic chewing.

How can you prepare healthy, delicious meat for a baby according to age?

While we love the Baby-Led Introduction to Solids (BLISS) method, which combines both purees and baby-led weaning, you may choose to follow a more traditional approach when you prepare meat for your baby. This generally consists of starting with purees and working up to small pieces of food as they get older and better at chewing.

Meat for a 6-month-old baby

• Purees are a great option for many parents who don’t feel ready to give their 6-month-old baby tougher textures or meat prepared in other ways.

Meat for a 9-month-old baby

• As your baby gets older, they’ll be able to better handle chewing and digesting larger, solid pieces of food. This is a great time to begin giving your baby finger foods, like shredded or thinly sliced meat.

Meat for toddlers

• Once your child has shown that they can safely handle shredded meats, you can begin giving them smaller pieces of meat, like ground chicken or beef.

Delicious meat recipes that will satisfy your baby’s palate

Homemade uncured bacon baby food

• Pork contains the fatty acids EPA and DHA critical for brain development.

Savory toddler pancakes

• This recipe incorporates our 100% Grass-Fed Bison Food Pouch with Organic Kabocha Squash & Spinach with egg, ricotta cheese, and vegetables.

Toddler-Approved Beef & Broccoli

• This recipe incorporates our Beef Puree; check out the step-by-step process here.

Meatballs with mashed potato

• This simple recipe combines ground beef with mashed potato to make a delicious meal for your baby.

What to avoid when introducing meat into a baby's diet?

While you should aim to introduce your baby to a wide range of meats, there are some precautions to ensure your baby’s safety:

• Limit deli meats, hot dogs, and fried meats until 12 months due to preservatives and sodium.
• Avoid reheating meat more than once, when possible, to prevent bacteria growth.
• Ensure that you always give your baby fully cooked meat until 12+ months, with no rare or medium-rare meat.

Can meat be a hazard for a baby?

Can meat choke your baby?

• Meat could be a choking hazard if not prepared correctly. Feeding your baby age-appropriate foods can reduce their risk for choking.

Is there a meat allergy?

• While rare, parents might find that their child may have an allergic reaction to certain meats. Symptoms may include hives, sneezing, and digestive issues.

When to get medical advice?

• If your baby shows any signs of an allergic reaction, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional immediately.

So what’s the bottom line?

Starting your baby on solids may feel a little intimidating, but babies can eat nearly everything that adults can eat, including meat. Not only is meat a nutritious option, but there are many different ways to prepare it, making it an ideal first food for babies.