Beef is an important complementary food for infants and toddlers during the first few years of life when rapid growth and development occur. Proper nutrition is critical during this time, particularly since by 6 months of age iron stores are depleted and breastmilk alone can no longer meet all of the infant’s nutrient requirements. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to introducing red meat into your baby's diet, covering everything from when to start to how to prepare it safely and effectively.
Why Introduce Red Meat?
Health authorities like the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend animal source foods, like beef, to ensure nutrient needs such as iron and zinc are met. Meat is a great first food for babies, and it can be made into a baby 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. Foods like pasture-raised beef, turkey, chicken, pork, and fish are some of the best sources for bioavailable vitamins and nutrients, such as zinc and iron, which help strengthen their immune system and reinforce brain development. Meat is also the best source of high-quality protein, which plays an essential role in many bodily functions.
Essential Nutrients in Red Meat
Red meat, particularly beef, is a powerhouse of essential nutrients that are vital for your baby's growth and development:
- Iron: Iron is critical for hemoglobin formation and oxygen transport. At 4 to 6 months of age, the iron stores that your baby was born with start to deplete. Red meat contains heme iron, which is more easily absorbed by the body compared to non-heme iron found in plant-based foods.
- Zinc: Zinc plays a key role in supporting your little one’s immune system and is also involved in healthy growth.
- Protein: Meat is packed with high-quality protein to support your little one’s growth.
- Vitamin B12: Beef is a significant source of Vitamin B12.
- Choline: Beef is a source of choline, which supports healthy brain and nervous system development in babies and toddlers.
Beef vs. Alternatives
Beef stands out among other animal-sourced foods! The most eaten alternatives to beef are egg, chicken, ham. These proteins are poorer sources of iron than beef. Beef has up to twice the iron these other foods.
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. Once your baby is at least six months of age and has demonstrated the five main signs of readiness to begin eating solids, meat is a nutritious and delicious option for most babies. Because breastmilk is technically an animal product, a baby’s tummy contains all the enzymes necessary to digest meat and other animal products. In most cases, your baby should be able to eat most kinds of meat right off the bat. Introducing them to different types of meat will also offer a wider range of vitamins and nutrients.
Read also: Versatile Keto Meat Patties
Signs of Readiness for Solids
Before introducing solids, including meat, ensure your baby exhibits the following signs of readiness:
- Solid control of their head and neck.
- Doubled their birth weight.
- Reaching for or opening their mouth when you eat.
- Notice that their tongue thrust reflex is fading - they don’t push food out of their mouth with their tongue.
- They’ve learned to coordinate breathing and swallowing.
- They can sit in a high chair.
- They have good head and neck control.
Physician Recommendations
Despite recommendations that are consistent with the new DGA to introduce iron-rich food sources, like beef, starting around 6 months of age, research showed that the majority of physicians are not recommending beef to patients until at least 10 months old. However, physicians who are more infant pediatric focused (more than 30% of their patients between 0 and 24 months old) are recommending beef be introduced earlier at slightly higher rates to younger children.
Types of Meat to Introduce
There are a variety of meats your baby can eat right from the start! And with so many options on how to serve them, your baby will never get bored. Try serving your baby a new meat dish every week for maximum exposure.
- Beef
- Veal
- Lamb
- Mutton
- Goat
- Pork
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Organ meat such as heart, kidney, liver
- Buffalo meat
Meats to Avoid
You will want to stay away from any processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, store-bought sausage, ham, deli meat, etc, ideally as long as possible, but at least until 1 year of age, since processed meats tend to be full of preservatives and have been linked to cancer. Whenever possible, skip processed meats or those with added fillers, preservatives or sodium. 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.
How to Prepare Meat for Babies
There are several different ways to prepare meat for your 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 process. I like to simmer the meat in a low or no-sodium broth until just cooked before letting it cool and then blending until smooth. You can add veggies such as onions, carrots, celery, and red peppers to the broth for extra flavor.
Read also: Low-Carb Lunch Meats
Pureed Meat (6-8 Months)
Purees are a great option for many parents who don’t feel ready to give their baby coarser textures or meat prepared in other ways.
- How to Prepare: Simply cook your chosen meat and puree it in a blender or food processor until it’s a smooth consistency. Add water or breast milk to thin as needed. You can add veggies such as onions, carrots, celery, and red peppers to the broth for extra flavor.
- Serving Suggestions: While you can serve baby just the meat puree, it does have a very intense flavor that some babies may not care for. If this is the case, 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 beef with sweet potato puree, chicken and mango puree, or chicken and broccoli puree. Since meat is not a common allergen, you can serve a meat combination puree as soon as your baby has tried the other fruit or vegetable. You can also serve baby a chunky mashed meat and veggie puree for a simple stage two puree.
- Storage: Once made, the meat puree will last 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer.
Meat on the Bone
While serving meat on the bone to your baby may seem a little intense, it’s actually the perfect food for small hands to grasp and be able to self-feed as the bones make for the perfect handle. Make sure to remove any skin, fat, or small bones before serving.
- Meat to Use: You can serve baby chicken or turkey drumsticks, ribs, or lamb chops.
Meatballs (6-7 Months)
You can serve meatballs for babies starting around 6-7 months of age. I love 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. You can also slice the longer meatballs into strips or chop them into smaller ‘pea’ size pieces. If using store-bought meatballs, look for a brand that doesn’t have a ton of added ingredients and has lower sodium. If serving a round meatball to your baby, you can cut it into quartered strips or small pieces.
- Meat to Use: you can use beef, chicken, turkey or lamb to make meatballs for baby.
Ground Meat (9+ Months)
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 it easier for your baby to chew and swallow. I also love that you can add in seasonings such as dried oregano, basil, paprika, garlic powder, mild chili powder, etc, to your meat while cooking to give it an exciting seasoned 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 ground meat onto a baby fork or self-feeding spoon to feed them or hand the utensil over to your baby to feed themselves.
- Meat to Use: Feel free to use ground turkey, chicken, beef or lamb.
Shredded or Strips of Meat (9+ Months)
Pulled (shredded) or strips of chicken, beef, pork, lamb, or turkey are one of the easiest ways to serve meat to babies. Take a 2-3′ strip, which is roughly the size of two adult fingers, of meat that you are going to have for dinner and serve it to your baby. You can also shred the meat into smaller pieces for slightly older babies (9+ months). Just make sure you remove any skin, fat, hard pieces, or small bones before serving.
Read also: Deli Meats on the Keto Diet: What to Eat
Chunky Mashed Meat and Veggie Puree (Stage Two or Stage Three)
This method works great for babies on Stage Two or Stage Three baby food purees or just starting on finger foods. To make this, you will mash a small piece of chicken, beef, or turkey along with a spoonful of cooked veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, or broccoli until they are combined yet still slightly chunky. Then you can feed baby this chunky puree, or you can load a self-feeding spoon and have them feed themselves.
Baby-Led Weaning
Baby-led weaning involves introducing solids around in the form of soft, gummable finger foods. Meat can work just as well for families trying baby-led weaning.
- 6-Month-Olds: 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.
- 9-Month-Olds: 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.
- 12 Months 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.
Palmar vs. Pincer Grasp
Palmar vs. Palmar grasp and pincer grasp can be confusing, so let’s go over the basics. The palmar grasp is when your baby takes an entire 2-3′ piece of food and places most 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 top of their hand, which is what they will chew on. The palmar grasp usually develops around 6 months of age, making it the first way your baby will move food from their plate to their mouths. A pincer grasp is when a baby uses their index finger and thumb to pick up smaller pieces of food. A baby will typically develop a pincer grasp around 9 months of age but can vary as all children develop at different rates.
General Tips
- Soft and Tender: With whatever meat you are serving, make sure it is soft and tender to make it easier for your baby to chew. You don’t want to serve baby tough overcooked meat, skin, small bones, or pieces of fat as those are all choking hazards.
- Serve a Variety: Make sure you serve your baby various meats in a few different variations to diversify their textures and tastes, which helps with picky eating. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and offer baby chicken liver, veal, mutton, goat, buffalo, or organ meats such as heart, kidney, and liver.
- Choose Dark Meat: Offer baby dark turkey or chicken meat whenever possible as it has almost double the amount of iron in it.
- Serve Fully Cooked Meat: Ensure you are serving your baby fully cooked meat as “rare” and “medium rare” are a no for baby.
- You will also want to season the meat at home with homemade spices or spice blends and avoid any store-bought marinades, rubs, or sauces as they tend to be too high in sodium and sugar.
- Make sure all meat is fully cooked to prevent any food-borne illnesses that can be caused by undercooked meat.
Recipes
Here are some simple serving options that are guaranteed to please.
- Mini Meatballs: Combine 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: 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.
Meatball Recipe
- Prep: If baking, preheat the oven to 400° F. Line the baking sheet 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.
- Form: Roll the mixture into 3" long rolls - roughly 10 in total. Place on the baking sheet.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until done all the way through. Let cool and serve to baby.
Storage Tips
- Meat Puree: You can store meat puree in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze individual portions in a freezer tray for up to 2 months.
- Ground Meat: You can store cooked ground meat in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze individual portions in a freezer tray for up to 2 months.
- Meatballs: You can store cooked meatballs in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 2 months.
Addressing Concerns
Choking Hazards
Yes, meat is one of the more common choking hazards for babies. Choking is the number one concern that physicians have about recommending beef as a complementary first food.
- Prevention: You want to make sure the meat you are serving to your baby is soft, tender, and appropriately sized for your baby’s age. When in doubt, go for a bigger 2-3′ strip (2 adult finger size) of meat for your baby, or a puree.
- Preparation: For safe ways to prepare meat for your baby, see the recommended recipes above.
- Supervision: And always be near baby or toddler when they are eating meat of any kind.
- Size: A good rule of thumb to follow is the younger the baby, the bigger the piece of meat. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but the bigger the piece of meat, allows baby to hold onto it while chewing and sucking on it without posing as high of a choking hazard. For babies 6-9 months, you will want to cut the meat into 2-3′ strips that are roughly the size of 2 adult fingers.
Allergies
Meat and poultry allergies exist, but they’re less common - especially in babies and toddlers. No, meat is not a common allergen, however, as with any food, start with a small portion and be aware of any signs that might be an allergic reaction after introducing it. That said, research shows some kids who are allergic to milk are also allergic to beef.
- Monitoring: 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.
- Symptoms: 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
- Action: 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.
- Consultation: 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.
Constipation
No, meat is not known to cause constipation in babies, however it won’t really help with constipation either since it lacks fiber.
Addressing Physician Concerns
While physicians understand the benefits of beef and the importance of it in the early years, 40% are not recommending beef as a complementary first food to infants. Similar to consumers, the biggest barrier and concern is safety, specifically choking and digestion.
New Dietary Guidelines
Only 36% of physicians were aware of the new dietary guidelines recommending meat as a complementary first food. Once physicians were aware of the new guidelines, 90% said the new guidelines would at least somewhat likely impact their likelihood to recommend meat as a complementary first food. Making more physicians aware of the new dietary guidelines could help them recommend more meat.
Increasing Physician Confidence
When asked specifically what would make physicians feel more confident in recommending beef as a complementary first food, additional research, and studies in pediatric journals about beef’s value and decrease risk of choking, as well as recommendations from professional societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics would increase confidence. These societies and journals are where physicians go to for new research and recommendations. To support the recommendations of beef earlier in development, physicians are looking for further evidence of beefs value, particularly research and studies, as well as recommendations from professional societies.
Overcoming Misconceptions
For decades, rice cereal was the first food recommended when transitioning your baby from breast milk or formula. However, there’s no scientific evidence for delaying the introduction of meat, particularly beef. It’s clear: Alternatives to beef are NOT beef equivalents!