Baby Food with Meat in It!

At 8 months old babies are ready for proteins, hard boiled egg yolks, well cooked beef and chicken that is very small and easy to gum and swallow. I have an 8 month old girl and I usually share whatever I'm having with her, she loves it. As always wait three days before you introduce the next new food..

My son before and my daughter now were both eating the chicken and turkey at 4 months.. The don't like the beef but they loved turkey chicken and of couse the deserts. I always warmed them up just a little and they would eat it right up!

my first suggestion - taste the meat foods.. they are nasty! go straight to the real stuff !!! just cut really tiny and mash if you can.. meat shouldn't be a problem for the baby, but I skipped them all together because to me, they smelled like cat food.

You can feed your son jarred baby food with meat in it. Watch out though, once you start to introduce regular food (food you would eat) he might not like the jarred stuff any longer. We started giving my son (9 and a half months now) jarred baby food with meat when he was about 5 months old. Our daycare provider makes homemade soup and stuff and gives it to our son. After a couple of weeks with her homemade baby food he wouldn't eat jarred food with meat. He will still eat the fruits but nothing with meat. I now have to make him homemade food also...but like my husband says, it is actually healthier than the jarred food. Let me know if you want any recipies for the homemade food.

i think that my daughter is an exeption, but i think that she has developed an allergy to beef. she ate the chicken and turkey meals just fine, loved them in fact, but when we moved on to the graduates foods every time she ate the beef stew, she would vomit copiously...it was the ONLY time she's thrown up in her short life! (she's now 13 months.) after two times, we stopped giving her the beef graduates, but then we gave her the beef 3rd foods, and she threw up after that. now we are on a beef-free plan, but she still enjoys the chicken/turkey.

i say go slow...try it out and if the baby likes it, why not?? it's easier than grinding up your own meat, depending on your schedule.

I agree, those baby foods are gross. I always tasted everything (except the peas and spinach) before I gave them to my son. Eating mixed textures can be very challenging and a choking hazard, especially for children - do they swallow the liquid and pocket the chopped meat? It is a lot to coordinate. Your best bet really is to cut/grind/mash your own table food meats for your chld. Besides, there will be a better chance your child will like it if it tastes and looks appetizing! Those little hot dogs always like mini fingers in a jar - NOT so appetizing!
Good luck!

There are actually recommendations now that meat is a perfect first food as it has protein in it. My son loved the meat jarred foods.

HI Louise,
I am a day care provider and I would say if you have given your baby foods already than you can go ahead and begin meats..one at a time to make sure there is no allergic reaction. The important thing to remember is that the amount of meat in baby food jars is not even remotely enough protein for your baby. He needs to have the cereal in addition to the jar foods. I mix it together with some formula. Good luck

I think it is something you need to feel comfortable with.. Both my kids were chewing on steak and pork chops when they were 6 months old and able to hold on to it.. When they got teeth they would chew off tiny bites... Never hurt them any.. I had a really good doctor and he was fine with them chewing on it as long as it was cooked well and i watched them with it.. They loved it..
Good luck and best wishes..
K.

Hi Louise,
My son, who is 9 months old, loves baby food with meat in it(especially beef). At first he wasn't use to the stronger flavor, so i would let your baby try it slowly until his taste buds get use to it. Kinda like all the other foods you introduce your son to. Meat isn't a highly allergetic food so you shouldn't be worried about feeding it to your son to soon. I hope this helps you and good luck.