1. Get the OK From Your Pediatrician
When you're going to feed meat to a baby for the first time, you'll want to first discuss it with your doctor. Pediatricians have different opinions on when it's acceptable to give your baby meat. As a general rule, many pediatricians recommend babies try meat for the first time between 7 and 9 months of age. They'll want to make sure he's tolerating cereals, vegetables and fruits well first. If your baby does not tolerate his first sampling of meat, your pediatrician may tell you to hold off on the meat products for now.
2. Prepping the Meat
Although you can give meat to a baby after they reach a certain age, you still won't serve it to them the same way you eat meat. If you want to give meat to increase your baby's protein intake, you should purchase one of the meat-flavored baby food varieties. You can different meat entrees from Beech Nut and Gerber designed for a baby to digest better. Varieties you may find include Chicken and Rice, Chicken Noodle Soup, Beef with Broth, and Turkey Dinner. The meat has gone through the pureeing process and requires no chewing on the part of your baby. If you want, you can prepare your own meat and puree it at home to serve to your baby. You'll cook the meat and then use the juices from cooking or regular water to puree the meat until it's a safe consistency for your baby to eat. You can also add vegetables to your meat puree to give the meal more flavor.
3. Keeping it Safe
After you decide to give your baby meat as a part of her diet, make sure you serve it to her in a safe manner. Fully cook the meat you give to your baby and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer before serving. You should allow the meat to cool before feeding it to your baby to avoid scalding her mouth. Test the temperature with your pinky finger or taste a bite to make sure it's close to room temperature. When your baby's able to chew and tolerate bigger pieces of meat, usually between 9 and 12 months of age, you'll still want to cut the meat into very small portions. Remove any bones to further protect your child from choking.
