Babies are blissfully unaware of the developmental milestones outlined in childcare manuals, as all new parents learn. When they are ready, they begin to walk, talk, and eat solid foods. But generally speaking, most infants are prepared to eat solid foods between the ages of four and six months. At six to eight months, you can introduce more substantial solids like ground beef to the menu, albeit in pureed form. Most infants can handle ground beef that has been finely minced after 8 months. Beef is a good source of protein, calcium, and iron for developing babies.
Set a frying pan to low to medium heat on the stovetop. Make sure the pan has a thin layer of oil on the bottom, such as groundnut or sunflower oil.
As the ground mince warms up, add it to the pan and break it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Simmer the ground beef gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Try a spoonful to see if it’s ready; it needs to be fully cooked.
Purée the beef in a food processor after draining the excess fat from the pan. If your child can already handle ground beef, you can skip this step.
Serve ground beef mixed with mashed potato or pureed carrot. Mix with some well-done pasta for slightly older babies.
can babies eat ground beef?
Ground beef can be safely given to your baby as one of their very first foods once they’re showing all the readiness signs to begin, if it wasn’t already clear that they can eat it.
Depending on whether you’re starting out with purées or solid finger foods as you embark on your baby-led feeding journey, you can give your baby beef in a variety of ways. In a moment, I’ll describe a few different ways to serve ground beef to infants.
introducing ground beef to babies
Even infants as young as six months old can eat beef. Due to its high iron, protein, and zinc content—three of the most crucial nutrients for 6-7 month olds—it is one of the first foods that are advised to be given to infants.
At six months old, your baby can actually eat a variety of meats, but it’s crucial to ensure you know how to serve meat to babies safely. Learn more about introducing meat to infants and young children here.
The importance of iron for babies
So why is iron so important at 6 months?
Infants are born with sufficient iron reserves to last them for about six months, but after that, these reserves start to run low. Around the six-month mark, you can start introducing high-iron solid foods to help make up for this and prevent iron deficiency, which is the most common nutrient shortage in children worldwide!
Additionally, you can improve your baby’s ability to absorb iron by including a source of vitamin C in the meal. Offering ground beef in a tomato-based sauce is one illustration.
Infant cereal is frequently initially considered to be one of the best sources of iron, but it is actually fortified with non-heme iron (which is difficult for the body to absorb). Heme-iron, which can be found in beef, is the kind of iron that is most readily absorbed by the body.
Beef isn’t your baby’s only source of iron, but it is unquestionably one of the most convenient and iron-rich sources you can offer. For more information on why we want to feed babies high iron foods twice a day, visit my blog on the value of iron.
is ground beef healthy for babies?
Without a doubt, adding ground beef to your baby’s diet will make it more nutrient-dense because it contains vital nutrients like selenium, iron, and B vitamins, all of which support growth and development. Protein and healthy fats (saturated and polyunsaturated fats) are also abundant, and they are good for your baby’s heart and brain.
Now that you’ve probably already Googled “is red meat good or bad,” you’ve probably discovered that every single news article and website offers contradictory advice on whether or not you should include red meat in your diet. So let me clear this up for you now.
Consuming processed red meat has been linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, according to abundant evidence (1).
To be clear for everyone, processed meat refers to any type of meat that has undergone processing such as salting, smoking, curing, and/or the addition of chemical preservatives, such as nitrates and nitrites, to lengthen the product’s shelf life. Items like hot dogs, bologna, pepperoni, deli meats, bacon, jerky, and commercial sausage fall under this category.
Processed meat is not advised because this method of meat preservation can result in the formation of carcinogenic substances. Because of this, processed meats should only be given to babies on special occasions. For instance, it would be acceptable to eat a hot dog at a birthday party or while sitting around a campfire as long as it isn’t being served frequently.
However, red meat generally refers to fresh lamb, beef, pork, and veal that hasn’t undergone any additional processing to alter its nutritional makeup. As of now, there is no conclusive evidence or well-researched studies that link unprocessed, high-quality red meat to any negative effects (1).
There are numerous problems with the studies that suggest red meat is probably harmful. For instance, they aren’t examining a group of only healthy individuals. They are examining individuals who may have other lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking alcohol, or not engaging in enough exercise that could have negative effects. If these factors aren’t taken into account, red meat may or may not be the culprit, but it’s difficult to say. Additionally, this makes it very challenging for researchers to formulate specific recommendations regarding the recommended frequency of consuming red meat.
More research is required to determine the effects of red meat consumption and on methods to mitigate these effects by improving the composition, processing, and home cooking of the meat. So you can see how that information could be perplexing and result in misinterpretation. Even more crucially, it is thought that research into how meat interacts with other foods in dietary patterns is necessary (1, 3).
In conclusion, red meat, including ground beef, is not harmful and a nutrient-rich choice for increasing your baby’s intake of iron. Whereas processed meat can be harmful to our health, so I advise against eating it except on extremely rare occasions.
so, how often should babies have ground beef?
Fresh red meat can be regularly given to infants because it contains a variety of vital vitamins and minerals. Although serving it a few times per week is more practical, serving it once per day would be acceptable. This would enable you to continue giving your baby a wide range of distinct tastes and textures from other meats or meat substitutes.
What matters is that between the ages of six and twelve months, infants should be fed at least twice daily with foods high in iron. During the first 12 to 24 months of life, every meal should include foods high in iron.
Although animal-based foods are typically higher in iron and contain necessary nutrients for growth and development, iron-rich foods are not always animal meat. I advise giving older infants meat, fish, poultry, or meat substitutes at least once a day as they get older.
what kind of ground beef is best for baby?
You might be wondering what kind of ground beef is best for your baby now that I’ve explained why it’s advised. It doesn’t have to be difficult to select the best type of ground beef for your infant. You can select whichever option fits your budget as long as the ground beef is fresh, that is, not pre-seasoned or marinated.
Regular, medium, lean, and extra lean ground beef are the four options available for baby-led weaning, as you may already be aware. Regular ground beef has the most fat, making it the least expensive choice. Contrarily, extra lean ground beef is the most expensive and has the lowest fat content.
In fact, I would advise selecting regular or medium-rare ground beef over lean or extra-lean. It might surprise you to learn that because medium and regular ground beef are more juicy, your baby can eat them without getting sick. Additionally, they contain more fat, which will give your baby or toddler more calories, which is good for their growth.
Quick tip: Look for white marbling lines to determine whether the ground beef will be juicy and simple for your baby to chew. If you don’t remove the fat from the meat while it’s cooking, the meat will be more juicy the more of these white lines there are.
What about organic and grass-fed beef?
The nutritional advantages of selecting grass-fed, organic meat over conventional meat include a superior fat profile, lower cholesterol, and more antioxidants (4). If you can afford it and prefer to purchase grass-fed, organic ground beef, that is ideal. If you want to get technical, organic, grass-fed meat has a higher concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for cell growth and brain function, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re interested in learning more about organic food, visit my blog.
However, purchasing regular ground beef is totally acceptable for those on a tighter budget. The most crucial thing is that you are providing ground beef to satisfy your baby’s high iron needs.
is ground beef a choking hazard for babies?
Due to its toughness and occasionally dry texture, meat is likely thought by many parents to be a choking risk for infants and young children.
Although ground beef technically isn’t on the list of foods that can cause choking, it can be slightly riskier if given to a baby in the wrong form for their age. When prepared properly, ground beef is softer than cubed beef, steak strips, or even chicken breast, making it simple for your baby’s gums to manipulate.
The best way to serve ground beef to your baby safely is to keep it moist and tender, as you should with any type of meat. For more information, see my blog post on how to serve meat to infants and toddlers. It will boost your self-assurance and provide some additional beneficial advice for safely feeding meat to your child.
Tips to keep ground beef moist for babies
Maintaining meat’s moisture makes it much simpler for your infant or toddler to consume and swallow it (the recipe provided below is a great example of this!)
Burgers will typically stay moist and juicy for a baby by adding a lot of milk to the raw mixture. Breadcrumbs added to the raw mixture also aid in absorbing liquid and preventing the meat from drying out while cooking. When the patties are cooking, avoid pressing them with a spatula because that just forces the juice out. Use the spatula strictly for flipping. Of course, overcooking the meat will result in it becoming dry.
Please feel free to top the burger with a sauce or dip to make it easier for your baby to manage in their mouth if the meat is a little dry after cooking or if you want to be extra safe. Examples include: tomato sauce, plain regular or Greek yogurt, pesto, guacamole, and applesauce. If serving the ground beef cut into pieces, you can also simply combine them with the meat.
safely preparing ground beef for babies 6 – 18 months
Unbelievably, you can serve ground beef as both a purée and a finger food. Therefore, you can serve your baby ground beef and get all of the nutritional benefits for them, regardless of how you decide to start your baby-led feeding journey.
How to serve ground beef as a purée (6 months plus)
Here are some instructions for preparing purées if you plan to start your feeding journey with them.
Blender or food processor: Add cooked pieces of ground beef Then, to achieve a smooth texture, add a small amount of liquid, such as breastmilk or formula. Spices like oregano or thyme can be added for an additional flavor boost.
After that, fill a baby spoon with the beef mixture and let your child lead. Or spoon-feed your infant using the baby-led method, as I instruct in my online course! Check out my favorite baby spoons for self-feeding purées as well as my guide on how to teach utensil use here!
Ground beef can be provided if you’ve progressed from smooth purées to a later stage of my patented Texture TimelineTM, such as a lumpy purée. Think of the ground beef as the “lumps”!.
Mix the ground beef with mashed vegetables like carrots, turnip, potato, sweet potato, etc. Then spoon-feed your baby, or load it on a preloaded spoon, like the Num-num Gootensil. Another safe option is to offer ground beef in sauces (like spaghetti sauce), and serve over mashed potatoes or spaghetti noodles. You can do the same with chili too…the possibilities are endless!
My Baby Led Feeding online course goes into great detail about this gradual progression in textures using my Texture TimelineTM, so be sure to check that out if you want to learn more.
And as I previously mentioned, you can also spice things up by adding seasonings to introduce your baby to new flavors…and really make it taste better! It’s much more palatable when there are undertones of herby flavors to balance out the taste of the meat when there are undertones of herby flavors.
As a result, I urge you to experiment and be creative when putting herbs and spices in your baby’s food. For all the specifics, be sure to read my blog post on why you should spice up your baby’s food.
How to serve beef as a finger food (6 months plus)
Doing baby led weaning with ground beef is also possible. The main goal of baby-led weaning in its early stages is to prepare food so that your baby can easily put it in their mouth. This is due to the fact that babies don’t develop their pincer grasp until around 6 months of age, making it impossible for them to pick up small pieces of ground beef.
To make beef burgers easier for a baby to pick up and hold, you can serve them in strips. Before serving, slice the burger into finger-length strips and make sure it’s dripping wet (add those dips and spreads if you’re unsure!). This will enable the infant to suck and remove the ground beef’s iron-rich juices. The recipe for the burgers listed below includes milk and apples to keep them extra moist while cooking.
If the meatball is extremely moist on the inside and the outside, you can also try serving this recipe as a whole, baby-sized meatball. Babies typically find it easier to hold larger objects. At this age, it’s all about exploring and figuring things out, so it’s okay if a larger meatball crumbles and breaks into smaller pieces when they take bites out of it.
Particularly delicious and frequently moister than other options for serving ground beef are meatloaf strips. In my 60-day baby led feeding meal plan, I have a fantastic recipe for baby meatloaf that is made in a muffin pan and is the ideal baby size. Get over 80 recipes that are family-friendly and safe for your baby by clicking this link.
And before nine months, it’s also okay to serve ground beef in the form of a casserole or dish resembling shepherd’s pie. Give them a spoon to start with, or let them use their hands!
Up until your child is able to bite and pick up smaller pieces of meat (using their pincer grasp), you can continue to serve whole strips of meat. However, I assure you that the texture of the ground beef (when not dried out) is soft enough that they can squish it between their gums, allowing it to crumble into much smaller pieces. Your baby may be able to bite down and get a large chunk of meat in their mouth, which can be frightening.
This will teach them how to take bites and determine how much food can fit in their mouth if a large piece does manage to get to the back of the mouth, as that strong gag reflex will kick in to bring it to the front of the mouth again to chew some more, or spit out.
When your baby is 12 months old, you can still give him meatballs or strips of ground beef, and you can teach him to take small bites and chew his food thoroughly. For more moisture and variety, you might also try serving it with plain yogurt, applesauce, or other dips.
Just keep in mind that the objective of baby-led weaning in its early stages isn’t for your baby to consume an entire portion of meat. They have tiny stomachs and primarily rely on breast milk or formula for nutrition. The most crucial thing in the beginning is that they practice putting food in their mouths, holding it in their hands, and discovering new tastes and textures.
Check out my free portion guide for babies if you have questions about how much your baby should be eating.
Safely preparing ground beef for toddlers (18 months plus)
Your toddler might be prepared to eat a hamburger on a bun at this age. Some young children might prefer to take the hamburger apart and eat it that way, while others might prefer to eat it like a regular hamburger.
Either way is acceptable!
Given that it will be bulkier than what they are likely used to eating, I would advise cutting it in half or even quarters to make it easier for your toddler to pick up.
Offer your picky child an apple sage meatball instead of a burger and serve it with their preferred dipping sauce as a side. To manage or prevent picky eating in your toddler, you need my feeding toddlers course. Encourage them to pick up the meatball with a toddler-friendly food pick and dip their animal in their preferred dipping sauce.
how to cook ground beef for baby led weaning
When preparing ground beef for a baby, it’s crucial to understand that it needs to be fully cooked to at least 160°F. Once the ground beef has finished cooking, there shouldn’t be any pink left. As long as the ground beef is thoroughly cooked, you can prepare it however you like for infants, including in the oven, on the stove, or on the grill.
I am aware that some of you might be unsure or worried about feeding your baby food straight off the grill. Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can be produced by high-temperature cooking techniques like frying, smoking, grilling, or charring (5).
According to studies, rodents exposed to HCAs and PAHs can develop cancer. But the HCA and PAH doses used in these studies were VERY HIGH—equivalent to thousands of times the doses that a person would take in through a typical diet (5). I promise that it is completely fine when it is not offered constantly.
The primary method of preparation should be slower cooking because it is safer for babies.
Using slow cooking techniques like baking, roasting, poaching, and stewing will keep the meat juicy and safe for baby to eat, as well as make it simpler for them to squish and chew between their gums.
Visit my blog, BBQ Food and Your Baby, for more information.
let’s fire up the grill (or the oven)!
There are only six simple ingredients in this recipe, all of which are likely already in your kitchen. You must try these burgers this summer and be sure to let us know what you think because they are so flavorful and juicy!
Start by bringing your oven to 400°F after you’ve prepared all of your ingredients. You can also cook these burgers on the BBQ. I would advise cooking your hamburgers until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) because every barbecue is different.
Grab a large bowl and add all six ingredients. You want to make sure everything is well incorporated.
To make sure everything is evenly distributed, I like to thoroughly wash my hands before getting into the mixture. You’ll need to form the patties (or meatballs) with your hands, so use your hands to combine the ingredients rather than scrubbing down another piece of equipment.
This is a fantastic sensory activity for your toddler to assist you with in the kitchen once they are older and you are confident they won’t try to eat or lick the raw meat off their hands.
Make patties out of the mixture that are at least 4 inches wide, 12 inch thick, and To avoid having mini hamburgers, make sure they are large enough as they will shrink while cooking.
If you’re baking them, put a baking sheet in the oven and cover it with parchment paper. Bake it for about 20 minutes, or until it’s fully cooked. The burgers can be turned over after about 10 minutes so that they cook equally on both sides. Adjust cooking time to achieve an internal temperature of 160°F if using a barbecue.
You have the option of serving your infant whole patties or strips of them. Add dips, spreads, or sauces as necessary to keep each hamburger piece moist as described above.
There won’t likely be any leftovers because the entire family will enjoy this recipe, but if there are, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Please don’t forget to look at my 60 Day Baby Led Feeding Meal Plan, where you’ll find over 80 delicious recipes that are excellent for starting solids. You can actually follow along with the plan to gradually introduce allergens, expose your baby to new textures, and make sure all of their nutritional needs are met. This isn’t just a regular meal plan with a list of recipes.
In the meal plan you’ll get lots of great beef, turkey and other meat recipes for baby led feeding, like:
- Turmeric beef stew
- Chicken pot pie muffins
- Shepherd’s pie bowl
- Slow cooker chicken shawarma
- Lime cilantro salmon sliders
- Slow cooker turkey swedish meatballs
- And so many more!
It’s acceptable to feed your baby red meat every day, but I’d suggest doing so only a few times a week (three to four) to give the baby the chance to experience other kinds of meat and meat substitutes. Except on special occasions, infants and toddlers should not consume processed meat.
Although grass-fed and organic ground beef will have a better fat profile, it doesn’t really matter if your budget doesn’t allow for it if you want to buy regular ground beef. Any kind of ground beef is acceptable as long as it isn’t pre-seasoned because it’s almost certain to have a lot of salt in it, which you want to avoid.
You can season your ground beef for baby right away; it’s advised to expose baby to a wide variety of flavors right away. Ground beef goes well with flavors like onion, cumin, paprika, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Check the ingredients list, be aware of any salt added, and steer clear of seasonings with a lot of sodium.
Ground beef should be fully cooked to 160°F. Once the ground beef has finished cooking, there shouldn’t be any pink left. You may prepare the food in any manner, including the oven, grill, or stovetop.
To make the ground beef patty easy for your baby to pick up and hold as a finger food, cut it into finger-length strips that are typically at least 1-2″ wide and 12″ thick.
No matter whether it’s in the form of shepherd’s pie or bolognese sauce with pasta, ground beef in mixed dishes is completely safe for babies. Check out my 60 Day Baby Led Feeding Meal Plan for a delicious baby-safe shepherd’s pie recipe.
Apple Sage Baby Burgers
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 apple (grated)
- ½ cup onion (finely diced)
- 4 tbsp milk (cow’s or oat)
- ½ tbsp dried sage
- ½ tbsp dried thyme
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Create patties out of the mixture that are at least 4 inches wide, and about 1/2 inch thick.
- Using parchment paper to line a baking sheet, bake the food for 20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.
- Serve your baby whole patties, or cut into strips. Enjoy!
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- De Smet, S. , & Vossen, E. Meat: The balance between nutrition and health. A review. Meat Science, 120, 145-156 (2016).
- De Smet, S. , & Vossen, E. Meat: The balance between nutrition and health. A review. Meat Science, 120, 145-156 (2016).
- Schönfeldt, H. C. , & Hall, N. G. A multidisciplinary approach to consumer education on the health benefits of red meat Food Research International, 47(2), 152-155 (2012).
- https://www.organic-center.org/sites/default/files/publication_files/meatstudy-final_05_14_0.pdf
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cooked-meats-fact-sheet
Licensed pediatric dietitian, mother of two, and enthusiast for everything involving feeding infants and young children!
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How to cook baby’s first meat
FAQ
How do I introduce ground beef to my baby?
You can combine the ground meat with mashed foods like mashed potatoes or yogurt and serve it to younger babies on a spoon that has already been loaded. Serve small ground pieces that older infants and toddlers can grasp with their thumbs and pointer fingers.
Can I give my 9 month old hamburger meat?
But generally speaking, most infants are prepared to eat solid foods between the ages of four and six months. At six to eight months, you can introduce more substantial solids like ground beef to the menu, albeit in pureed form. Most infants can handle ground beef that has been finely minced after 8 months.
Can I give my 7 month old beef?
With 10 essential nutrients, including well-absorbed iron, beef is exceptional as a first food. When a baby is ready to start eating solid foods, usually around 6 months old, beef is simple and secure to introduce.
When can I introduce beef to my baby?
You can introduce meat to your baby’s diet at any time after they begin solids, which is typically around six months. In fact, since they contain essential nutrients like iron and zinc, experts advise introducing foods like meat and poultry, along with fortified baby cereal and beans, at a young age.