Easy to chew meat for 1-year old?

[BirthKathy]

I am ready to introduce meats to my one-year old son, but I'm not sure how to make it easy to chew without pureeing it. I prefer giving him food that he can self-feed.

He has food allergies, and we are supposed to introduce new foods one at a time, with no added ingredients. Meats that I eat are chicken, turkey, pork, and salmon. He could eat the salmon just the way that I do, but I wanted to introduce the other three first. How do you moms make the meats easy to chew?

He has 8 front teeth, and does very well with his other foods which are pears, canteloupe, puffed rice, banana, pureed spinach, egg yolk, grapes, avocado and blueberries.

Thanks for any ideas!

[karika]

I chew the meat a bit for the LO, then give it to them. You can chew a bit then put it on a plate for them in little bits they can pick up themselves. Your saliva begins the process of breaking the food down and it is the way meat has been given to small children for all human history.

[CherryBombMama]

i buy my 13 month old organic turkey breast slices and just rip them up about the size of my thumb nail, maybe a bit bigger and he picks them up and chomps away. theyre kinda thin so i usually just keep 2 slices together and they pretty much stay that way, that way its easier for him to pick up.

he also eats shredded up chicken ... the first time i gave it to him, it was cooked but completely unseasoned ... then the next time he ate it the way everyone else did (forgot how it was cooked but im sure you get the picture)

eta: he started eating meat w/ 4 teeth, and now he does great w/ 8 teeth!

[lotus.blossom]

I poach chicken breasts and the shred and cut it up fine for my little guy. I don't give him pork because it can be hard to digest. If we're having a meal thats not really baby friendly I will heat up an Al Fresco chicken sausage for him. They do have some extra ingredients but no gluten or nitrates or msg. I like the blueberry breakfast sausages.

[lotus.blossom]

Originally Posted by karika

Your saliva begins the process of breaking the food down and it is the way meat has been given to small children for all human history.

The only issue with that is your saliva can also contain bacteria than can cause tooth decay in your children......

[Megan73]

Originally Posted by lotus.blossom

The only issue with that is your saliva can also contain bacteria than can cause tooth decay in your children......

I've read that, too, so I avoided doing it.
I often roasted chicken legs (more iron in the dark meat) then shredded or cubed it. Salmon is also soft enough to not need chewing if it's separated into flakes.

[pbjmama]

I think a one year old should be able to chew meat as long as you cut it up small. I can't remember exactly but my kids were eating cubed chicken by 9 months or before. You could do ground chicken or turkey but it seems like alot of extra work if that isn't what you are already eating.

[~cassie]

I don't do anything special. I just cut whatever meat we are eating into smaller bitesize pieces. Ground hamburger/turkey/chicken are very easy for them to eat. I will make meatballs/meatloaf for variety after they have tried it plain. I used the crockpot or would roast chicken/turkey so it was a lot easier to chew when they were younger.

[AKislandgirl]

My DD has been eating meat since she was about 7-8 months old. I just cut it into small pieces for her and she does just fine with it. She loves chicken, turkey, and venison!

[karika]

Originally Posted by lotus.blossom

The only issue with that is your saliva can also contain bacteria than can cause tooth decay in your children......

in my opinion, any bacteria on or in the mom or dad will be present in the children anyway. I use vitamin D to keep my dental health good, I don't eat processed foods, I have overcome my yeast issues through completely changing my food intake. If you heal your body with nutrition, the myth of tooth decay becomes more apparent. It doesn't have to happen. All the teeth problems I used to have are gone away completely, only through diet changes and vitamin d intake and stopping the harm caused by brushing with toothpaste. Our teeth can be healthy if we eat healthy, avoid toothpaste and regular dentists.. but that is another thread...

[mambera]

Originally Posted by lotus.blossom

The only issue with that is your saliva can also contain bacteria than can cause tooth decay in your children......

Also a good way to transmit herpes labialis, which is often carried asymptomatically in adults.

[kai28]

we do a lot of shredded/pulled meats. pulled pork, shredded/pulled roast chicken, roasted turkey (pulled off). DS (13 months) eats what we eat, so I guess you'd have to prepare your sons stuff without sauces, etc... so I just pile it on his tray. If something is too big for him, he pulls it out of his mouth and hands it to me. Not real appetizing for dinner guests/at restaurants, but at least he knows what he can't chew and asks for help rather than just choking on it.

also, we get all natural shaved turkey deli meat from the local deli - he'll just eat that stuff by the slice (essentially a turkey & cheese sandwhich without the bread is his lunch - that, plus yogurt and a banana). I just give him a whole slice & let him go at it. he loves it. he'll even eat the edge where its a little tougher from the cooking process.

[Otterella]

The crock pot is your friend in this case. My 15 month old DD has been eating meats pretty much since she started solids. She only just got her molars in, but before that the best bet was things cooked long and slow so they were really tender. A whole chicken, pot roast, or pork shoulder all do really well in the crock pot. You can cook them without any other flavors for her, then add flavor in sauces and gravies for the rest of the family. I'll put a whole chicken in with no added liquid (it makes it's own) for about 5-6 hours on low (take it's temp to be sure it hits 170 degrees), then take it out and broil it to add a little color to the skin. A pot roast or pork shoulder I will cut into 2" cubes, and put in just enough liquid to cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, then take it out and shred it. Use the cooking liquid to make your sauces and gravies. Beef or pork shoulder also makes really succulent taco meat if you do it in a dutch oven and let the water boil off so it's just cooking in its own fat at the end.

[simcon]

We did baby led weaning and have been feeding the meats (just as we eat them for the most part) since well before 1 yr. I occasionally cut them to a smaller size, but generally not smaller than about the size of my finger. The only exceptions would be steak and pork chops, which I cut more thinly because they're tougher, and salmon where I'd be checking carefully for bones.

[SallyN]

My 14 month old has been gaga for chicken for months. And she still only has four front teeth and has been pretty slow with solids. (We also do self-feeding.)

I swear the other day she ate more chicken at lunch than my 3.5 year old did (who's favorite food is chicken, lol.)

[blumooned]

We started with ground meats (cooked/used a variety of ways), meat cooked in a soup or stew, & meat cooked in a sauce (like tomato).

[alaskaberry]

I chewed meats up for both my sons. Either that or I would hand-shred the chicken, salmon etc into itty bitty strips.

[BirthKathy]

Thanks for all the ideas! We tried salmon, but he got a rash, so we moved on to chicken.

He wouldn't eat it at first, so I had to hide it in spinach and avocado during the trial period. I kept putting thin slices on his plate (from the slow cooker), but he only wanted to play with them. Then today, he ate 2 big pieces!

He did a very good job chewing, too. This is his most "chewy" food now, so I'm glad to see him doing so well with it.

Thanks again for the help.

[babydanielsmom]

I recently bought a pressure cooker (the kind you plug in) and it makes any meat really tender.