Take the 2-minute tour ×

We've been feeding our 15 month old deli ham for dinner pretty regularly. Recently, a family member was alarmed that we were feeding him any kind of deli meat because it is "bad for them". We typically get Prima Della Black Forrest Ham or Oven Roasted Chicken.

As usual, the collective wisdom of Google muddies the water, so I'm wondering if deli meats are a big no-no?

If so, can somebody point us to a realistic meal plan?

share|improve this question
Hormel sells nitrate free deli meats. They're usually in cardboard boxes and easily identified. Beofett pointed out the pregnancy warning, which may be what you are talking about or wondering if this translates to young children. Aside that, you can find nitrate free meats in general - Target sells a select turkey bacon with no nitrates. I fed my 1 1/2 year old small pieces of the nitrate free deli meats if she would take them and no known issues came from that. PS - I'm adding to what Jessica Brown pointed out in the answers –  Kai Qing yesterday

4 Answers 4

up vote 9 down vote accepted

Your family member may be confusing the advice to avoid all deli meat for pregnant mothers.

Deli meats and other precooked meats put pregnant women at a high risk for listeriosis and are advised to avoid them unless cooked to steaming hot.

Once a child is transitioned to solid foods, the only main concerns are common allergens (seafood, tree nuts, etc.), and, of course, healthy food habits. There's nothing wrong with deli meats beyond the normal high-sodium/high-fat factors that impact any adult's consumption.

share|improve this answer
I wanted to add that the avoidance advice also exists for the elderly. Listeriosis is a type of food poisoning caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria which can be found in dairy products, vegetables, fish and meat products. The elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible. Listeriosis is a rare but serious illness and can sometimes result in death. –  StephenCollins Nov 30 '11 at 19:23

I know this is a very old post but to the benefit of people looking at this post for advice of course deli meat would be fine occasionally. Like a couple times a month. (My opinion). As for a realistic meal plan by 15 months baby should be eating what you eat (cut up appropriately) as often as possible. I think this is a good opportunity to have the whole family eat a bit healthier.

share|improve this answer
Can you give some more detail on why you recommend limiting deli meats? Opinion or not, it is helpful to see the reasoning behind suggestions like that. –  Erica Jan 28 at 13:03

Deli meats can be high in nitrates. Too much nitrates is bad for babies. But this is a balance and moderation issue, its not like handing a baby a candy bar for lunch.

share|improve this answer

Many of my friends have fed their kids deli meats for a while, and our local deli is known to not use any preservatives or special means of preparation any more than slicing it in front of you, weighing it, and handing you a bag full of meat.

Asking my friends, whom collectively had two girls and a boy; they say it's been fine for them. No allergic or allergic seeming reactions, odd diseases, nothing that Google says should even be taken as "research citation" frankly; so there's little for me to quote but experience.

You can always check out meal plans though if you are interested:

http://www.gerber.com/AllStages/public/nonusresident.aspx (meal planner)


Frankly you should always use your own information, experience, friends, and judgement when making decisions about what your child eats. None of my friends have dealt with meal planning before, just feeding the child what they think is applicable; between rice cereal, oats, some solid foods at one year, and going from there.

share|improve this answer
The gerber link is 404...can you fix that link? –  Tim Reddy Nov 15 '11 at 2:00
As long as the meats you give have little preservatives and salt then it shouldn't be doing "bad". Like most things as long as you have a balanced diet and are careful in what the meal contains then you should be ok. –  MichaelF Nov 15 '11 at 13:09

Your Answer


