Beef and veg baby food
Basic Beef Baby Food Puree (6+ Months)
This homemade Basic Beef Baby Food is a great addition to your baby’s favorite purees for extra protein and flavor! It’s an incredibly simple recipe with big flavor and nutrition! It’s perfect as a Stage One Baby Food – 4-6+ months.
Medically reviewed and co-written by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Beef Baby FoodBeef, it’s what’s for baby’s dinner! Beef puree, that is. 😉
This beef puree is loaded with so many great nutrients that your baby needs in order to thrive – protein, iron, calcium and folate.
And while it may seem counter-intuitive and perhaps weird (or at least it did to me), beef puree 🥩 is a great first food for your baby.
Just because it’s a nutrient-dense puree doesn’t mean your baby needs bowls upon bowls of it. Since beef puree has a somewhat intense flavor, a few spoonfuls added to your baby’s favorite veggie or fruit puree should be enough.
Is it your first time making homemade baby food? If you answered yes, then I suggest you start this journey by reading my in-depth Guide on How to Make Homemade Baby Food. The detailed article goes over all the essential information such as the best cooking tools to have on hand, safe storage, knowing when your baby is ready for solids, introducing purees, making the best first foods for baby, and more! You can also check out my best-selling cookbook for even more information and recipes.
Beef Puree Video
Watch this video to see how easy it is to make your baby homemade Beef Puree!
Reasons to Love this Beef Puree- simple yet flavorful
- packed with protein
- great to add to any other fruit or veggie puree that baby loves
- baby food for 4-6 months and up
- stage 1 baby food
- freezer-friendly
- homemade
Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!
- Beef: Since beef is the star of the show in this puree, we are going to start with a good piece of meat.
We are going to use 8oz of chuck stew meat or cubed sirloin beef. You can also easily scale up this recipe if you want more than 12 ounces of baby food. - Broth: To get that rich, deep beef flavor, we will cook our beef in beef broth. I recommend using a low-sodium, sodium-free, or free-range beef bone broth for this recipe. You can also use any of those variations above with a vegetable broth as well. If you don’t have any of those on hand, you can use water.
- Oregano: We are adding dried oregano to give the puree a little more complex taste. This can easily be omitted if you prefer or you can substitute in dried parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme or cilantro.
Grass-Fed Beef: I recommend using grass-fed beef for this recipe, if possible. Grass-fed beef will have more healthy fats, more free Omega-3 fatty acids (healthy fats), vitamins A, E, and B as well as more antioxidants.
Health Benefits of Beef
- Protein: Beef is an excellent source of protein, which is essential for proper growth and development of all organ systems and maintaining and repairing tissues.
It is considered a complete protein, meaning it has all of the amino acids that are needed to make protein. - Iron: Beef is a good source of iron, needed for making red blood cells, neurodevelopment and preventing iron deficiency anemia, and zinc, needed for growth and development and supporting the immune system.
- B12: Beef is also high in B12, which is essential for brain development and healthy red blood cells.
- Choline: can also be found in beef, which is also important for brain growth and development.
- Boil: In a medium saucepan, bring the cubed beef, broth, and oregano to a boil over medium heat.
- Simmer: Turn the heat down to low and cover the saucepan. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the beef is just cooked through. Let it cool slightly.
- Puree: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a blender or food processor and puree until you reach your desired consistency, adding broth in 1/4 cup increments if needed.
- Eat: Serve to your baby plain or added into another puree.
- Freeze: Store a small portion in the fridge and freeze the rest for another meal.
These tools will make it a lot easier for you to make this healthy Beef Puree. For more of my favorite kitchen tools make sure to check out my shop.
- Saucepans
- Blender or Food Processor
- Freezer Tray
- Storage Containers for Fridge
- Stasher Bag
- bib with catch pocket
- Saucepans
Frequently Asked Questions
When can baby eat beef puree?
Babies can have beef as one of their first foods. When a baby can start on solids is determined by their own rate of development, which generally comes between 4-6 months of age. Some of the developmental milestones babies need to reach in order to start solids include: if your baby has solid control of their head and neck, if your baby has doubled in weight, and if your baby is reaching for or opening their mouth when you eat (see my guide here).
Before you start your baby on purees, you should consult with your pediatrician to make sure your child is developmentally ready.
Can beef be baby’s first food?
Yes, beef can 100% be baby’s first food if you want it to be. It is recommended to wait to introduce the top eight allergen foods to baby once a few other well tolerated foods have been introduced, but otherwise foods can be introduced in any order so choose whatever you are most excited for baby to have.
Is beef a common allergen for baby?
No, beef is not a common allergen, however, as with any food, start with a small portion and be aware of any signs that might be an allergic reaction after introducing it.
Does beef cause constipation for babies?
No, beef itself is not known to cause constipation in babies, however it won’t really help with constipation either since it lacks fiber. If baby is eating too much meat, it could replace fiber-rich foods, which could cause constipation.
You can store this puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
FreezerThis puree can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Spoon puree into a freezer storage container. Do not overfill.
- Place the lid on the storage container or cover with a piece of saran wrap, and label with the date and recipe name.
- Place the tray into the freezer and let it freeze completely — preferably overnight.
- Pop out the baby food cubes and place them in a ziplock baggie or stasher bag. Don’t forget to relabel the baggie or stasher bag for future reference.
Need more information on how to store your baby foods? Head over to my Best Baby Food Storage Containers – Plus 6 Tips on Freezing and Thawing post!
Label Tip: Don’t forget to label your purees before you place them in the fridge or freezer with the name of the puree and the date you made it.
Take it from me; by the end of the week, you will completely forget what is in your freezer and how long it’s been there. 😉
While this beef baby food is great by itself, it can be a little intense for some babies. I recommend mixing it into one of your baby’s favorite purees as an introduction to the rich taste of beef. Here are some great purees to mix with the beef puree:
- Apples
- Sweet Potato
- Pear
- Carrot
- Broccoli
- Pea
- Mango
PUREE FEEDING TIPS
- Follow your baby’s lead – when feeding purees from a spoon, sometimes there’s a tendency to keep offering bites past the point of your baby being full. Always follow your baby’s cues for when they are done eating. Turning away from the spoon, closing her mouth, or pushing food away are all signs that your baby is finished with the meal.
- Try adding a little seasoning or spice to purees – babies like flavor! Or consider changing the temperature of purees from time to time, to slightly warmed or slightly chilled.
Varying these aspects adds to the sensory experience! - Throwing spoons is a common phase that all babies go through at one point or another. One of the best ways to handle spoon throwing is to ignore it and keep feeding your baby as usual (with an extra spoon you already have at the table). If your baby ends up also throwing back up spoons #2 AND #3, simply encourage your baby to eat with their hands until they appear to be finished with the meal. ***Give baby plenty of opportunities to practice putting items in and taking items out of containers outside of mealtimes.
- Use a Slotted Spoon: When transferring the cooked beef from the saucepan to the blender, make sure to use a slotted spoon so you don’t add too much broth into the puree from the start. You only want to add broth if needed while blending. I had to add a 1/4 cup of broth to the blender while I was pureeing this beef.
- Reheat Gently: If you are freezing some of this beef puree, reheat it in 20-second intervals.
You don’t want to recook the beef.
- 8 ounce beef chuck stew meat, or cubed sirloin beef
- 2 cups beef or vegetable broth, low or no sodium
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Boil: In a medium saucepan, bring beef, broth and oregano to a boil over medium heat. Turn to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until beef is cooked all the way through. Let cool slightly.
Transfer: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a blender or food processor, reserve broth.
Puree: starting on low and working your way up to high-speed, puree the beef until you reach your desired consistency, adding in broth in 1/4 cup increments if needed.
I had to add in just 1/4 cup of broth to get the consistency seen in this photo.Eat: serve to baby plain or added into another puree.
Freeze: store a small portion in the fridge and freeze the rest for another meal.
Age: 4-6 months and up
Yield: 12 ounces
Storage: Fridge – store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Saucepan
Blender
Bumkins Baby Bowl
Freezer Tray
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Feeding Baby Beef | Beef Baby Food Recipes and Tips
When can I introduce Beef to my baby?
As mentioned above, most pediatricians in the United States recommend that beef, and other meats and proteins be introduced to a baby when he is between 8-10 months of age.
This recommendation is changing however. In many European countries and the UK and Canada, national health services and many pediatricians recommend meats as one of baby’s first foods due to the level of heme iron in meats.
The premise is that offering your baby’s meats earlier rather than later helps him maintain proper levels of iron and ensures adequate levels of zinc and protein too.
The Goodness of Beef for Baby Food
Beef is high in protein and iron and also contains calcium and folate. It is one of the most easily digested of the meats you will feed to your baby. Chicken is most often recommended to be baby’s first meat. Turkey, like Chicken, is high in protein and iron. Turkey also makes a great first meat for baby.
Beef (100 grams – roasted eye of round, trimmed 1/8″ fat) – Protein 29.73 g
| VITAMINS | MINERALS |
06 mgHow to select and store Beef for baby food
When selecting beef to make for your baby, select a cut that is mostly lean. You ideally want to purchase a cut of beef that has light marbling (lines of fat running throughout) as a bit of fat makes the meat more tender. Some cuts of beef that would be good for baby food are:
Eye of Round roast | Top Sirloin | Lean Fresh Ground beef
The best way to cook Beef for Baby Food
I always recommend cooking any food by baking or roasting it. Baking helps retain the most nutrients with steaming being another method to retain nutrients.
Using a crock pot to cook and stew meats is another great way to cook beef. Keep in mind that nutrients will leach into the liquid that you add to the crock pot.
If your baby is not used to the taste of beef and you are making a plain beef puree, using the juice/liquid from the crock pot may make the flavor too strong. Strain the liquid if need be and use water to make beef puree instead. You may need to mix in a bit of fruit or veggie to the beef to help baby enjoy the first taste.
Poach:
To poach beef, it is easiest to first cut the beef into dices – think of stew meat.
Sometimes I sprinkle the beef with a bit of olive oil and then season it, stir to combine – and if I have time I brown it as well.
Add water or broth to a sauce pan – enough to cover the meat.
Bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil and then turn heat down to simmer.
Simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Fork test and cut into the meat if necessary to check for doneness.
Bake/Roast:
To bake or roast beef, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease a baking sheet/roasting pan with olive oil
Place the beef onto the baking sheet/pan, lightly season if desired and if your baby has had spices – no salt!
Sometimes I rub the beef with a bit of olive oil and then season it – and if I have time I brown it as well.
Place baking sheet in the oven and bake until the juices run clear – baking times will vary depending on the size and cut of the beef you are cooking.
A general rule is that you should cook meat for 20 minutes per pound.
A 2 pound eye of round roast may take up to 45 minutes-1 hour or roasting time..
Crockpot::
Cut the beef into pieces or use stew beef. I like to also use eye of round or tenderloin. You may also braise or brown the beef prior to adding it to the crockpot if you wish. This is not really necessary and if you are pressed for time, you may just skip it.
Add the beef to the crockpot and cover in liquid – broth, water or a combination of the two.
Turn crockpot to low and cook for 6-9 hours.
A Few Beef Baby Food Recipes
Beefy “Hash” (a twist on corned beef hash) – a great meal for self-feeders and everyone else too!
Ingredients:
- 6 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3/4 pound of thinly sliced stew beef cubes or 1/2 ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup beef broth (homemade or low sodium/low fat)
Directions:
Step 1: In a large deep skillet, over medium heat, combine the potatoes, beef cubes, onion, and beef broth.
Step 2: Cover and simmer until potatoes are of mashing consistency, and the liquid is almost gone.
Step 3: Add more liquid as needed.
Step 4: Mix well, and serve either mashed, pureed a wee bit or as finger food.
Beef Puree (Basic)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cold and cooked boneless beef – chopped into chunks no bigger than 1 inch
- 1/4 c cooking juice or plain water
Directions:
Step 1: Place beef chunks in blender or food processor and puree until a powdery mix is formed.
Step 2: Slowly add water and puree further until a smooth consistency is created.
Step 3: Add as much liquid as needed to make a consistency appropriate for your baby. You may add veggies or fruits to this puree as you like.
Beefy Apple Purée (Basic)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cold and cooked boneless beef chopped into chunks no bigger than 1 inch
- 1/4 c cooking juice or plain water
- 1/4 cup applesauce
Directions:
Step 1: Place meat chunks in blender or food processor and puree until a powdery mix is formed.
Step 2: Slowly add water, then applesauce, then water etc. and puree further until a smooth consistency is created.
Step 3: Add as much liquid as needed to make a consistency appropriate for your baby.
Sweet Potato Beef Shepard’s Pie
Ingredients:
- 2 & 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 2 tablespoons pre crushed garlic)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef stock (make your own.)
- 2 eggs, beaten (if using egg yolks only for those under 12 months old, use 4 egg yolks)
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 baked and mashed sweet potatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions:
Step 1: Brown the beef in a large skillet then remove the beef and place it in a bowl for later.
Step 2: In a medium sized saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter and then saute the onions and garlic until they are clear. Remove the saucepan from the stovetop and stir in flour (like you would when making a roux). Gradually stir in the beef stock. Bring the mixture to boiling, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Gradually stir in eggs (or egg yolks). Add the sauce, rosemary, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to meat; mix well.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an baking pan with non-stick vegetable spray. (We like to use a light coating of pure olive oil.)
Step 4: Spoon half the meat mixture into prepared pan.
Step 5: Puree the sweet potatoes in food processor with remaining butter, nutmeg and pepper. Spread 1 cup puree over the meat. Add the remaining meat mixture and then spread over the remaining pureed sweet potatoes.
Step 6: Bake for 35 minutes or until heated through.
Baby Beef Stew
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup cubed cooked beef
- 1 peeled potato
- ¼ cup shelled fresh or frozen peas
- 1 peeled carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1/4 cup uncooked pasta (try di’talini as it’s small and makes for great finger food.)
- 4 cups of water
Directions:
Step 1: Wash vegetables thoroughly and chop very fine.
Step 2: Simmer the veggies for 20 minutes or until softened
Step 3: Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes longer or until very soft. Drain but save the water.*****
Step 4: Mash or puree the mix until it is of a consistency adequate for your baby.
Cheesy Beefy Shepard’s Pie
Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup beef or veggie stock (make your own stocks.
) - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cups mashed cooked white Russet potatoes
- 1 cup shredded Colby longhorn cheese (optional)
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and lightly grease (use olive oil) a 2 quart baking dish.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir and cook ground beef, onion and celery until juices run clear. Drain. Pour mixture into baking dish with vegetable soup and thyme; stir well. Spread mashed potatoes on top.
Step 3: Bake 20 minutes and remove from the oven. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese has melted.
Some Foods Good to Mix With Beef
- Apples
- Pears
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Green Beans
- Peas
- Sweet Potato
- White Potato
- Barley
- Lentils
- Pasta
- Rice
Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.
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Freezing Times for Homemade Meat Purees and Baby Food Cubes
Baby Food Cubes May Be Safely Kept in the Freezer for 3 Months. It is preferable, but not an absolute must, to use the cubes within 1 month however. Meats are more unstable when frozen so it is best to use Meat Purées as soon as possible.
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pros and cons, overview of manufacturers ~
For a child and his parents, the introduction of complementary foods is a very responsible step.
Boiled meat is useful for both adults and children. A special place is occupied by complementary foods from beef.
Meat in baby food.
Complementary beef - pros and cons
Beef is good for babies because it has a huge amount of nutrients and vitamins. It is rich in iron, useful for a child's body that suffers from anemia. There is carotene useful for vision. It contains a lot of gelatin and little fat, which is suitable for dietary nutrition, B vitamins that are beneficial for the body. Vitamins contribute to the production of hemoglobin and amino acids. It is also important for the central nervous system and the development of muscles and blood vessels. Meat is rich in iron, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin PP. The absorption of protein and iron is facilitated by the copper contained in beef. Thanks to it, oxygen is absorbed in the body.
Thanks to all these factors, beef is ideal for the first complementary foods.
But in all products there are both useful and harmful substances - beef contains purine compounds, which causes acetonemic syndrome in children.
Beef: when and how to introduce complementary foods
For babies, it is best to use lean beef meat. It usually does not cause allergies. You can introduce beef into complementary foods after 7 months. But you need to proceed from the individual characteristics of the child. If the child is weakened, it is allowed to introduce beef into complementary foods as early as 6 months.
Like any other beef meal, start with half a teaspoon of mashed meat in the morning. During the day, you need to monitor the reaction of the child. In the future, you can supplement the baby's complementary foods with meat puree with the addition of vegetables or cereals. With age, the portion is increased, so in one year a child can receive up to 50 grams of mashed meat.
You can also make your own beef food.
For babies, it is advisable to grind the meat in a blender to a homogeneous consistency.
Children over three years of age can cook fried meat, beef broth and meatballs.
Beef broth is very quickly absorbed into the intestines of the baby.
Baby food with beef
For babies, young meat should be chosen, it contains less harmful substances and coarse fibers. Young meat is considered more tender and suitable for children. If you do not have the opportunity to choose the right meat for mashed potatoes, you can contact the manufacturers of canned products. It is very convenient and does not require preparation. You just need to open the jar and offer it to your baby.
Carefully choose beef puree for a child. When choosing, you should pay attention to the expiration date, sealing and consistency of puree.
There are many producers of meat puree on the shelves of supermarkets. Thus, the firms "Agusha", "Theme", "Babushkino Lukoshko", "Gerber", "Heinz", "FrutoNyanya", "HIPP" provide us with a wide choice of flavors of baby food with beef.
Canned mashed potatoes with meat can be seen in the following flavors: “beef with liver”, “vegetables with beef”, “veal with beef”, “beef with carrots”, “potatoes with beets and beef”, “zucchini with beef”, “chicken with beef”, “beef puree with buckwheat and carrots”.
