Thanksgiving Food for Babies: Tips for Holiday Eating

Holidays can teach baby what mealtimes are all about: spending time with loved ones and making memories over food. Our licensed pediatric professionals offer tips to safely share Thanksgiving foods with baby while minimizing chaos at the table.

Thanksgiving Tips for Babies

Thanksgiving Foods for Babies

Most foods can be prepared and modified in a way that is safe to share with baby. Check out the list below for a few of our favorites, and search the First Foods® database to look up any food that is not listed below. 

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts offer delicious bitter flavor and loads of fiber, folate, and other key nutrients for babies. When serving, make sure they are cooked until soft to improve digestion, reduce gas, and reduce choking risk. Bigger is better: opt for the largest ones you can find and serve in cooked halves or large quarters. Some brussels sprouts dishes are glazed with maple syrup or other sweeteners—feel free to share these with baby as long as they’re free of honey, which is associated with a risk of infant botulism.

Cranberries

Cranberries are a great way to introduce tart, astringent flavor and share key nutrients like vitamin C. While fresh cranberries are choking hazards because of their small size and round shape, store-bought or homemade cranberry sauces should not pose a risk since the cranberries have been cooked down until soft.

Green Beans

Green beans are rich in fiber, folate, and water, in addition to vitamins B6, C, and K. Bigger is often safer when it comes to sharing green beans with babies. Serve whole, cooked green beans for baby to munch on. Baby may not consume much of the fibrous bean, but munching on the shape and exploring the texture will keep them busy, which can buy you some moments of peace at the table.

Gravy

Drizzle gravy on baby’s finger food, stir into mashed vegetables for baby to scoop, or offer some gravy in a small cup as a dip. While gravies can be high in sodium, it’s fine to share gravy on occasion as part of a variety of foods. When serving, make sure the gravy is free of choking hazards and any common allergens in the gravy (such as cow’s milk, soy, or wheat) have been safely introduced.

Ham

Chunks and cubes of meat are firm and difficult to chew, so when offering ham, go for a strip about the size of two adult fingers placed next to one another. Choose a style of ham that is freshly cooked (rather than cured) and free of honey, which is associated with a risk of infant botulism. Cured hams (such as jamon iberico, mortadella, pancetta, prosciutto, and other charcuterie), deli meats, and glazed hams pose an increased risk of foodborne illness. If you decide to share a taste, you can reduce the risk of foodborne illness by heating the meat until steaming; just let it cool before offering to baby.

Pie

As long as it is free of honey, a bite of your favorite pie can be a great way to include your baby in your holiday celebration. Offer some of the soft filling for baby to scoop with hands or a spoon, and make sure to modify or remove any choking hazards such as dried fruit or large pieces of nuts. For example, only offer pecan pie filling if the nuts are finely chopped, and, if they are very sticky, thin out the filling with a bit of water or milk. You can also crumble some of the crust and mix it into the filling for baby. Avoid serving thick, firm chunks of crust, as these can present an increased choking risk.

Potatoes

Potatoes are an energy powerhouse, and packed with an important type of fiber that helps grow beneficial gut bacteria. Mashed potatoes or large wedges of potato that have been cooked until soft are terrific holiday food to share with baby. Feel free to mix butter, a milk of choice, or cheese into mashed potatoes to add richness. Let baby scoop the potatoes with their hands or practice feeding themselves with a spoon.

Stuffing

It’s okay to share stuffing that is soft (not crispy) and free of choking hazards such as chunks or large crumbles of sausage, dried fruit, or pieces or whole nuts. If the stuffing contains these ingredients or other common choking hazards, consider holding off as it can be tricky to modify or remove them before serving baby. Keep in mind that stuffing may contain common food allergens such as cow’s milk, egg, sesame, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potato is a wonderful food for babies as it is densely nutritious, visually engaging, and fun to practice eating. Large, cooked wedges or mashed sweet potato are easier for baby to grab, hold, and munch on their own. You can also offer mashed sweet potatoes with a spoon for baby to practice scooping. If sharing sweet potato casserole with baby, make sure to remove any choking hazards in the topping, such as marshmallows, sugar crumbles, and whole or pieces of nuts. Keep in mind sweet potato casserole may contain common allergens such as cow’s milk, egg, and wheat.

Tamales

Many tamales can be easily modified to safely share with baby. Aim for soft tamales that are moistened with salsa or sauce, and wait to share crispy and fried tamales until baby is older as they are more challenging to bite and chew, which increases the risk of choking. Before serving tamales, remove potential choking hazards from the tamal for baby (like chunks of meat, whole nuts or large pieces of nut, and whole olives). Keep in mind tamales may contain common allergens such as cow’s milk, peanut, sesame, tree nuts, and wheat.

Turkey

Turkey is a nourishing meat for babies. Not only is it rich in protein and zinc, turkey drumsticks are a great shape for baby to grab, hold, and munch; just be sure to remove the cartilage, loose fat, and skin to minimize the risk. If you prefer to remove all of the meat from the bone, consider offering just the bone as a food teether. The shape is easy for baby to hold and move in and around the mouth, which helps build a mental map of their mouth. Before offering the bone, make sure it is firm, not brittle, and any loose cartilage has been removed. You can also offer strips of turkey meat about the size of two adult fingers pressed together, and let baby practice gnawing and tearing.

Wild Rice

Wild rice (also known as manoomin) is a fantastic food for babies. Because it easily scatters in the mouth, it may cause some gagging. Flatten the rice with the back of a fork to help decrease gagging, or offer the rice in bean patties, meatballs, stuffing, or even mixed in with yogurt, dips, and other mashes.  

Written By

V. Kalami, MNSP, RD, CSP. Pediatric Dietitian/Nutritionist

K. Grenawitzke, OTD, OTR/L, SCFES, IBCLC, CNT. Pediatric Feeding/Swallowing Specialist