Mutton (Sheep)

Meat

Age Suggestion

6 months

Iron-Rich

Yes

Common Allergen

When can babies eat mutton?

Mutton may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.

How do you prepare mutton for babies with baby-led weaning?

Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.

6 to 8 months old:

Mix ground mutton that has been cooked well-done into an easy-to-scoop food like mashed vegetables, porridge, or yogurt. Avoid serving crumbles of ground meat on their own, as they can pose a higher risk of choking. Alternatively, prepare burgers, meatballs, or patties that are at least 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and cooked until the internal temperature reaches 160 F (71 C). Make sure the cooked burger or meatball is soft enough to be easily smushed by baby’s gums. To test if it is soft enough, hold it between your thumb and pointer finger and give it a gentle squeeze. Dipping the patties in applesauce, guacamole, yogurt, or other sauces can aid swallowing.

Alternatively, offer bone-in mutton chop with loose chunks of meat and fat removed or thick strips of braised mutton shank about the size of two adult fingers pressed together. At this age, baby will mostly just suck and gnaw on the chop or strip of meat. If baby succeeds in biting off a big piece, take a deep breath, stay calm, and give the child a chance to work with the food. In most cases, if the piece of food is too big, baby will spit it out or the gag reflex will help thrust it forward and out of the mouth. If the child needs assistance getting the piece of food out of the mouth, put your hand beneath their chin to indicate they can spit out the food.

Note: Soft burgers and meatballs often fall apart in the mouth, and when this happens, try to stay calm and give baby the opportunity to work the food forward with the tongue. If baby needs assistance getting the piece of food out of the mouth, put your hand beneath their chin to indicate they can spit it out. Sticking your own tongue out can also help teach babies how to spit.

9 to 11 months old:

Serve small shreds of well-cooked mutton, either on their own or as part of a meal. If you want to share stews, kebabs, and other family meals with cubed meat, make sure to shred the meat to minimize the risk of choking. Break mutton meatballs, burgers, or patties into small, bite-sized pieces to create an opportunity for babies to hone their pincer grasp (where the thumb and pointer finger meet). If the child is not quite ready to pick up smaller pieces of food, continue to offer bone-in mutton chops, ground mutton in sauces, or whole mutton burgers or patties that are at least 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and cooked until the internal temperature has reached 160 F (71 C). Dipping the meatballs in sauce can aid swallowing. If a big piece of meat breaks off in the mouth, coach the child to spit the food out by dramatically sticking out your own tongue and saying “ah” repeatedly.

12 to 17 months old:

Serve shredded mutton chop or braised mutton shank or thin strips of mutton cut into bite-sized pieces and dipped in a sauce to keep the meat tender, either on their own or as part of a meal. You can also offer meatballs or patties cut up into bite-sized pieces. Mutton meat can be a bit dry and challenging to chew and swallow, so the sauce can aid in swallowing. If a big piece of meat breaks off in the mouth, coach the child to spit the food out by dramatically sticking out your own tongue and saying “ah” repeatedly. Continue to shred any cubes of meat in stews, kebabs, or other shared family meals, as this size continues to pose a high risk of choking. At this age, mutton sausage may also be served in moderation—just cut the sausage lengthwise into long sticks to reduce choking risk.

18 to 24 months old:

Offer ground mutton patties, meatballs, or shredded or minced mutton meat. At this age, you can also begin offering larger strips of mutton for the child to practice taking bites from to build tearing skills, but refrain from offering mutton kebabs, cubed mutton, or mutton cut into large chunks, as these sizes continue to pose a higher risk of choking.

Spice up your dinner rotation with our 100 Dinners for Babies & Toddlers.

Videos

Wei Wei, 9 months, eats cooked ground mutton with black garlic.

Is mutton a common choking hazard for babies?

Yes. Meat is a common cause of choking. To minimize the risk, refrain from serving chunks or cubes of meat, and prepare mutton according to baby’s age and eating ability. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals. For more information on choking, visit our sections on gagging and choking and familiarize yourself with the list of common choking hazards.

Is mutton a common allergen?

No. Mutton is not a common food allergen, although mutton allergy has been reported. Cooking the meat decreases the risk of developing an allergic reaction to mutton. In addition, certain tick bites (mainly the Lone Star tick in the continental United States, but other ticks in different parts of the world), are associated with the development of an allergy to galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose (“alpha gal”), a sugar which is present in all non-primate mammalian meat. This results in a delayed allergic reaction 3-8 hours after red meat, such as mutton, is consumed. Some individuals with alpha gal allergy also react to small amounts of the sugar present in dairy products, gelatin, or organ tissues (such as liver) from mammals.

Some individuals with an allergy to mutton will also exhibit contact sensitivity to wool or lanolin (a wool alcohol), but most individuals with wool or lanolin sensitivity can consume mutton without experiencing any reaction.

As you would when introducing any new food, start by offering a small quantity for the first few servings and watch closely as baby eats. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the serving size over time.

Is mutton healthy for babies?

Yes. Mutton is rich in protein and fats to support baby’s rapid growth. It is also filled with other essential nutrients, such as heme iron, zinc, selenium, choline, vitamins B6 and B12, in addition to omega-3 fatty acids. Together, these nutrients work to prevent anemia, support a healthy metabolism, aid growth and development, and build a strong immune system. Babies need increasing amounts of iron starting at the 6-month mark, when their reserves become depleted, and mutton is a great source of iron.

Avoid products like mutton sausage, macon (mutton bacon), and other cured or processed lamb or mutton until after the first birthday due to high sodium and nitrate levels.

★Tip: Ground mutton is a high-risk food for foodborne illness such as E. coli and Salmonella if not cooked thoroughly. When cooking ground mutton, it is important to heat the meat to an internal temperature of 160 F (71 C).

When can babies have mutton meatballs?

Babies can eat meatballs starting at 6 months of age as long as the meatballs are thoroughly cooked, soft, and at least 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. The bigger the meatball, the less likely that baby will pop the whole thing in their mouth. The softer the meatball, the lower the risk of choking: to soften meatballs, cook them in sauce or stew or mix softening ingredients into the meatball batter, such as breadcrumbs, cooked grains, or nut or seed flours.

Take care with pre-cooked or store-bought frozen meatballs: they are often high in sodium, as well as small (closer in size to a baby’s mouth) and firm, qualities that increase the risk of choking. When sharing these types of meatballs with babies, minimize the risk of choking by breaking the meatballs into tiny crumbles to mix into a soft, scoopable food.

Meatballs can cause gagging as they fall apart in the mouth, and if the meat is dry, it can stick to the roof of the mouth, leading to more intense gagging and even a vomit. If this happens, try to stay calm and give baby the opportunity to work the food forward on their own. As babies munch on a large meatball, they may break down the food into smaller sizes. If the smaller size makes you nervous, simply take away the smaller piece and replace it with a new, large meatball. You can also break the pieces into crumbles and mix them into another food, such as mashed potatoes, any puree or mash, or yogurt.

When making or purchasing meatballs to share with baby, watch the sodium levels. Some recipes or meatball products have sodium levels in excess of what babies need. Finally, know that meatballs may contain various common allergens, including dairy, egg, sesame, and wheat. Be sure to read the labels on store-bought prepared foods and safely introduce any allergens to the child before sharing the prepared food.

What kind of meat is mutton?

Mutton is the red meat of adult sheep—although there’s some ambiguity in the name, depending on where you live. In some regions, mutton refers to goat meat, and in others, mutton refers to the meat of both adult and young sheep (lamb). While mutton is a staple food in much of the world, it remains hard to find in other regions (including North America). Compared to lamb, mutton tends to have more intense flavor and tougher texture, so it is often prepared by braising, marinating, or stewing the meat to help soften it.

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