When can babies eat sausage?
Sausage is best introduced after 12 months of age because it poses a high choking risk and it is often high in sodium and nitrates. If you want to share a small taste on occasion with baby and it doesn’t contain honey (a high-risk food for infant botulism), prepare the meat in a an-age appropriate way that minimizes the risk of choking.
Warning
Sausages are a choking hazard, so make sure to cut according to a child’s age and eating ability to reduce choking risk.
What are sausages made of?
Sausage is made by salting and forming ground-up meat into links, patties, or other shapes, a centuries-old preservation method. Nearly every culture in the world has its own version of sausage. Consequently, sausages are made of countless meats. There are pork sausages like bratwurst and chorizo; beef sausages like chả bò and hot dogs; fish and shellfish sausage like crawfish boudin, kamaboko, and soondae; mixed meat sausages like kaminwurz, makanek, and mutura; and hundreds more. There are also different preservation methods: firm, dry sausage is cured to the point that it does not require refrigeration, while soft, fresh sausage contains raw meat that must be cooked to order.
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Is sausage healthy for babies?
It can be, depending on the preparation. Sausages are often high in sodium and nitrates, ingredients that should be minimized or avoided during a child’s first year of life. That said, they can also offer plenty of protein, fats, B-vitamins, choline, selenium, and zinc. After the first birthday, sausages may be served in moderation. Sausage and other processed red meats have received attention for their potential association with heart disease and cancer, although more research is needed. In general, try to minimize processed meats like sausages and aim for variety in the diet.
★Tip: When shopping for sausage, choose products labeled “reduced sodium.” Fresh sausages containing raw meat tend to be lower in sodium than cured or smoked varieties.
Is sausage a common choking hazard for babies?
Yes. Sausages are often cylindrical in shape and firm and springy in texture, qualities that heighten choking risk. In particular, smaller varieties like breakfast sausage links, vienna sausages, and “baby” sausages carry an even higher risk, as the sausage is closer in size to the diameter of a child’s airway. If you decide to serve sausage to baby, reduce the risk by removing the casing, crumbling the meat, and mixing the crumbles into a sauce or soft, scoopable food. After 12 months of age, remove the casing and cut the meat lengthwise into quartered sticks. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within arm’s reach of baby at mealtime. For more information on choking, visit our section on gagging and choking and familiarize yourself with the list of common choking hazards.
Is sausage a common allergen?
No. Sausage is not a common food allergen, although it is possible to have allergies to ingredients in sausage, such as beef, pork, and others. Other ingredients that are common food allergens may be added to sausage, such as eggs, finned fish or shellfish, soy, or wheat, so make sure to read the label carefully.
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 to 8 hours after red meat 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. Individuals with cat allergies may also have an increased risk of allergy to pork products, also known as pork-cat syndrome.
As with introducing any new food, start by serving a small quantity for the first few servings, and if there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future meals.
Does sausage need to be cooked to be safe to eat?
Generally, yes. Sausages made of raw ground beef, lamb, pork, or other red meats should be cooked to 160 F (71 C), while sausage made of raw poultry should be cooked to 165 F (74 C) to kill harmful bacteria. Importantly, even sausages marked as pre-cooked (hot dogs, breakfast sausages, vienna sausages) should be reheated to minimize the risk of foodborne illness.
Can sausage help babies poop?
No. In general, sausage is high in protein and fat and low in fiber, qualities that slow the processes of digestion and pooping. Remember that pooping patterns can vary significantly from baby to baby. If you have concerns about baby’s pooping and digestive function, talk to your pediatric healthcare provider.
How do you prepare sausage 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. Your child is an individual and may have needs or considerations beyond generally accepted practices. In determining the recommendations for size and shape of foods, we use the best available scientific information regarding gross, fine, and oral motor development to minimize choking risk. The preparation suggestions we offer are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for child-specific, one-on-one advice from your pediatric medical or health professional or provider. It is impossible to fully eliminate all risk of a baby or child choking on any liquid, puree, or food. We advise you to follow all safety protocols we suggest to create a safe eating environment and to make educated choices for your child regarding their specific needs. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen here.
6 to 11 months old:
Try to avoid, since sausage poses a high risk of choking and typically contains lots of sodium and nitrates. If sausage is an important part of your family’s meals, offer a small taste on occasion. Sausages made of raw meat and pre-cooked sausages like hot dogs, breakfast sausages, and vienna sausages should be cooked before serving. Simply remove any casing if there is one, finely chop or break the meat into small crumbles, thoroughly cook the meat, and stir it into a soft, scoopable food like mashed vegetables, porridge, or yogurt. Do not serve dried sausage, jerky, or other forms of cured or smoked meat to babies because they are typically firm and hard to chew, which increases the risk of choking, and they are also typically high in sodium and nitrates.
12 to 17 months old:
For fresh sausage made of raw meat, remove the casing if there is one, thoroughly cook the meat, and break into crumbles or cut it into bite-sized pieces. Alternatively, keep the casing on and cut the sausage lengthwise into long quartered sticks. For cured, pre-cooked, or smoked products like andouille, breakfast sausage, hot dogs, or vienna sausage, cook the meat to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, then quarter the sausage lengthwise into long, thin sticks that the child can hold and practice taking bites from. Avoid cutting sausage into coins or other round shapes, as these can increase the risk of choking. Hold off on serving firm, dried sausages like salami, spanish chorizo, or summer sausage until at least 24 months of age.
18 to 24 months old:
Cut cooked sausages lengthwise into halves, or continue cutting into long, quartered sticks. Avoid serving sausage links cut into coins or rounds, as these shapes increase choking risk. You can also serve ground sausage that has been crumbled into sauces and other dishes, or sausage patties, either whole for the child to take bites from or broken into bite-size pieces. Sausages marked as “fresh” or “pre-cooked” must be cooked before serving, while smoked or cured forms of sausage do not need to be cooked.
24 months old+:
At this age, if a child has mature eating skills (not overstuffing their mouths, taking accurate bites, and chewing thoroughly before swallowing), they can likely practice eating a whole sausage, including in a bun if desired, although expect some mess as the child learns to deal with the challenging food. A whole sausage actually poses less choking risk than a sausage cut into rounds or small “coin” shaped pieces because the larger shape triggers the brain to take a bite and prepare the body to safely chew and swallow. When practicing eating sausage, make sure the child is seated and supervised in a safe eating environment. You can also serve firm, dried sausages like salami, spanish chorizo, or summer sausage. These do not need to be cooked, but they should be cut into long, thin sticks to minimize the choking risk and only offered to a toddler once the child has mature eating skills.
Sometime between 24 and 36 months of age, when you believe the child is able to follow directions and has had success in eating a variety of firm, hard-to-chew foods, you can offer rounds or coin-shaped slices of sausage. Offer one slice at a time and encourage the child to take a bite of the food with their front teeth before moving it to the side and chewing thoroughly. When practicing eating sausages, especially cut into rounds, make sure the child is seated and supervised in a safe eating environment.
Learn all about which foods are not safe for babies. Download our guide 25 Foods Never to Serve Your Baby.
Homemade Sausage with No Casing
Yield
6-8 links
Cooking Time
15 minutes
Age Suggestion
12 months+
Ingredients
¼ lb (114 g) bacon
½ lb (227 g) ground beef
½ lb (227 g) ground pork
2 tsp (4 g) garlic powder (optional)
2 tsp (4 g) paprika (optional)
1 tsp (2 g) dried thyme (optional)
1 tsp (3 g) kosher salt
Modifications
Salt - Adjust to taste (see Step 4 of Prepare the Sausage Filling) and minimize or omit salt if you plan to share the sausage with babies under 12 months of age.
Seasonings - Omit or swap the spices for others that you want the child to learn to love.
Directions
Prepare the Sausage Filling
Defrost frozen meat in the refrigerator the day before you plan to make the sausages.
Finely chop the bacon.
Mix the bacon, beef, pork, spices, and salt. You can do this by hand or use a food mixer or meat grinder.
Test the flavor: form a small meatball, cook it in a bit of oil on the stovetop, then taste it. Adjust the salt and seasonings of the rest of the mixture, then repeat. Continue until the sausage tastes good to you.
Form the Sausage
Form the meat mixture into 6 to 8 balls. The size does not matter.
Lay a square piece of plastic on your workstation, then place a ball in the middle of the edge closest to you.
Holding the sides of the plastic, lift and roll the ball so the plastic covers it, then use your hands to press and roll the ball toward the edge of the plastic opposite from you. As you roll, the ball will flatten to form a link.
Holding the loose ends of the plastic, roll the link away from you and repeat a few times until the loose ends of the plastic tighten and start to curl onto themselves. Fold the ends under the sausage or tie in a knot.
Repeat until all balls are formed. At this point, the balls may be refrigerated or frozen to cook at a later date.
Cook the Sausage
Defrost frozen sausage in the refrigerator the day before you plan to cook it.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then lower the heat to a bare simmer.
Add the sausage (with the plastic wrap) into the hot water. Place a plate or a pot cover that is slightly smaller than the pot on top to keep the sausage submerged.
Cook for 15 minutes, then transfer the sausage to a cutting board to cool.
Unwrap the sausage and discard the plastic. To finish cooking the sausage, grill, pan-fry, or crumble the sausage into a sauce. The sausage is fully cooked when a kitchen thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 F (71 C).
Before serving, cut the sausage into age-appropriate sizes for the child.
Serve the Sausage
Offer sausage and let your child self-feed.
If help is needed, hold a pre-loaded utensil in the air in front of your child, then let them grab it from you.
Eat some sausage alongside the child to model how it’s done.
To Store: Homemade Sausage with No Casing keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Pairings
Sausage pairs well with polenta, bell pepper, corn, kale, potatoes, and brussels sprouts.
By
Dr. Rachel Ruiz
Pediatrician & pediatric gastroenterologist
Dr. Sakina Shikari Bajowala
Pediatrician & pediatric allergist/immunologist
Kary Rappaport
Pediatric occupational therapist, feeding & swallowing specialist, international board-certified lactation consultant
Kim Grenawitzke
Pediatric occupational therapist, feeding & swallowing specialist, international board-certified lactation consultant
K. Tatiana Maldonado
Speech-language pathologist, feeding & swallowing specialist
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