Food guide
Deli Meat
Deli meats and cold cuts - ham, turkey slices, salami, bologna, chorizo - are best left until 12 months, and then only heated. Eaten cold they are a listeria risk, they are among the saltiest foods in the shop, and cut into rounds they are a serious choking hazard.
How to serve at this age
6-12 months: Not recommended. Offer freshly cooked, shredded chicken, turkey or beef instead. 12+ months: Heat until steaming hot right through, then cut into short, thin strips - never rounds or chunks. Occasionally, not as an everyday food.
Nutrition
Some protein and iron, but paired with a lot of salt, saturated fat and often nitrates. Freshly cooked meat gives you the same protein and iron without any of that.
A note from the editors
Heating deli meat until steaming kills listeria. A quick pan-fry or 30 seconds in the microwave is enough - then let it cool before serving.
Good to know
Serve deli meat heated through, never straight from the fridge. It is very high in salt and babies' kidneys cope poorly with salt. Round slices and chunks are a choking hazard until age 4 - always cut lengthways into thin strips.