Chicken For Baby-Led Weaning (BLW)

Chicken offers a host of nutrients to support early growth and development including protein, B-vitamins, iron, phosphorous and more. This article covers how to serve chicken for baby-led weaning (BLW) as well as common questions about preparing chicken for babies.

Chicken is a much loved source of protein enjoyed all over the world. However, it offers more than just protein. Chicken provides a number of important nutrients to support infant growth and development. It’s also highly versatile and can be served to babies in a variety of forms.

Nutrients found in chicken

Chicken offers protein, fat (particularly in chicken skin), B-vitamins, pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, and selenium. These nutrients are critical for normal growth, energy production, and neurological function, among other things.

• Protein: Essential for building and maintaining tissues, necessary for synthesizing enzymes, hormones, antibodies, and more.
• Niacin: Important for turning fat, carbohydrate and protein into energy.
• Vitamin B6: Necessary for neurotransmitter synthesis, hemoglobin formation, immune function, protein metabolism and blood sugar regulation.
• Phosphorous: Critical for building and maintaining bones and teeth, cell membranes, and energy production.
• Selenium: Helps protect against free radical damage and supports immune function.

A common misconception among parents is that kids need loads of protein-rich foods to grow. Adequate protein is important for normal development, however, the recommended daily protein intake for kids 6-12 months is only 11g/day (approximately 1/5 of a chicken breast). During the early days of eating, most of that protein requirement will come from breastmilk/ formula. Nevertheless, it’s important to offer high protein foods daily, particularly since several high protein foods are also rich sources of iron. (Read more about iron here).

What age can babies have chicken?

You can start offering age-appropriate forms of chicken when your child starts solids usually between 4-6 months of age. (Learn about the signs of readiness here). Skinless drumsticks, slow-cooked (soft) chicken pieces, and ground chicken meatballs shaped into fingers are all good examples of ways to serve chicken for baby-led weaning.

On the other hand, tough, small pieces of chicken, and chicken skin can be choking hazard and should be avoided until your little one becomes a more competent eater.

10 ways to serve chicken for baby-led weaning (BLW)

Here are 10 ideas for serving chicken for baby-led weaning including flavorings:

1. Drumstick roasted with extra virgin olive oil, rosemary (fresh or dried) and garlic. Remove the skin before serving.
2. Chicken breast/thigh slow-cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with mild curry powder. Serve shredded.
3. Ground chicken combined with an egg and Herbes de Provence, Roll into meatball fingers, and fry or bake with extra virgin olive oil.
4. Chicken breast/thigh slow-cooked in low-sodium chicken broth/stock and seasoned with lemon juice, garlic powder, and thyme.
5. Drumstick roasted with avocado oil, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric. Remove the skin before serving.
6. Ground chicken combined with an egg and salt-free Italian seasoning. Roll into meatball fingers and cook in no-added salt diced tomatoes or passata.
7. Cooked, shredded chicken combined with whole milk Greek yogurt and fresh, finely chopped herbs.
8. Drumstick roasted with butter, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Removed skin before serving.
9. Cooked, shredded chicken combined with whole milk Greek yogurt, a dash of mild curry powder, and grated apple.
10. Ground chicken combined with an egg, lemon juice, grated red onion, garlic powder, dried parsley, and dried oregano. Roll into meatball fingers and pan-fry or roast with extra virgin olive oil.

Minimum internal temperature for chicken

It’s no secret that babies are more vulnerable to food-borne illness than older kids and adults. During the first few years of life kids are still developing their immune defenses, making them more susceptible to infection.

For this reason, it’s important that you pay attention to food safety and cook chicken to the safe minimum internal temperature (165℉/ 74℃). Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken to check for doneness. In addition, store leftover chicken dishes in the fridge and serve within 1-2 days minimize food-borne illness risk.

Key takeaways

• Chicken offers protein, fat, B-vitamins, pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, and selenium.
• Slow-cooked, shredded chicken, skinless drumsticks, and ground chicken meatball fingers are excellent ways to serve chicken for baby-led weaning (BLW). Conversely, small pieces of chicken are a choking hazard.
• Cook chicken to the safe minimum internal temperature (165℉/ 74℃) to minimize food-borne illness risk. Your little one is particularly vulnerable to infection during the first few years of life.