When can babies eat deli meat?

From around 12 months, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

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Deli meat

Not yet for babies: salty and best heated, so for toddlers it's a little, steaming hot and chopped small.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Children can have deli meat from around 12 months. Prepare it as shown below.

From 12 monthsMedium choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve deli meat by age

12 months+

A little, heated and finely chopped into soft food

Not before 12 months: deli meat is high in salt. From 12 months, if you serve it, use just a little. Heat sliced turkey, chicken, ham or roast beef until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), let it cool, then chop it finely and stir it into scrambled egg, pasta, mashed potato or soup. Don't give whole slices, rolled-up slices or chunks.

Size: Very small pieces, no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), stirred into a soft, moist dish.
Check before serving: Look at every piece before serving: no whole slices, folded or rolled-up pieces, or chunks. Each piece should be small, soft and mixed into moist food.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare deli meat

1
Choose plain sliced meat, not honey-glazed or smoked and heavily seasoned, and a reduced-salt one if you can. Check the use-by date.
2
Heat it until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), in a pan, the oven or the microwave. The CDC and USDA FSIS say people at higher risk of listeria should only eat deli meat heated this way, and the FDA says children under 5 have a high risk of food poisoning. Let it cool.
3
Chop it finely. Never give whole slices: soft, thin slices can be bunched or rolled up in the mouth.
4
Stir a small amount into a soft, moist food, such as scrambled egg, pasta, mashed potato or soup.

How much to offer

Use deli meat as an extra, not a main food: a small spoonful of finely chopped meat in your toddler's dish is plenty, and not every day. Sliced turkey breast has about 898 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 2.2 g of salt). The NHS suggests no more than 2 g of salt a day for children aged 1 to 3. Your child decides how much to eat from what you offer.

Common mistakes

Serving it cold from the pack

Listeria can grow in chilled, ready-to-eat foods such as deli meats, even in the fridge. The CDC says people at higher risk, including newborns, should have deli meat reheated to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot. No official page names toddlers, so heating it for young children is our suggestion, following that advice.

Offering deli meat to babies

It's high in salt: FoodData Central lists about 898 mg of sodium per 100 g of sliced turkey breast (about 2.2 g of salt), and babies under 1 need less than 1 g of salt a day. The CDC names lunch meats among the processed meats that are high in salt for young children. Offer fresh meat, such as shredded chicken or turkey, instead.

Giving whole or rolled-up slices

A soft slice can be bunched or rolled into a wad that's hard to chew, and chunks of meat are on the CDC and AAP choking lists. Chop it finely and mix it into soft food.

Thinking turkey or chicken slices aren't salty

They're processed too. FoodData Central lists about 1,030 mg of sodium per 100 g of deli chicken (about 2.6 g of salt) and about 898 mg for sliced turkey breast (about 2.2 g of salt), both above the NHS high-salt level. Check the label, even on reduced-salt packs.

Where US and UK guidance differ on deli meat

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC names lunch meats among the processed meats (with sausages, hot dogs and ham) that are high in salt, and says to avoid foods high in salt for young children. If you follow US advice, skip deli meat or serve it only now and then. The CDC and USDA FSIS say people at higher risk of listeria should only eat deli meat heated to 165°F (74°C), or until steaming hot.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says babies shouldn't have much salt, and suggests no more than 2 g of salt a day for children aged 1 to 3. It counts sliced luncheon meats, including chicken and turkey, as processed meat, and lists cold cooked sliced meats among the chilled foods that most often cause listeriosis. Guidance for UK nurseries says not to give children under 5 foods high in salt, and to cook food until steaming hot, then cool it.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can deli meat be a choking hazard for babies?

Deli meat isn't on the CDC choking list by name, but the CDC lists tough or large chunks of meat, and soft, thin slices can be bunched or rolled up into a wad that's hard for young children to chew. Skip deli meat in the first year. For toddlers, heat it, chop it finely and stir a little into soft, moist food, and never give whole slices or chunks. Stay with your child while they eat.

Can babies be allergic to deli meat?

Deli meat is not a common allergen. Some sliced meats have added ingredients, so check the label if your child has a food allergy. In the UK, allergens are highlighted in bold in the ingredients list.

Is deli meat healthy for babies?

A source of protein, but high in salt. FoodData Central lists about 898 mg of sodium per 100 g of sliced turkey breast (about 2.2 g of salt) and about 1,030 mg for deli chicken (about 2.6 g of salt), both above the NHS high-salt level of 1.5 g of salt (0.6 g of sodium) per 100 g. Deli turkey and chicken have well under 1 mg of iron per 100 g.

Can babies eat deli meat?

Not yet. Wait until 12 months, and then keep it to a little now and then. Deli meat is high in salt, and babies under 1 need less than 1 g of salt a day. The CDC names lunch meats among the processed meats that are high in salt for young children, and the NHS lists sliced luncheon meats as processed meat. Offer fresh, plain cooked meat instead.

Do I need to heat deli meat for my toddler?

We suggest it. The CDC says people at higher risk of listeria, including newborns, should have deli meat reheated to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot, USDA FSIS gives the same advice for other higher-risk groups, and the FDA says children under 5 have a high risk of food poisoning. No official page names toddlers and deli meat together, so heating it is our suggestion. Heat it, let it cool, then chop it small.

Is a turkey sandwich OK for a toddler?

Now and then, from 12 months. Heat the turkey until steaming hot, let it cool and chop it small, rather than using whole cold slices, and cut the sandwich into small strips or squares. Bread and deli meat both contain salt, so keep it occasional. Homemade roast turkey or chicken, sliced and chopped small, is a less salty filling.

How much salt can toddlers have?

The NHS suggests no more than 2 g of salt a day for children aged 1 to 3, and less than 1 g a day for babies under 1. That includes salt already in foods like deli meat, bread and cheese.

If your baby refuses deli meat

There's no need to keep offering deli meat. It's an occasional food, and fresh meat, fish, eggs and beans give the same protein with much less salt.
If your toddler wants what the family is eating, stir a little heated, finely chopped meat into a food they already like.
Many toddlers prefer softer foods. Shredded chicken or turkey is an easy swap.
Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing deli meat

Keep deli meat in the fridge. Use unopened packs within 2 weeks or by the use-by date, and opened packs or meat sliced at the deli counter within 3 to 5 days. It can be frozen for 1 to 2 months.
Keep deli meat away from raw meat and its juices in the fridge. Dishes made with heated deli meat keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Reheat dishes made with deli meat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

Your child had a choking episode, even if the food came out and they seem fine. The NHS advises getting medical help, because part of the food could be left behind.
Your child has a fever, aches, diarrhea or vomiting, or is feeding less and seems irritable, after eating deli meat that wasn't heated until steaming hot. The NHS lists cold cooked sliced meats as a cause of listeriosis, so call your pediatrician the same day and tell them about the meat (in the UK, ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111). If they have a stiff neck, seem confused, have a seizure, are floppy or hard to wake, or have a rash that doesn't fade when you press it, call your emergency number.
You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Offered deli meat?

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