When can babies eat ham?

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

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Ham

Salty and cured, so it's an occasional extra: a little, heated through and finely chopped.

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

Quick answer

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

From 12 monthsMedium choking risk as servedNot a common allergen

How to serve ham by age

12 months+

A little, finely chopped into soft food

If you serve ham, use just a little. Heat sliced or deli ham until steaming hot, 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. Ham is high in salt, so keep it occasional.

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 ham

1
Check the label. Most ham sold sliced or as a joint is fully cooked, but fresh ham and ham marked "cook before eating" or "cook thoroughly" is raw. Choose plain ham, not honey-glazed or sugar-glazed (the NHS advises no added sugar, including honey, up to age 4), and a lower-salt one if you can.
2
Cook raw ham to 145°F (63°C), then let it rest for 3 minutes. For young children, heat sliced, deli or leftover ham until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), to lower the risk of listeria, then let it cool.
3
Cut off any fat and rind, then chop the ham 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 ham as an extra, not a main food: a small spoonful of finely chopped ham in your toddler's dish is plenty, and not every day. One typical slice of ham (about 23 g, NHS) has about 190 mg of sodium, nearly 0.5 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

Giving whole or rolled-up slices

A soft slice of ham 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 ham finely and mix it into soft food.

Skipping the heat-up for deli ham

Listeria can grow in chilled, ready-to-eat foods such as cold sliced and cured meats. USDA FSIS says ham sliced or repackaged outside the plant, and leftover cooked ham, should be heated to 165°F (74°C). We suggest heating sliced ham until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then letting it cool.

Offering ham to babies

The NHS says babies shouldn't eat salty foods, naming bacon and sausages, and the CDC names ham among the processed meats that are high in salt for young children. FoodData Central lists 814 mg of sodium per 100 g of sliced ham (about 2 g of salt). Offer fresh meat, such as shredded pork or chicken, instead.

Choosing prosciutto, Parma or country ham

All three are dry-cured, and USDA FSIS says dry curing produces a salty product. Prosciutto and Parma ham are eaten without cooking; country ham usually needs cooking (follow the label). Skip them for young children.

Where US and UK guidance differ on ham

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC names ham among the processed meats (with lunch meats, sausages and hot dogs) that are high in salt, and says to avoid foods high in salt for young children. The AAP advises limiting processed foods made for adults, because they often contain more salt. If you follow US advice, skip ham or serve it only now and then. USDA FSIS says fully cooked ham can be eaten cold, but leftover ham or ham repackaged outside the plant should be reheated to 165°F (74°C), and fresh ham is safe at 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says babies shouldn't eat salty foods (it names bacon and sausages), and suggests no more than 2 g of salt a day for children aged 1 to 3. Its weaning pages say to limit how often you give processed meat such as ham, but that small amounts are OK, so a little ham now and then can fit. The NHS says to cook pork, including fresh ham, all the way through, until no pink is left. 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 ham be a choking hazard for babies?

Ham 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 ham in the first year. For toddlers, 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 ham?

Ham is not a common allergen. Some hams and ham products 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 ham healthy for babies?

A source of protein, but high in salt. FoodData Central lists about 814 mg of sodium per 100 g of sliced ham (about 2 g of salt) and about 1,380 mg for roasted cured ham (about 3.5 g of salt), above the NHS 'high salt' level of 600 mg of sodium per 100 g. It has about 1 to 1.4 mg of iron per 100 g, much less than fresh red meat.

Can babies eat ham?

It's best to wait until 12 months, and then keep it to a little now and then. Ham is high in salt: FoodData Central lists 814 mg of sodium per 100 g of sliced ham (about 2 g of salt), and babies under 1 need less than 1 g of salt a day. The CDC names ham among the processed meats that are high in salt for young children, and the NHS lists bacon and sausages as salty foods to avoid for babies. Offer fresh meat, like shredded pork or chicken, instead.

Do I need to heat deli ham for my toddler?

We suggest it. USDA FSIS says ham sliced or repackaged outside the plant, and leftover cooked ham, should be heated to 165°F (74°C). The CDC says people at higher risk of listeria, including newborns, should have deli meat reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot, and the FDA says children under 5 have a high risk of food poisoning. No official page names toddlers and deli ham together, so heating it is our suggestion. Heat it, let it cool, then chop it small.

Is a ham sandwich OK for a toddler?

Now and then, from 12 months. Use a little finely chopped ham, heated and cooled, rather than whole slices, and cut the sandwich into small strips or squares. Bread and ham both contain salt, so keep it occasional.

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 ham, bread and cheese.

If your baby refuses ham

There's no need to keep offering ham. 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 finely chopped ham into a food they already like.
Many toddlers prefer softer foods. Shredded pork or chicken 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 ham

Keep ham in the fridge. Use opened packs of sliced ham, and ham sliced at the deli counter, within 3 to 5 days, or by the use-by date.
Leftover cooked ham keeps for 3 to 5 days in a covered container in the fridge, or 1 to 2 months in the freezer. 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 leftover ham and dishes made with ham 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, diarrhea or vomiting, or is feeding less and seems irritable, after eating cold deli ham. The NHS lists cold cooked sliced meats as a cause of listeriosis, so get medical advice the same day: call your pediatrician (in the UK, ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111). If your child has a seizure, is floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, seems suddenly confused, has a stiff neck, or has a rash that doesn't fade when you press it, call your emergency number instead.
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 ham?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

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