First foods database
🍖 Gammon for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat gammon? Only occasionally and in small amounts. Gammon is cured pork, so it is high in salt, and NHS guidance is to keep salty processed meats like gammon, ham and bacon to a minimum for babies.
Good source of: Protein, Zinc, Vitamin B1
How to serve gammon by age
6 to 9 months
It is best to offer fresh pork instead. If gammon is on the family table, a tiny piece of well-soaked, cooked gammon shredded finely is fine now and then. A tiny taste alongside potato or peas lets your baby join in a family meal.
9 to 12 months
Occasional small shreds of cooked gammon, soaked before cooking to draw out salt, can be mixed with vegetables or pasta.
12 months and up
Small portions of gammon can be part of a family meal now and then. Balance the day with unsalted foods. Shred and mix with vegetables rather than serving thick slices.
Choking safety
Cooked gammon can be chewy and stringy. Shred finely or cut into thin pieces. Remove the fat rind.
Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).
Good to know
- High in salt: small, occasional amounts only.
- Soaking gammon in cold water before cooking reduces saltiness.
Easy ideas
- Shredded gammon with pea and potato mash
- A little gammon in pasta with peas
- Gammon with pineapple (occasional)
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat gammon?
Can babies eat gammon? Only occasionally and in small amounts. Gammon is cured pork, so it is high in salt, and NHS guidance is to keep salty processed meats like gammon, ham and bacon to a minimum for babies.
Can babies have gammon at Christmas?
A small taste is fine occasionally. Fill the rest of the plate with unsalted vegetables and potatoes. Also avoid gammon cooked in honey for babies under 12 months.
Is gammon the same as ham?
Gammon is raw cured pork that becomes ham once cooked. Both are salty. Ham and gammon are both processed meats.
Sources
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).