First foods database
🌭 Sausages for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat sausages? Occasionally, in small amounts, from about 6 months. Sausages are a processed meat and usually high in salt, so choose low-salt, high-meat sausages and cut them very carefully, as they are a well known choking hazard.
Good source of: Protein, Iron, Zinc
How to serve sausages by age
6 to 9 months
Rarely and only as part of a meal. Choose a high-meat, low-salt sausage, cook thoroughly, remove the skin and cut lengthways into strips, or crumble into a sauce. Fresh mince is a better everyday choice.
9 to 12 months
Remove skins and cut lengthways into quarters, then into small pieces. Keep portions small.
12 months and up
Cut lengthways into quarters, then into short pieces, until at least age 5. Small cocktail sausages need the same care.
Choking safety
Sausages are cylindrical and the right size to block a child's airway. Never serve them in rounds. Remove the skin and cut lengthways into quarters, then into small pieces.
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
- Processed meats are high in salt: occasional only.
- Check labels for allergens such as gluten, mustard and sulphites.
Easy ideas
- Skinless sausage crumbled into tomato pasta
- Sausage and bean casserole (low-salt beans)
- Quartered sausage pieces with mash
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat sausages?
Can babies eat sausages? Occasionally, in small amounts, from about 6 months. Sausages are a processed meat and usually high in salt, so choose low-salt, high-meat sausages and cut them very carefully, as they are a well known choking hazard.
Can babies eat sausages?
Occasionally, cooked through, skins removed and cut lengthways into small pieces. Choose low-salt sausages.
Why should I not cut sausages into rounds?
Rounds are the same shape as a child's airway and can block it. Cut lengthways into quarters instead.
Sources
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: How to stop a child from choking
- NHS: What to feed young children
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).