Ribs
Usually introduced around 6 months
Prep warning
Cook the ribs until the meat is fully done, with no pink. Always remove the meat from the bone and never give a baby or young child a rib bone or meat on the bone. Trim fat and gristle, and serve the meat shredded or in small soft pieces. Add no salt, and skip barbecue sauce and rubs, which are high in salt and sugar.
Choking notes
The biggest hazard with spare ribs is the bone, along with fat, gristle, and any firm chunks of meat. Always take the meat off the bone and never let a baby hold a rib bone or a piece of meat with the bone in it. Trim fat and gristle, cook the meat until it is fully done and tender enough to pull apart, and serve it shredded or in small soft pieces. Firm or chewy chunks of meat are a choking risk for young children, so keep pieces small and soft.
How to serve by age
6-9 months
Slow-cook the ribs until the meat is fully cooked, with no pink, and pulls away from the bone. Take all the meat off the bone, trim away fat and gristle, and purée it smooth or shred it very finely, then moisten with breast milk, formula, broth, or a vegetable purée. Pair it with a vitamin-C food to help with iron absorption. Never hand a baby a rib bone or a piece of meat still on the bone. Cook with no added salt, and skip any barbecue sauce or rubs.
Smooth purée or very fine shred, taken off the bone and moistened. No bone in reach.
9-12 months
Keep slow-cooking the ribs until the meat is fully cooked and tender enough to pull apart. Take it off the bone and trim fat and gristle, then offer it as thin, soft shreds or small soft pieces to pick up as the pincer grasp develops. Keep handing over only boneless, soft meat and never the bone itself. Cook fully with no added salt, and leave off sauces and rubs.
Thin soft shreds or small soft pieces, off the bone. No bone in reach.
12-18 months
Serve the rib meat fully cooked and tender, taken off the bone, in bite-size soft pieces or shreds as part of family meals. Slow-cook so it pulls apart easily, and trim fat and gristle. Continue to keep the bone out of reach and serve only boneless meat. Keep added salt low and go light on or skip sauces and rubs.
Bite-size soft pieces or shreds, off the bone. No bone in reach.
Key nutrients
Common questions
When can my baby eat Ribs?
Most babies can try Ribs from around 6 months, once they show signs of readiness. Check the prep and cut-size notes above before you start.
General informational content, not medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician about introducing new foods, especially if your baby has any medical conditions or family history of allergies.
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