The Organ Meat Guide
Liver, heart, marrow, and broth for babies
Organ meats were prized across traditional cultures as the most valuable parts of an animal—reserved for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and growing children. Modern squeamishness has relegated them to pet food. This is a nutritional tragedy.
Why Organ Meats Matter
- Liver contains more nutrients per gram than any other food. A single tablespoon provides:
- More bioavailable iron than a bowl of fortified cereal
- Massive amounts of vitamin A (retinol, not beta-carotene)
- B12, folate, copper, zinc
- Complete protein
Heart is rich in CoQ10, B vitamins, and iron. Bone marrow provides fat-soluble vitamins and factors that support immune function. These aren't superfoods in the marketing sense—they're the actual foods that built human bodies for millennia.
The Safety Framework
Organ meats are powerful. They require respect.
Critical rules: 1. Never combine liver with cod liver oil on the same day (vitamin A stacking) 2. Cap liver at 1-2 teaspoons, 2-3 times per week 3. Introduce AFTER fermented foods have established gut bacteria (2+ weeks) 4. Source from quality animals when possible (pastured, organic)
Why these limits? Vitamin A from liver is preformed retinol—the body doesn't have to convert it. This is good (highly bioavailable) but demands caution (can accumulate). The combination of liver + cod liver oil + egg yolk in a single day could reach 7,000-9,000 IU of vitamin A, exceeding the recommended limit of 2,000-3,000 IU for infants.
Introduction Timeline
8+ months (after gut preparation with ferments): Begin with liver—the most important organ meat.
Methods for first introduction:
1. Frozen grated liver (easiest) - Freeze raw liver solid - Grate directly over warm food (rice porridge, vegetables) - The tiny shreds cook on contact with warm food - Start with 1/4 teaspoon
2. Liver pâté - Blend cooked liver with butter until smooth - Freeze in ice cube portions - Serve 1/2 teaspoon mixed into other foods
3. Hidden in ground meat - Blend raw liver until liquid - Mix 1 part liver to 4 parts ground beef - The liver disappears into meatballs or bolognese
- 9-10+ months:
- Heart (mild flavor, good for pâté)
- Bone marrow (roasted, scooped, spread on food)
- 11+ months:
- Kidney (stronger flavor, blend into stews)
- Chicken skin (crispy, good for self-feeding)
Frequency Guide
- Liver:
- 2-3 times per week
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per serving (8-10 months)
- 1-2 teaspoons per serving (11+ months)
- Never daily
- Heart:
- 1-2 times per week
- Similar portions to liver
- Bone marrow:
- 1-2 times per week
- 1-2 teaspoons per serving
On liver days: Skip cod liver oil. On non-liver days, give 1/4 teaspoon CLO.
Making It Palatable
Organ meats have stronger flavors than muscle meat. Strategies for acceptance:
Start early. Babies introduced to liver at 8 months often accept it readily. Toddlers introduced at 2 years resist more.
Hide it well (at first). The frozen grating method is nearly undetectable in warm, flavorful foods.
Pair with familiar flavors. Liver pâté spread on egg yolk. Marrow mixed into bone broth rice.
Make it normal. If you eat liver too, it becomes family food rather than "baby food."
Don't give up. Research suggests babies may need 10-15 exposures to accept a new flavor. Keep offering small amounts.
Bone Broth Basics
Bone broth is the most accessible "organ" food—less intimidating, universally useful.
- Preparation:
- Beef or chicken bones (ask your butcher for "soup bones")
- Cover with filtered water by 2 inches
- Add 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (helps extract minerals)
- Simmer 24-48 hours (chicken) or up to 72 hours (beef)
- Should gel when refrigerated (indicates gelatin content)
- For babies:
- NO SALT before 12 months (critical—immature kidneys)
- 2-3 oz per day maximum
- Use as cooking liquid for grains, vegetables, everything
- Can be offered warm as a drink
Salt after 12 months: You can lightly salt the family's broth. Remove baby's portion before adding salt, or dilute salted broth significantly.
Common Concerns
"Liver tastes terrible." To adults who didn't grow up eating it. Babies have no such bias. Introduce early, and liver becomes normal food.
"Is organ meat safe?" Liver is the body's detoxification organ, but it doesn't store toxins—it processes them. Quality sourcing (pastured animals) ensures cleaner organ meats, but even conventional liver is nutritionally valuable.
"My pediatrician doesn't recommend organ meats." Most medical training includes minimal nutrition education. Organ meats aren't dangerous—they're just unfamiliar to modern medicine. Traditional cultures didn't need studies to validate what observation made obvious: children who ate organ meats thrived.
The Weekly Pattern
A sustainable rhythm:
Daily: Bone broth in or alongside meals.
The Bigger Picture
Organ meats concentrate the nutrients that muscle meat lacks. A diet of chicken breast and rice is incomplete. A diet including liver, broth, and heart provides the building blocks for robust development.
This isn't alternative nutrition—it's original nutrition. What your great-great-grandmother called "normal."
This article synthesizes research on developmental nutrition through the lens of substrate chemistry. It is not medical advice. Consult healthcare providers for specific feeding recommendations.