Solids food to avoid for babies

Babies of a certain age need to start getting used to the solids food and gradually shift from taking just breast milk.it is recommended babies take exclusively breast milk from 0 to 6 months before solid food is introduced but in all, certain foods need to be avoided and at certain ages.

      1)  Honey

• It can cause botulism, a serious illness, if introduced too early.

    2)  Egg  whites

• Many pediatricians will say it is fine for an older infant to have baked goods that include whole eggs anywhere from 6 months to 12 months

    3)  Whole milk

• Lactose and milk proteins may cause allergic reactions and may also cause tummy troubles as they are hard to digest – yogurt and cheese are exceptions.
• Milk also hinders proper absorption of iron; iron is crucial during the 1st year. After 1 year recommendations unchanged

    4)  Wheat

• Many suggest that for the infant who has had no issues with gluten in Oats and/or Barley, and who has no history of wheat allergy or gluten intolerance, that offering wheat products (such as wheat toast) is fine around  8+ months

    5)  Shellfish/Crustaceans

• Shellfish can be a healthy part of your child’s diet soon after she begins to eat solid food, usually when she’s around 4 to 6 months. But if your baby has chronic eczema or a food allergy, talk to the doctor first before giving your baby shellfish or has had an immediate allergic reaction to a food in the past.

    6)  Cow’s milk

• It may do a (bigger) body good, but babies under 1 year old should steer clear of cow’s milk, since it can be hard for infants to digest. Cow’s milk also doesn’t have all the nutrients (such as iron and vitamin E) a baby needs to grow and develop during his or her first year, which is why breast or formula are the best milk sources. Stick with breast milk and formula; both are rich in iron, unlike cow’s milk.

    7)  Fruit juice

• Fruit juice isn’t much of a step up from sugar water, containing calories but none of the fat, protein, calcium, zinc, vitamin D or fiber that babies need.
• It can drown tender appetites for breast milk or formula that should be the mainstay of a baby’s diet in the first year of life. Too much juice can also cause tooth decay, diarrhea and other chronic tummy troubles.
• For citrus check with your doctor to determine whether babies at risk for an allergic reaction. If she is, citrus can cause eczema or a nasty diaper rash.
• For grapes (not a high allergen but may pose a choking hazard – use extreme caution if offering your older infant or toddler grapes) After 10 months or 1 year.

   8)  Refined grains

• Not all carbs are created equal, nutritionally speaking. Complex carbs provide naturally-occurring nutrients that are stripped during the refining process (which turns whole grains white).
• Whole grains are also rich in fiber, which helps keep blood sugar steady. So opt for 100 percent whole grain pasta, bread, cereal, rice and crackers at the supermarket, and when you’re mixing up muffins or whisking up waffles at home, reach for the whole grain flour instead of the white. Starting the habit early will help your little one makes smarter food choices later in life.

    9)  Sugary treats

• Baby taste buds do have a natural affinity for sweet, but they’re also more open at this age to other flavors (sharp, tangy, tart, even bitter) if you introduce them. No need to ban naturally sweet baby favorites like bananas, since they serve up nutrients.
• Just avoid sweetening everything baby eats with fruit as you’re building baby’s flavor foundations. And keep sugary treats off the menu until at least baby’s first birthday, especially chocolate (which also contains caffeine) and hard candies (M&Ms, Skittles and jelly beans, which pose a choking hazard).

    10)  Choking hazards

• Because of the danger of choking, avoid giving your baby foods that won’t dissolve in the mouth, can’t be mashed with the gums or can be easily sucked into the windpipe.
• Nuts, Popcorn, Raisins, Dried Cranberries, and Globs of Peanut Butter: These foods are choking hazards. Strawberries and Shell Fish, and even Peanuts, can prompt severe, life threatening allergic reactions. The recommendation continues to be one of caution and delay.
• These include uncooked raisins, whole peas (unless they’re smashed), raw firm-fleshed veggies (carrots, bell peppers) or fruit (apples, unripe pears, grapes) and chunks of meat or poultry.
• Once the molars come in around 12 months, you can add foods that require chewing, like firm-flesh veggies or fruits (raw apples grated or cut into very small pieces, for example), small slices of meat and poultry (cut across the grain) and seedless grapes (skinned and halved).
• Hold off on common choking hazards like raw carrots, popcorn, nuts and whole hot dogs until your child is chewing well, around age 4 or 5.

    11)  Unpasteurized foods

• Just as these foods were off the menu when you were expecting, you should never serve your baby unpasteurized (raw) dairy products, juice or cider. They can contain dangerous bacteria that can cause life-threatening illness in babies and young kids

    12)  Smoked & cured meats

• Most smoked or cured meats (like bologna and bacon) contain nitrates and other chemicals and are high in sodium and animal fat, which means they should be served to babies rarely, if at all. Ditto for most smoked fish.

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