
The first year of your baby's life is a busy one. It is full of firsts and big developments and many changes to your child's feeding habits. One big change occurs when your child starts eating baby food and then moves on to solid foods.
Some parents are aware that there are certain foods that the American Association of Pediatrics says should be avoided for baby's first year, but many parents or caregivers are not aware that such a list exists.
Please make sure you share the list of foods, that should not be feed to a baby younger than 1 year old, with anyone who cares for your baby. Make certain that they are truly aware of these foods.
Babies under 1 year of age should not be given:
- Honey (even if the food will be cooked) or foods with Honey in them
- Tree Nuts and Other Nuts (like Walnuts, Pecans, etc.)
- Peanut Butter
- Shellfish
- Milk
Milk should not be introduced until your baby is 1 because milk does not contain iron which could lead to iron deficient anemia and because some babies have difficulty digesting cow's milk.
Milk based products, like cheese and yogurt, can be given to babies between 9-12 months of age unless your child has signs of allergies or a family member had milk allergies, then it is best to wait until your child is at least a year old.
Other foods that should be avoided because they could cause an allergic reaction
- Products containing Wheat
- Citrus Fruits
For some time, many pediatricians recommended that parents should not feed babies eggs or fish, as they were concerned that it could cause an increase in allergic reaction, but new reports from the American Academy of Pediatricians now say there is no evidence for that and that parents can offer eggs and fish after babies start solids between 4-6 months old. However, when babies are being introduced to solid foods, foods should be introduced 1 new food at a time for 2-3 days to make sure the child does not have any problems with the new food. Once you have introduced a new food for several days, you can add another new food.
To Read more about Starting Solids and what foods to feed your baby-click here to read an article at the AAP.
American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child's Nutrition: Making Peace at the Table and Building Healthy Eating Habits for LifeOr if you want to learn more about your baby or child and proper nutrition, I would recommend ordering the Book below- a Guide to Your Child's Nutrition. It has information about a proper diet, what to feed your kids and amounts to feed them. It is a very helpful book for parents.






