Really, what can’t you feed your baby, you might ask. As my ‘Kunjata’ (mother-in-law) told me I can give her honey, but the paediatrician said I cannot 😆 Sounds familiar? I think it does, so anyway today after some intensive research I will breakdown some foods to avoid feeding your infant.
Feeding your infant is essential for him/her to grow and develop the right antibodies to fight-off any bacteria than can harm them. The healthcare industry encourages us to start feeding our newborns food after five and a half months, but some foods are best to avoid before 1 year as their stomachs are still developing.
- Cow’s milk as a replacement for breast milk or formula. It’s harder for your baby to digest. Milk is fine in yogurt or baked goods, though.
- Food that is either sticky or really hard (popcorn, marshmallows, hard candies); they can cause your baby to choke.
- Hard raw veggies (such as carrots), whole pieces of canned fruit, and large round fruits like grapes and jumbo blueberries–all choking hazards. Cut the fruit into smaller pieces and you’re good to go.
- Whole nuts. All kinds present choking hazards in children under 4. Nut butters stirred into purees or spread on toast are perfectly acceptable, though.
- Honey. There’s an off chance it may contain bacteria that can cause infant botulism (it doesn’t typically happen in babies over 1 or adults, however).
- Anything caffeinated, such as soda or iced tea.
- More than 4 ounces of fruit juice per day. It can cause diarrhea in infants
- Unpasteurized cheese, which has a slight food poisoning risk in young babies.
- Fish–especially shellfish like shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops–if seafood allergies run in the family. Talk to your doctor to make a customized plan for your baby.
- Swordfish, shark, tuna or king mackerel, which are high in mercury. Even adults shouldn’t eat these very often. (List taken from parents.com)
- Sweets and sugary products, it can cause your child to become hyper and you dont want that 😂
What I suggest as substitutes for the above in my opinion are these:
- Breast-Milk or Formula Milk
- These organic finger foods you buy at the baby section
- Steam veggies, as steamed veggies keep all the nutrients, rather than boiling or baking
- Fruits, especially berries and avocados (Yes avocado is a fruit I googled it 😂)
- Also the packed purees of fruit or savoury foods which also you may find in all the baby sections
- All types of legumes which have a high nutritional value for your baby or anyone in this matter
- Opt for white fish like sea bream or Sophia’s favourite wild salmon which has loads of nutrients for your baby.
- If your child is not allergic, a fully cooked egg works wonders too, but please cook the yolk as its better if all the egg is cooked. Just to be clear the egg should either be hard boiled or as an omelette
There you have it 😉 A list of no nos your baby should avoid eating, coupled with some substitutes what they can take instead, but stay tuned for next time as I will be posting some nice, delicious and nutritious recipes for you to try at home
