Every mother has a million questions to ask when it comes to the kind of food they need to feed their baby before their milestone birthday. What makes it especially hard is finding themselves stuck at the crossroads of tradition and scientific advice.
No matter what, one needs to do all one can when it comes to providing the best nutrition for their toddler, and that involves the critical process of eliminating those foods that are not good for their baby’s health.
Here is the list of 12 Foods You Should Avoid for Babies Younger Than A Year
Here’s a list of foods you should absolutely not be feeding your baby.
1. Honey
That sage advice of first giving something sweet to little children? Turns out, it’s not so sage after all. Nothing short of a gross misconception, like so many others in the arena of toddler nutrition.
Reason: Honey contains a bacterium called clostridium botulinum, which might cause a serious condition called infant botulism, characterized by muscle weakness and breathing problems. Best to steer clear of this food!
2. Cow’s Milk
Yes, it’s healthy for you to drink milk, but it’s clearly one of those foods not to give babies before one year.
Reason: The proteins in cow’s milk can irritate the baby’s digestive lining and even result in allergies developing over time. Besides, cow’s milk is lacking in several essential nutrients like vitamin E and zinc, which are essential for a baby’s development.
3. Salt
No salt in food? It must be tasteless, right? In the case of babies, salt requirements are well met with that formula or breast milk. No need to add salt to their food!
Reason: Excessive salt can put a strain on babies’ kidneys. Also, a high-salt diet in children has been shown to cause health problems later, like hypertension and respiratory illnesses. Clearly one of the most unhealthy foods for 1-year-olds.
4. Mold-Ripened Soft Cheeses
This is a food baby cannot eat. While there are several types of cheeses that are indeed healthy and provide for a balanced diet, you want to give this variant a skip. Cheeses of this type include brie, goat cheese, and blue cheese.
Reason: These cheeses contain listeria, a harmful bacterium that can cause food poisoning.
5. Sugar
No sugar high for kids of this age! Sugar is, by and large, one of the most unhealthy foods for 1-year-olds.
Reason: Excessive sugar intake can result in tooth decay, suppress immunity and even make your children prone to lifestyle diseases like obesity and heart disease.
6. Raw Vegetables and Fruits
Of course, that list of foods for 1-year-olds must include veggies and fruits, but only if they are cooked!
Reason: Foods like baby carrots, green peas, and even corn can serve as potential choking hazards in babies.
7. Cookies
It’s a given that parents will hand children a cookie as a quick fix when it comes to getting them in a better mood. The truth is biscuits are not good for children of all ages, but especially for babies under one year. They certainly rank high on the list of most unhealthy foods for one-year-olds.
Reason: The biscuits you get from your local store are laced with sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavours, all of which are detrimental to your baby’s health. Besides, even the cookies that claim to be ‘whole wheat’ are actually made from refined wheat flour!
8. Whole Nuts and Peanuts
This is certainly one of those foods not to give babies before one year. But they are healthy to eat, so what’s all the fuss about?
Reason: Whole nuts, like pistachios and peanuts, are another of those potential choking hazards for children you want to avoid.
Tip: If you really want to give your children nuts, ensure you finely chop them before adding them to foods like oatmeal.
9. Fried Snacks
So, you like fried snacks. Which adult doesn’t? The last thing you need to be doing is sharing that samosa or some other fried snack with your little baby, as they are one of the most unhealthy foods for 1-year-olds.
Reason: Fried food is packed with unhealthy fats like trans fats and saturated fats, which are definitely not healthy for little babies.
10. Raw and Partially Cooked Eggs
You don’t want to give eggs a total miss because they are a high source of protein that your children can have from six months of age.
Note: You only want to give them cooked eggs.
Reason: Eating raw or partially cooked eggs poses a potential threat to salmonella or other bacterial infections. There is even the risk of developing allergic reactions. That’s why you should avoid foods that contain these, like mayonnaise and certain salad dressings.
11. Coffee and Tea
You might not be able to live without coffee and tea, but you want to make sure you don’t offer them to your toddlers, as these caffeinated beverages fall well within the gamut of those unhealthy foods for 1-year-olds.
Reason: Coffee can serve to cause irritation in the tummy. In the case of tea, the tannin present in it will prevent the baby’s body from absorbing iron. Drinks your baby should be limited to are breast milk and, later, only water.
12. Fruit Juices
Foods for 1 yr olds should at least offer some nutritional benefit. In the case of fruit juices, there is absolutely none. That’s not why babies shouldn’t don’t have them, though.
Reason: There is an excess load of sugar that is unnecessarily added to your child’s diet when you let them sip those fruit juices. Besides, it can also lead to tooth decay.
Your little one might be ever eager to try out new foods, but you really need to give them some time before they can do that: at least till when their tummy has grown. Give the foods listed here a complete miss for the betterment of your little one’s health.
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