Foods to avoid before age 1, and what to offer

The CDC keeps a short list of foods and drinks to skip or limit for babies and toddlers: honey before 12 months, foods that are easy to choke on, added sugars and sweet drinks, unpasteurized foods, and fish high in mercury. Most of the list is about how food is prepared rather than what is banned, which is good news for anyone already cooking one dinner for the whole table.

The CDC says babies can begin eating foods other than breast milk or formula around 6 months. From then on, the list below is the part worth keeping on the fridge.

Honey

This one is a firm rule. The CDC says not to give honey to a baby before 12 months, because it can cause botulism. That covers honey in any form: on its own, mixed into food, stirred into water or formula, or put on a pacifier.

After 12 months the honey rule no longer applies, though honey is still an added sugar, which the next sections cover.

Choking hazards and how to prepare food

The CDC’s choking list is long, and most of it is food that is round, hard, small or sticky. Foods it names include:

• Whole grapes, cherries, berries, melon balls and cherry or grape tomatoes, unless cut
• Pieces of hard raw fruit or vegetables, such as raw carrot or apple
• Whole corn kernels, raisins and other uncooked dried fruit
• Whole or chopped nuts and seeds, and chunks or spoonfuls of peanut butter and other nut or seed butters
• Hot dogs, meat sticks, sausages, tough or large chunks of meat, and large chunks of cheese, especially string cheese
• Popcorn, chips, pretzels, cookies, granola bars, and crackers or breads with seeds or whole grain kernels
• Hard or round candy, gummies, chewy fruit snacks, marshmallows and chewing gum

The CDC adds that its list may not include every food that can cause choking, so the shape and texture of the food matter more than the name.

Preparation does most of the work. The CDC suggests preparing food in a shape, size and texture that suits your child’s stage, cutting food into smaller pieces, and mashing where it helps. Small, sticky or hard foods are the ones to hold back.

How a child eats matters as much as what they eat. The CDC suggests sitting upright in a high chair or another safe seat, not eating while lying down, crawling or walking, and not eating in a car seat or stroller. Calm meals without rushing, and an adult watching the whole time, are on the same list. The CDC also suggests asking your child’s doctor or nurse what to do if your child chokes, which is a question better asked on a quiet Tuesday than a busy one.

Added sugars and sweet drinks

The CDC says children under 2 years old are better off with no added sugars at all. Added sugar turns up in places that look wholesome: flavored yogurts, muffins and cookies are all on the CDC’s list. The Nutrition Facts label shows added sugars, which makes the supermarket aisle quicker than it looks.

Drinks are where added sugar hides best. The CDC names soda, flavored milk, sports drinks, flavored water with sugar, and fruit drinks or juice drinks. It also says babies under 12 months are better off with no fruit or vegetable juice, and that whole fruit is a better choice than juice at any age. Caffeinated drinks, such as soft drinks, tea and coffee, are on the CDC’s avoid list for children under 2.

Cow’s milk has its own line: the CDC says not to give it before 12 months, because it is hard on a young baby’s kidneys and does not provide the nutrients a baby needs.

Unpasteurized foods and high-mercury fish

The CDC lists unpasteurized juice, raw milk, and yogurt or cheese made from unpasteurized milk among foods to avoid, because they can carry harmful bacteria. The CDC’s page gives no age at which this one stops applying.

Fish is a food to keep, not drop. The FDA and EPA describe fish as a source of nutrients that support a child’s brain development, including omega-3 fats, iron and choline, and their advice for children from age 1 says many fish are both nutritious and low in mercury.

A few are high in mercury, and both the CDC and the FDA name the same ones to avoid: king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, bigeye tuna, and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico. For fish caught by family or friends, the CDC suggests checking local advisories first.

What to offer instead

The swaps are mostly ordinary food. The CDC points to water and unsweetened milk as the best drinks once a child is old enough for milk, and whole fruit instead of juice. For fish, the FDA’s best choices include salmon, cod, sardines, shrimp, tilapia, catfish, freshwater trout and canned light tuna.

Many of the choking hazards are on the list in their whole or uncut form, so a knife and a fork do a lot of the work: grapes, berries and cherry tomatoes cut small, soft foods mashed, and hard pieces held back until your child can manage them. The CDC also suggests choosing low-sodium or no-salt-added versions of canned foods, processed meats and snacks.

Most families end up adapting the family meal rather than making a second one: a portion set aside before the salt goes in, soft pieces cut small, fruit for dessert.

Sources

• Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Choking Hazards — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Advice about Eating Fish — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This is educational information from public sources, not a replacement for advice from your child’s healthcare professional.

In Withya, recipes under Guides note texture and allergens for your child’s age, so the next meal starts from the right place.