As your baby grows, he'll become eager to sample food from your plate — and you'll be eager to introduce some variety to his diet. But not all foods are safe for your child. Some pose a choking hazard, a few aren't good for your baby's still-developing digestive system, and others are potential allergens. (Some families are more prone to allergies than others. If yours is one, read on for suggestions on how to approach certain foods.)
Here's an age-by-age look at which foods to avoid:
Foods to avoid: Newborn to 4 to 6 months
All solid food: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you feed your baby only breast milk or formula for the first four to six months.
Foods to avoid: 4 to 12 months
Citrus: Introducing citrus fruits and juices before age 1 may provoke an allergic reaction, especially if allergies run in your family.
Egg whites: Your baby can eat egg yolks now, but wait a year on the protein-rich whites because he may be allergic to them. In fact, if you think your baby is at high risk for allergies, you may want to delay giving him egg whites until he's 2.
Honey: Honey can harbor spores of Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism. An adult's intestinal tract is able to prevent the growth of these spores, but in a baby the spores can grow and produce life-threatening toxins.
Peanut butter: Peanuts are highly allergenic. Rather than risk a violent allergic reaction, wait until your child is at least a year old before introducing peanut butter. (If you or your mate has peanut allergies, wait until your child is at least 3.) Another reason to hold off on peanut butter is its sticky consistency, which can make it tough for a young child to swallow safely.
Wheat or wheat products: Most babies can handle wheat — found in many cereals and breads — when they're about 6 to 8 months old. Wheat is the most common grain allergen, though, so if you're concerned about allergies, it might be a good idea to wait until your baby is 1.
Shellfish: Because it can be highly allergenic, experts recommend excluding shellfish from your baby's diet until his first birthday. (If you suspect he's susceptible to allergies, wait until he's between 3 and 4 years old.)
Tree nuts (like pecans and walnuts): If you think your baby is at risk for allergies, you might want to wait until he's 3 or 4 before giving him nuts. Otherwise he can probably handle them when he's 1, as long as they're pureed in food or in nut butters. (Whole nuts and pieces of nuts pose a choking hazard.)
Other potential allergens: If you're concerned that your baby may be prone to allergies because of your own allergies or your mate's, you might choose to delay the introduction of other commonly allergenic foods — like corn, soy, chocolate, or anything else you're allergic to — until your baby's at least 1. Depending on the severity of your allergy and other factors, you may want to wait even longer. For help making this decision, talk to your child's doctor.
If you're breastfeeding, avoiding all nuts and possibly eggs and milk in your own diet may help in delaying or preventing allergies in your baby.
Cow's milk: Stick with breast milk or formula until your child's first birthday. Why? Your baby can't digest the protein in cow's milk for the first year, it doesn't have all the nutrients he needs, and it contains minerals in amounts that can damage his kidneys.
Large chunks: Pea-size pieces of food are safest — they won't get stuck in your child's throat. Vegetables like carrots, celery, and green beans should be diced, shredded, or cooked and cut up. Fruits like grapes, cherry tomatoes, and melon balls should be cut into quarters before serving, and meats and cheeses should be cut into very small pieces or shredded.
Small, hard foods: Nuts, popcorn, cough drops, hard candies, raisins, and other small dried fruit and seeds are potential choking hazards. Also avoid chewing gum and soft foods like marshmallows and jelly candies that might get lodged in your child's throat.
More choking prevention:
• Avoid letting your child eat in the car since it's hard to supervise while driving.
• If you're using a rub-on teething medication, keep an even closer eye on your baby as it can numb his throat and interfere with swallowing.
Foods to avoid: 12 to 36 months
Low-fat milk: Your toddler needs the fat and calories of whole milk for growth and development. Once he turns 2 (and if he doesn't have any growth problems), you can start giving him lower-fat milk if you like.
Choking hazards: Continue to avoid all the choking hazards listed above, as your child might still have trouble getting them down safely. Also be careful not to give him large dollops of peanut butter. Instead, spread it thinly on bread or crackers. You might want to try thinning it with some applesauce before spreading it.
Highly allergenic foods: Most kids can handle common allergens by their first birthday. If you're concerned about allergies, experts suggest delaying the introduction of egg whites until age 2, and holding off on shellfish, tree nuts, and peanuts (including peanut butter) until your child is at least 3.
Here's an age-by-age look at which foods to avoid:
Foods to avoid: Newborn to 4 to 6 months
All solid food: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you feed your baby only breast milk or formula for the first four to six months.
Foods to avoid: 4 to 12 months
Citrus: Introducing citrus fruits and juices before age 1 may provoke an allergic reaction, especially if allergies run in your family.
Egg whites: Your baby can eat egg yolks now, but wait a year on the protein-rich whites because he may be allergic to them. In fact, if you think your baby is at high risk for allergies, you may want to delay giving him egg whites until he's 2.
Honey: Honey can harbor spores of Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism. An adult's intestinal tract is able to prevent the growth of these spores, but in a baby the spores can grow and produce life-threatening toxins.
Peanut butter: Peanuts are highly allergenic. Rather than risk a violent allergic reaction, wait until your child is at least a year old before introducing peanut butter. (If you or your mate has peanut allergies, wait until your child is at least 3.) Another reason to hold off on peanut butter is its sticky consistency, which can make it tough for a young child to swallow safely.
Wheat or wheat products: Most babies can handle wheat — found in many cereals and breads — when they're about 6 to 8 months old. Wheat is the most common grain allergen, though, so if you're concerned about allergies, it might be a good idea to wait until your baby is 1.
Shellfish: Because it can be highly allergenic, experts recommend excluding shellfish from your baby's diet until his first birthday. (If you suspect he's susceptible to allergies, wait until he's between 3 and 4 years old.)
Tree nuts (like pecans and walnuts): If you think your baby is at risk for allergies, you might want to wait until he's 3 or 4 before giving him nuts. Otherwise he can probably handle them when he's 1, as long as they're pureed in food or in nut butters. (Whole nuts and pieces of nuts pose a choking hazard.)
Other potential allergens: If you're concerned that your baby may be prone to allergies because of your own allergies or your mate's, you might choose to delay the introduction of other commonly allergenic foods — like corn, soy, chocolate, or anything else you're allergic to — until your baby's at least 1. Depending on the severity of your allergy and other factors, you may want to wait even longer. For help making this decision, talk to your child's doctor.
If you're breastfeeding, avoiding all nuts and possibly eggs and milk in your own diet may help in delaying or preventing allergies in your baby.
Cow's milk: Stick with breast milk or formula until your child's first birthday. Why? Your baby can't digest the protein in cow's milk for the first year, it doesn't have all the nutrients he needs, and it contains minerals in amounts that can damage his kidneys.
Large chunks: Pea-size pieces of food are safest — they won't get stuck in your child's throat. Vegetables like carrots, celery, and green beans should be diced, shredded, or cooked and cut up. Fruits like grapes, cherry tomatoes, and melon balls should be cut into quarters before serving, and meats and cheeses should be cut into very small pieces or shredded.
Small, hard foods: Nuts, popcorn, cough drops, hard candies, raisins, and other small dried fruit and seeds are potential choking hazards. Also avoid chewing gum and soft foods like marshmallows and jelly candies that might get lodged in your child's throat.
More choking prevention:
• Avoid letting your child eat in the car since it's hard to supervise while driving.
• If you're using a rub-on teething medication, keep an even closer eye on your baby as it can numb his throat and interfere with swallowing.
Foods to avoid: 12 to 36 months
Low-fat milk: Your toddler needs the fat and calories of whole milk for growth and development. Once he turns 2 (and if he doesn't have any growth problems), you can start giving him lower-fat milk if you like.
Choking hazards: Continue to avoid all the choking hazards listed above, as your child might still have trouble getting them down safely. Also be careful not to give him large dollops of peanut butter. Instead, spread it thinly on bread or crackers. You might want to try thinning it with some applesauce before spreading it.
Highly allergenic foods: Most kids can handle common allergens by their first birthday. If you're concerned about allergies, experts suggest delaying the introduction of egg whites until age 2, and holding off on shellfish, tree nuts, and peanuts (including peanut butter) until your child is at least 3.
Warning signs of an allergic reaction
Signs of an allergic or bad reaction to food include vomiting, diarrhea, rash, swelling, abdominal pain, cough, crankiness, excessive gas, hives, itching, runny nose, shortness of breath, stomach bloating, and wheezing. Symptoms most often show up within a few hours of eating. Call your doctor right away if you think your child may be reacting badly to something he ate.
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