Solid Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Baby Within the First Year
Solid Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Baby Within the First Year
The recommended age to introduce solid foods to infants is when they reach six months. At this age, the baby and parent are curious, and it’s easy to start feeding the baby every fancy food available.
In varying flavors and textures, introduce the baby to foods suitable for their digestive system.
A new diet can make the baby’s tummy feel iffy; consulting a pediatrician to learn how to introduce solids and what solids to avoid for your baby.
Here are a few food items you should avoid in your baby’s solid food diet.
Chocolate
Children love chocolate delights, and you may be asking yourself, what could be so bad about chocolate? Chocolate contains caffeine and sugar, making it one of the most unsafe foods to give babies.
During the first year, infants go through a milestone of digesting solid food. Tummy trouble is the last thing you want them to go through.
The high sugar in chocolates is not ideal for infants until they are a whole year, and even then, it should be in moderation.
Peanuts and Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is probably one of every kid’s favorite. It is tasty, full of protein, and healthy. To avoid a choking incident or a bad allergic reaction, it is recommended to take your baby for allergy tests.
Allergies may run in the family and possibly delay the introduction of peanuts during the baby’s first year.
The best way to feed your baby peanut butter and peanuts is in small quantities, crushed into delicate, smooth portions.
Seafood and Shellfish
Fish has numerous types, and almost all have a risk of being harmful to babies at any age. Seafood like lobster and shrimp are most likely to evoke allergies in infants.
Fishes like mackerel, shark, and tuna carry a high amount of mercury.
If you want to feed your baby seafood, it is recommended to start when they turn one year or two years old.
Once your baby crosses the two-year threshold, consult a pediatrician to clear any allergies, and only start your baby on white fish like flounder and cod, no more than once a week.
Egg Whites
Egg whites are perhaps one of the healthiest forms of protein one can consume. However, they can be harmful to an infant’s health, and parents should avoid feeding egg whites to them.
Full of proteins, vitamins, and minerals, gulping down egg whites can trigger allergies such as rashes, irritation, and diarrhea for infants.
After checking for allergies, babies can be fed egg white after reaching the age of one year.
Berries/Citrus Fruits
Our bodies benefit a lot from berries and citrus fruits, carrying high Vitamin C and acid levels. Although these fruits are essential for us, they can cause stomach complications for infants and lead to allergic rashes around the diaper area.
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Citrus fruits and berries include blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, lime, oranges are only recommended to be fed to babies a year old or more.
Even babies old enough to be fed berries should be served diluted or juice to avoid upsetting the tummy.
Did you have any tips about solid foods to avoid feeding your baby?
Let me know, til then—cheers m’deres!
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Nancy Polanco is a freelance journalist, lifestyle content creator, and editor of Whispered Inspirations. She is a proud Mom to Gabby and Michaela and partner and best friend to Darasak. Having worked as part of a health care team for almost a decade, Nancy is happy to be back to her passion. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY’s Parents, and an Oprah Magazine Brand Ambassador.
