Not All Foods Are Baby-Friendly
By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers
Introducing your baby to real food takes time. Fortunately, there is no need to rush, In fact, going slowly gives your baby a chance to develop a taste for different types of food, and in the long run enables her to make healthier food choices.
There is an enormous selection of fresh, natural food that you’re little one can eat, but there are also several foods that are not good for babies. Here is a list of many of the foods that you should avoid:
Foods with Sugar, Salt and Caffeine as a main ingredient – Avoid introduction as long as possible: As a general rule, foods containing high amount of these ingredients, usually do not contain much nutritional value and are not very healthy.
High nitrate foods – Introduce over 8 months: Vegetables: beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, and collard greens, Meats: hot dogs, cured ham, bologna, sausages, salami, and many other deli meats. Foods containing high levels of nitrates can deplete iron stores and cause anemia.
Honey – Introduce over 12 months. Honey contains bacteria that can cause botulism.
Un-pasteurized, juices, food items, and raw fish – Introduce over 12 months. Juices, such as apple cider, other food items such as raw goat’s milk, blue cheese, brie cheese, and raw fish, such as sushi can contain disease causing bacteria.
High allergens – Introduce at least over 12 months, possibly later: Food that most often cause allergic reactions include Berries, Chocolate, Citrus fruits, Cow’s milk, Egg whites, Fish and Shellfish, Nuts, Peanuts, and Tomatoes. Processed foods containing food additives, coloring agents, and preservatives are also known to cause food allergies in your children. If you have a family history of any food allergies, discuss them specifically with your baby’s healthcare provider and seek their advice on food introductions.
Choking hazards– Introduce over 2-3 years old: Nuts (other than finely ground), peanut butter, caramel, candy, gum, whole grapes, raw hard fruits and veggies, chunks of meat, pieces of bacon, hot dogs, sunflower seeds, popcorn, raisins, potato chips, and hard candy. As a precaution, learn the American Red Cross choking for infants emergency procedures.
Hot foods – Introduce over 3-4 years old: Baby and toddler foods should be served cold, at room temperature, or slightly warm. If you use the microwave to warm your baby’s foods, make the sure the food has been thoroughly stirred (if possible) or allowed to stand and cool down to remove any hot spots. Always check the temperature of food and drinks before serving them.
About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children, and founders of Fresh Baby (www.FreshBaby.com). Raised by parents who love fresh foods and entertaining, their mom, a gourmet cook, ensured that they were well-equipped with extraordinary skills in the kitchen. Both with long track records of business success, they decided to combine their skills in the kitchen with their knowledge of healthy foods and children to create Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan put a modern twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself, you know it’s better.
The goal at Fresh Baby is to make the task of raising a healthy eater a little bit easier for all parents. Fresh Baby’s breastfeeding accessories and baby food making supplies provide parents with practical knowledge and innovative tools to support them in introducing their children to great tasting, all-natural foods – easily and conveniently. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy eating habits!)
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