Foods to Avoid Feeding a Baby

1. Honey: You would think honey would be perfectly safe to feed a baby, but it’s not, at least until the child is a year old. Why?
   
   Spores that can cause botulism can hide within honey. These spores are not a threat to adults because an adult’s intestines can stop these spores from growing, but the same can’t be said for a baby because the child’s digestive system is still developing.
2. Swordfish: You can also add mackerel, shark and some other fishes. Check with your pediatrician. These types of seafood tend to be high in mercury, a danger to both children and adults but especially to babies.
3. Peanut butter: The American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed its stance on peanut butter and other potential allergic foods, suggesting it is not necessarily dangerous for a baby or young child to try peanut butter and other foods common to cause allergies. The parent just needs to be aware of symptoms of food allergies, such as hives or rashes or nausea, etc. If a baby shows such signs, then a parent needs to contact a physician. Still, why not err on the safe side and wait until your child is older before exposing them to such foods? Also, because of its stickiness and gumminess, peanut butter is often difficult for a baby to eat and swallow.
4. Nuts: Not only are there potential allergy problems with nuts, all kinds of nuts, but as a hard and crunch food nuts are a possible choking hazard for babies. Wait until your child is older before allowing them to eat nuts.
5. Soft candies: Especially small marshmallows. Include other soft edibles, such as jelly beans, in this category. These foods are a choking hazard because they could easily lodge in a baby’s throat.
6. Cow’s milk: A baby can not digest the protein in cow’s milk. It’s that simple. Also, cow’s milk is potentially dangerous to a baby because the milk could contain minerals in such high quantities it could be harmful for the child. Stick to formula or breast’s milk.
7. Chocolate: Chocolate usually has a fairly high amount of caffeine and sugar, two things a baby does not need and, in fact, could be unhealthy for a small child, especially in large douses. Also, most chocolates that are candy contain cow’s milk (see #6 above).
8. Deserts: You might like pudding and cake and pies, but it’s not good for a baby. For one thing, those deserts usually contain high levels of sugar, and while natural sugars from fruit are okay in the right amounts for a baby, the sugars found in most baked goods bring only calories and no nutritional value. Plus, all those sweets can set a bad example for an infant and lead to unhealthy eating habits.
9. Citrus fruits and juices: Oranges, grapefruit and similar fruits contain citrus acid, which can cause a baby to have an upset stomach. Also, these fruits could lead to rashes.
10. Cooked greens: Collard greens and spinach, even beets and turnips, that are cooked have high levels of nitrates, which can make a baby anemic.