Foods to avoid for babies: what not to give before 12 months
5 min read
Quick answer
The main foods to avoid for babies under 12 months are honey, added salt, added sugar, whole nuts, unpasteurised or mould-ripened soft cheeses, raw shellfish, and shark, swordfish or marlin. Cook eggs without the British Lion mark until solid, and skip rice drinks, juice and cows' milk as a main drink.
- No honey until your baby is over 1
- No added salt, stock cubes or gravy, and keep salty foods off their plate
- No added sugar or sweeteners
- Ground or crushed nuts are fine from around 6 months; whole nuts wait until 5
- No rice drinks until 5, and no cows' milk as a main drink until 1
Why should babies avoid honey?
Do not give honey in any form until your baby is over 1 year old. Now and then, honey contains bacteria that release toxins in a baby's gut and cause infant botulism, which is rare but very serious.
Salt: why babies should not have it
Salt is hard on a baby's kidneys, so do not add any to their food or cooking water. Stock cubes and gravy are often very salty too, so leave them out of anything your baby will share.
An easy habit is to cook the family meal unsalted, take out your baby's portion, then season the rest. These foods are high in salt and are best kept off your baby's plate:
- Bacon, sausages and chorizo
- Crisps, crackers and chips with added salt
- Takeaways and ready meals
- Gravy, and dishes cooked with stock cubes
Sugar, sweeteners and sweet drinks
Your baby does not need sugar or sweeteners. The NHS advises avoiding food and drinks with added sugar or sweeteners for children aged 4 and under, including the natural sugars in syrup, honey, fruit juice and smoothies. Whole fruit is fine.
Juice and smoothies are best avoided before 12 months. If you do offer them, the NHS suggests diluting 1 part juice with 10 parts water and serving it with a meal in an open cup. US advice from the AAP is stricter: no juice at all before 12 months.
Can babies eat nuts and nut butter?
Yes, from around 6 months, as long as the nuts are crushed, ground or flaked into food. Whole nuts and peanuts are a choking risk and should not be given to children under 5.
Smooth nut butter is fine spread thinly on toast or stirred into cooking, but never give it by itself, as a thick lump can block the throat. If food allergies or other allergies run in your family, speak to your GP or health visitor before your baby tries nuts.
Raw and undercooked foods babies should not have
Some foods carry a higher risk of food poisoning for babies, so cook them thoroughly or leave them out.
- Eggs: hens' eggs with the red British Lion stamp are fine runny. Other hens' eggs, and duck, goose or quail eggs, need cooking until white and yolk are both solid
- Homemade mayonnaise, ice cream or raw cake mix, unless you know the eggs are Lion stamped
- Shellfish such as mussels, clams and oysters, unless thoroughly cooked
- Fresh pâté made from meat, fish or vegetables
- Unpasteurised or raw milk
Which cheeses and fish should babies avoid?
Pasteurised full-fat cheese, such as mild cheddar, cottage cheese and cream cheese, is fine from around 6 months. Some cheeses are more likely to carry listeria bacteria, so avoid them unless they are cooked into a dish, as cooking kills listeria.
Shark, swordfish and marlin contain mercury, which can affect a baby's developing nervous system. The NHS advises avoiding them until 16.
- Brie, camembert and other mould-ripened soft cheeses
- Chèvre and other ripened goats' cheeses
- Roquefort and other soft blue cheeses
- Any cheese made from unpasteurised milk
- Shark, swordfish and marlin
Which drinks should babies avoid?
Breast milk or first infant formula is your baby's main drink in the first year, with sips of water from around 6 months. Leave these out:
- Rice drinks, until at least 5, as they can contain too much arsenic (rice itself is fine to eat)
- Cows' milk as a main drink before 12 months, though it is fine in cooking
- Soya, oat or almond drinks as a main drink before 12 months
- Tea, coffee and other drinks with caffeine
- Squash, fizzy drinks, flavoured milk and diet drinks
Sources
We check this guide against these sources. It is general information, not medical advice: speak to your health visitor, GP or paediatrician about your own baby.
Questions parents ask
When can my baby have honey?
Once they are over 1 year old. Before then, honey carries a small risk of infant botulism, a serious illness. After their first birthday honey is allowed, but it is still a sugar. The NHS advises avoiding added sugars, including honey and syrup, for children aged 4 and under, which also helps protect their teeth.
Can my baby eat the family meal if it has salt in it?
It is better to plan for your baby's share to be cooked without salt, then season the adult plates. Ready meals, takeaways, processed meats and dishes made with stock cubes tend to be salty, so they are not suitable for your baby.
Can babies have eggs before 12 months?
Yes. Eggs can be offered from around 6 months. As egg can cause allergies, introduce it on its own, in a small amount. In the UK, hens' eggs with the British Lion stamp are safe even when runny. Cook other eggs, including duck, goose and quail eggs, until both the white and the yolk are solid.
Which snack foods are choking hazards for babies?
Popcorn, marshmallows, raw jelly cubes, chewing gum, ice cubes and hard, sticky or gooey sweets are all choking hazards for babies and young children. Whole raisins and other dried fruit should be chopped for babies under 1. Peanut butter on its own is risky too; spread it thinly on toast instead.
My baby has had rice drinks. Should I worry?
No. The NHS says there is no immediate risk if your child has already had rice drinks. Simply switch to a different milk that suits their age: breast milk or first infant formula before 12 months, and whole cows' milk or an unsweetened, calcium-fortified alternative after that. Eating rice as part of meals is fine.