As parents, we all want to take care to use the healthiest baby food ingredients and avoid anything that could cause our babies harm. While some of these 7 baby food ingredients to avoid are fairly obvious, other foods on this list like honey and citrus fruits seem like wholesome choices. However, whether you choose to make your own baby food or buy baby food, you should be conscious to not feed your baby these ingredients.
- Artificial Flavors, Colors, and, Preservatives. Most commercial baby foods available don’t include artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. However it never hurts to check the ingredients label on the baby food before purchasing it. You should see minimal ingredients on the list.
- Cow or Soy Milk. For the first year, avoid any milk other than breast milk or formula. Cow and soy milk contain too much protein, sodium, and potassium for a baby to digest. In fact, the amount of these elements may actually damage a baby’s kidney. Not to mention, these milks don’t have enough vitamin E, iron, or essential fatty acids.
- Gluten and Wheat. Gluten, a protein found in foods like wheat, barley, and rye should be avoided for the first year of life. Avoiding gluten and wheat should be done because a baby’s digestive system may have trouble breaking it down.
- Peanut Butter. As kid friendly as peanut butter may seem, it is best not to give peanut butter to a baby. Peanut allergies are not the only cause for concern when feeding little ones peanut butter. Peanut butter’s sticky consistency makes it hard for a baby to swallow, causing a potential chocking hazard.
- Honey. While honey may seem like it would be a healthy sweetener to feed your baby, you should avoid giving honey to your baby for the first year. Honey contains harmful bacteria that an adult or child over the age of 1 would be able to fend off. However, these bacteria may cause botulism in your little one, which can be life-threatening to an infant.
- Corn. Corn should be avoided until your baby is older than 1. While it does make a great finger food to introduce your baby to once they are the proper age, corn lacks nutrients, may be hard to digest and is a potential allergen. During the first year of life, infants need all the nutrition they can get so it’s best to choose only the most nutrient dense foods to feed them. Corn also is full of insoluble fiber, which can cause painful gas and bloating for a baby.
- Citrus Fruit. While introducing your baby to some fruits is definitely encouraged, you want to avoid feeding your baby citrus fruits. Citrus fruit have too much acid to feed to a baby until they are at least a year old. The acid may damage the baby’s gastrointestinal tract.
Hopefully this list helps you, and next time you are feeding your little one, avoid these baby food ingredients.
RELATED QUESTIONS
What are some good ingredients for making your own baby food?
