These are foods unsuitable for your baby

To the milk comes the porridge. Approximately between the 5th and 7th month of life, parents feed the first spoonfuls of porridge. They provide the child with all the important nutrients, which no longer come only from the pure milk diet.

The baby’s diet expands enormously in this way. But not all foods are well tolerated by babies. You should not give your baby the following foods:

Animal foods you shouldn’t give your baby

• Cow milk: The administration of cow’s milk in the first year of life is often discouraged, because cow’s milk is considered one of the foods that have a particularly high allergenic effect. In addition, the nutritional composition of cow’s milk is not suitable for babies because it contains too little iodine and iron, but instead too much protein. You should therefore refrain from making infant formula from cow’s milk. The Research Institute for Child Nutrition in Dortmund (FKE) advises to offer cow’s milk as drinking milk only at the end of the first year of life. The same applies to dairy products such as yogurt. As a component ofthe milk-cereal porridge, however, cow’s milk is harmless according to the FHE.
• Quark & Sour Milk: You should also not give your child these dairy products to eat in the first year of life. The concentration of protein in quark and sour milk is even higher than in normal cow’s milk. Such a high protein content can put a strain on your child’s immature kidneys and possibly lead to permanent damage.
• Raw milk products: Raw milk products such as cheese, whether from cows, goats or other animals, are unsuitable for babies. Since the milk is not pasteurized before the cheese making process, there is an increased risk of salmonella. Products made with raw milk are labeled so you can easily spot them when shopping.
• Raw eggs: Also, foods with raw eggs, such as tiramisu or mayonnaise, should not be on the baby’s menu. Here, too, there is an increased risk of salmonella. Hard-boiled eggs as an occasional component of complementary food or scrambled eggs are usually harmless.
• Sausages: Although sausages are not necessarily harmful to your baby, many varieties contain a lot of fat. In addition, sausages are usually provided with salts, such as nitrite curing salt, and other spices for better preservation. For the meat content of complementary food, the FHE therefore recommends rather lean pieces of beef, pork, poultry or lamb.
• Fish: You should refrain from large marine fish such as tuna or swordfish, as they may be contaminated with mercury. Even raw fish, such as sushi, is not suitable for babies because of the higher risk of salmonella. Otherwise, fish is already very healthy for babies, because it contains many valuable fatty acids and important nutrients such as protein, iodine and selenium. According to FKE, high-fat varieties such as salmon, trout or cod in particular should replace the meat content in complementary foods about once a week.
• Honey: Since honey is an untreated natural product, it can contain a specific bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. In rare cases, this can lead to bacterial poisoning, the so-called infant botulism, in the still immature gastrointestinal tract of babies. Therefore, you should refrain from honey in baby food until the baby’s intestinal flora is developed enough after about a year to cope with the bacterium.

Plant-based foods you shouldn’t give your baby

• Legumes, cabbage and Co.: Your baby’s gut and digestive system are still very sensitive and not fully developed. Therefore, you should refrain from difficult-to-digest and strongly flatulent foods in complementary food. Legumes such as lentils and beans, cabbage, but also onions and leeks should be given to your baby after the first year of life.
• Acidic fruits and vegetables: Too much acid in the diet leads to a sore bottom in many babies. Very acidic fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, kiwis and tomatoes, are therefore not well received by all babies. You can find out more about this in our article “Miracle butt through food: tips for complementary food”.
• Nuts: The recommendation not to let children eat nuts in the first years of life due to the high allergenic potential is now outdated. On the contrary, early contact with various foods is supposed to strengthen the immune system. Exceptions are usually children, who are already at risk of allergies. With them, you should be careful and consult with the pediatrician. However, whole hazelnuts or peanuts do not belong in baby’s mouth, because they could easily choke on them.
• Lettuce: It is also better to avoid lettuce until your baby has enough teeth to chew the lettuce leaves sufficiently. If larger pieces are swallowed, shortness of breath can otherwise easily occur. A good alternative to lettuce is a cucumber salad in the first year.