Play it safe: Save these foods for when baby is older, as they may be dangerous for her to eat now.
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___ Cow’s milk as a replacement for breastmilk or formula. It’s harder for your baby to digest. Milk is fine in yogurt or baked goods, though.
___ Food that is either sticky or really hard (popcorn, marshmallows, hard candies); they can cause your baby to choke.
___ Hard raw veggies (such as carrots), whole pieces of canned fruit, and large round fruits like grapes and jumbo blueberries–all choking hazards. Cut the fruit into smaller pieces and you’re good to go.
___ Whole nuts. All kinds present choking hazards in children under 4. Nut butters stirred into purees or spread on toast are perfectly acceptable, though.
___ Honey. There’s an off chance it may contain bacteria that can cause infant botulism (it doesn’t typically happen in babies over 1 or adults, however).
___ Anything caffeinated, such as soda or iced tea. Hey, the kid keeps you up enough as it is!
___ More than 4 ounces of fruit juice per day. It can cause diarrhea in infants.
___ Unpasteurized cheese, which has a slight food poisoning risk in young babies. Most cheeses sold in the U.S. are pasteurized, but just check the label or ask.
___ Fish–especially shellfish like shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops–if seafood allergies run in the family. Talk to your doctor to make a customized plan for your baby.
___ Swordfish, shark, tilefish or king mackerel, which are high in mercury. Even adults shouldn’t eat these very often.
Updated in 2016.
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