Off the menu

When your baby begins to eat real food, you might want to avoid all sorts of things out of fear of giving the wrong thing. But what is the wrong thing?

CONTRARY TO POPULAR opinion, the list of what not to feed your baby is really very short. But this is one of those occasions where you should listen to the experts, and not to your baby’s gogo. The older generation cut out many things such as fish or nuts, as they believed that this would protect their baby against allergies. But, in fact, this has been shown to have no protective effect. Research into what babies should eat is ongoing, but the list below of food to exclude will protect your baby from potential harm.

HONEY

For babies under a year, honey poses a risk, as it could contain traces of a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. This can grow in your baby’s gut and cause botulism, a very nasty disease. Babies under a year are especially at risk, as their digestive system is still developing, and they don’t yet have the acids that would counter the bacteria. Another way to avoid this bacteria is to make sure that you wash fruit and vegetables that come into contact with the ground really well, or make sure you peel them.

PROCESSED MEAT

You remember last year’s listeriosis scare, right? Viennas, ham, polony and cold meats are not recommended for any children, let alone babies. Apart from the listeriosis threat, these meats are packed with salt, unhealthy fats and nitrates that just aren’t good for us. Rather give your baby fresh cooked meat, chicken or fish.

COOL DRINK

A baby’s growing body needs a lot of nutrients, but her tiny stomach can make it difficult to get everything in. Cool drinks are full of sugar and will fill your baby without contributing any nutrients. If a baby is given cool drink, she will drink less milk and get even fewer nutrients. Stay away from all cool drink. Babies also shouldn’t be given fruit juice.

COW’S MILK

Cow’s milk contains large amounts of protein and minerals. In small amounts it isn’t a problem, as long as your baby isn’t allergic to it, but when you give your baby cow’s milk to drink, it can be too much for those little kidneys to process. Cow’s milk as a drink can also lead to your baby having an iron shortage, as it interferes with the absorption of iron. Many healthy babies also develop small bleeds in the intestines if they are given cow’s milk to drink. These bleeds don’t occur at all in babies older than 12 months. And even after your baby turns one, you should limit cow’s milk to 500ml per day, and don’t give it at the same time as iron-rich foods. Remember that children under two should rather drink full-fat dairy, unless your doctor has said otherwise.

CANNED FOOD

Easy for you, but definitely not good for baby. Canned foods contain large amounts of salt, and sugar is sometimes also used as a preservative. Babies under a year should not get any added sugar or salt in their diet. Salt puts strain on the kidneys and will create an unhealthy preference for salty tastes. Naturally occurring salt in food is enough, so steer clear of sources of food that have salt added to them, such as food and drink in cans, bottles, packets and even some frozen foods as well as cheese, bacon and takeaways.

SWEETS

Eating sweets is not a good habit to cultivate. Babies who are given sweets will develop a love for these treats, when your real aim should be for them to develop a love for fruit and vegetables. Sweets also contribute to tooth decay, so to protect your baby’s oral health, stay away from sweets, and also teach gogo and umkhulu to rather spoil your child with a little toy or love than with sweets or ice cream.

RAW CARROTS

This is a surprising one! Carrots are full of beta-carotene, which is an ideal part of baby food, as it boosts the immune system. However, raw carrots pose a choking risk. Cooked carrots are safer to give to your baby, whether you purée them or give pieces as finger food. Other foods that pose a choking risk are raw apple, whole grapes, baby tomatoes, whole nuts and popcorn. Remember never to leave your baby alone when she is eating or drinking.

CHIPS

This snack food is not as harmless as many parents think. Chips are unhealthy, whether they’re made from potatoes or mealies and whether they are baked or fried. They contain no important nutrients, and your baby simply doesn’t need them. Mostly they are also packed with salt. Often, chips are simply given to keep a baby busy. Don’t fall into that trap – rather keep your baby busy with a toy.

RAW OR HALF-COOKED EGGS

Soft boiled eggs sound like an easy, quick and nutritious meal for a baby, but eggs can contain the bacteria Salmonella. This bacteria is killed when food is cooked properly. That’s why fully cooked eggs are perfectly safe, but raw or half-cooked eggs aren’t. Eggs with little cracks in the shell should rather be thrown away. Also avoid raw or half-cooked meat and unpasteurised milk.

SWEET TEA

It is very common for moms to give their babies a bottle of rooibos tea sweetened with sugar. This will just teach your baby to enjoy sugary drink, and she’ll probably love sweet tea for the rest of her life, leading to future health problems. Sweet tea can also cause tooth decay, especially if your baby walks around with the bottle all day, or falls asleep with it in her mouth. Ceylon tea and coffee should also not be given to babies, as they’re full of caffeine. Be careful of herbal teas too, as most of them have not been tested for safety on babies.

Thank you to registered dietician Zelda Ackerman for her help with this article, which first appeared in our sister magazine Baba & Kleuter.

STEER CLEAR OF SOURCES OF FOOD THAT HAVE ADDED SALT