Do not give your baby honey (even if it’s pasteurized) or foods containing honey such as baked goods, yogurt, etc. There is a risk that honey could make your baby very sick with botulism, a type of food poisoning. Honey is safe for children over 12 months of age.
Some unpasteurized and raw foods may contain harmful bacteria. Do not give your baby:
- unpasteurized juice and cider
- unpasteurized milk and milk products
- raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish
- raw or undercooked eggs
- raw or undercooked sprouts
Some foods are not recommended for babies during the first year. Many are low in nutrients. Most are high in sugar or sodium (salt). These foods are listed below.
Do not give your baby:
- sweets (e.g. candy, chocolate, cakes, cookies, pies, donuts)
- ice cream, frozen desserts/treats, and jelly/gelatin desserts
- sugar-coated cereals
- jam, jelly, marmalade, molasses
- soft drinks (pop); “fruit” drinks, crystals, powders, punches, beverages, ades (e.g. lemonade), and fruit cocktail drinks (e.g. cranberry cocktail); sports drinks; energy drinks
- drinks with artificial sweeteners or other sugar substitutes, and tabletop artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes
- processed packaged snack foods (e.g. cheese-flavoured snacks, corn chips, wheat chips, potato chips, salted pretzels)
- processed meats such as ham, bacon, wieners, salami, pepperoni, bologna, sausages, luncheon meats and processed deli meats
- salt meat and salt fish
- pickles, olives
- tea, coffee, herbal teas
Some foods can be choking hazards; see the section on Food Choking Hazards for more information on other foods to avoid.