The Short Answer
Babies under 12 months should never be given honey, cow's milk as a main drink, whole nuts, added salt, added sugar, or certain high-mercury fish. These foods pose serious risks including botulism, kidney overload, choking, and nutritional imbalance.
Foods to Avoid Completely Under 12 Months
🍯 Honey (Including Cooked Honey)
Why: Honey can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes infant botulism. A baby's immature gut cannot prevent spore germination, leading to potentially life-threatening toxin production. This includes honey in baked goods and cereals.
Safe alternative: Mild fruit purees (banana, pear) for sweetness.
🥛 Cow's Milk as a Main Drink
Why: Cow's milk does not provide adequate iron, vitamin E, or essential fatty acids for infants. It also contains too much protein and sodium for immature kidneys to process safely. However, full-fat cow's milk in cooking and full-fat yoghurt from 6 months are fine.
Safe alternative: Breast milk or iron-fortified formula until 12 months.
🥜 Whole Nuts and Nut Pieces
Why: Whole nuts are a serious choking hazard for children under 5. Nut butters (smooth, thinned) and nut flours are safe from 6 months.
Safe alternative: Thin nut butter mixed into purees or yoghurt.
🧂 Added Salt
Why: Baby kidneys cannot process high sodium loads. Too much salt can cause kidney damage and may set taste preferences for salty foods. The AAP recommends less than 1g/day for babies 0–12 months; most foods naturally contain enough.
Safe alternative: Use herbs and spices like mild cinnamon or garlic for flavour.
🍬 Added Sugar
Why: Sugar has no nutritional value for babies, promotes tooth decay from the first tooth, and trains taste preferences toward sweetness. This includes fruit juice, sugary snacks, and flavoured cereals.
Safe alternative: Natural sweetness from whole fruit.
🐟 High-Mercury Fish
Why: Mercury accumulates in large predatory fish and can damage an infant's developing nervous system. Avoid: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and bigeye tuna.
Safe alternatives: Salmon, cod, haddock, trout, sardines — all excellent omega-3 sources safe from 6 months.
🍼 Unpasteurised Dairy and Juice
Why: Unpasteurised products may contain Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli, to which babies have no immune defence.
☕ Caffeinated Drinks
Why: Tea, coffee, and energy drinks interfere with iron absorption and stimulate the nervous system. Not appropriate at any point in infancy.
Foods to Introduce with Caution
These are safe but require careful preparation:
- Raw honey substitutes — some syrups are safe; always check labels
- Eggs, well-cooked from 6 months; introduce one at a time to watch for allergy
- Soft cheeses, only pasteurised varieties
- Citrus, technically safe but can cause skin rash in sensitive babies; not dangerous
Choking Hazard Foods (Safe to Offer, But Prepare Carefully)
- Grapes → always quartered lengthways
- Cherry tomatoes → always halved
- Raw carrot → grated or steamed soft
- Blueberries → halved for babies under 12 months
- Sausages → sliced lengthways, then chopped
- Popcorn → not until age 4
Check Every Food
Use our SmartStart Food Guide to quickly check whether a specific food is safe for your baby's exact age.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can babies under 1 have honey?
No — honey is completely off-limits for babies under 12 months, including cooked honey in baked goods and cereals. Honey can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum, which a baby's immature gut cannot neutralise, potentially causing infant botulism — a life-threatening condition. This restriction is supported by the AAP, NHS, and Helsedirektoratet.
Can babies have cow's milk before 12 months?
Cow's milk should not be given as a main drink before 12 months — it lacks adequate iron and essential fatty acids, and contains too much protein and sodium for immature kidneys. However, full-fat cow's milk used in cooking (in sauces, porridge) and full-fat yoghurt are both safe from 6 months.
How much salt can babies have?
Babies under 12 months should have less than 1g of salt per day according to the AAP. Baby kidneys cannot safely process high sodium loads. Never add salt to baby food, and check labels on processed foods — many contain surprisingly high sodium levels even when marketed for children.
What are the main choking hazard foods for babies?
Round or firm foods pose the greatest choking risk: whole grapes, cherry tomatoes, whole blueberries, raw carrot, popcorn, whole nuts, and round pieces of sausage. Always quarter grapes lengthways, halve cherry tomatoes, grate or steam-soften raw carrots, and halve blueberries. Popcorn should be avoided until age 4.
When can babies eat eggs?
Eggs can be introduced from 6 months, and the AAP now recommends introducing them early to reduce allergy risk. Eggs should be well-cooked (not runny) for babies under 12 months. Introduce one new allergen at a time with a few days between each to identify any reactions.
What fish is safe for babies and what should be avoided?
Low-mercury fish — salmon, cod, haddock, trout, and sardines — are excellent omega-3 sources and safe from 6 months. Avoid high-mercury fish including shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and bigeye tuna, as mercury can damage a baby's developing nervous system.
Can babies have fruit juice under 12 months?
No — the NHS and AAP both advise against fruit juice before 12 months. Juice has high sugar content, promotes early tooth decay, displaces nutritious breast milk or formula, and offers no benefit over whole fruit. Water (from 6 months, in small amounts with meals) and milk are the only appropriate drinks under 12 months.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Foods to Avoid for Infants
- NHS Start4Life, Foods to Avoid Giving Your Baby
- World Health Organization (WHO), Complementary Feeding
- Helsedirektoratet, Mat til spedbarnet, hva bør unngås
🔧 Helpful Tools
- Baby Food Guide — Safe foods and introduction schedule for your baby
- All Baby Tools — Browse all free tools for pregnancy and baby care