🚫

Foods to avoid before age 1

Most foods are on the table once your baby starts solids around 6 months. A short list is worth holding back until the first birthday (or handling carefully), and it is genuinely short. Here it is.

🍯

HoneyNo honey before 12 months, cooked or raw. It can carry spores that cause infant botulism.

🥛

Cow’s milk as a main drinkBreast milk or formula stays the main drink until 12 months. Dairy foods like yogurt and cheese are fine from around 6 months.

🧂

Added saltBabies’ kidneys can’t handle much salt. Skip added salt and salty foods (stock cubes, processed meats, salty snacks).

🍬

Added sugarNo nutritional need, and it sets up a sweet tooth. Skip sugary foods and drinks; let fruit be the sweet.

🥜

Choking hazardsWhole nuts, whole or halved grapes, popcorn, hard raw vegetables, and large chunks. Modify the food, not the age (grind nuts, quarter grapes, cook veg soft).

🧀

Unpasteurised & mould-ripened cheeseSkip unpasteurised cheeses and soft mould-ripened ones (like brie) for babies. Pasteurised, full-fat cheese is fine.

🐟

High-mercury fishAvoid shark, swordfish, and king mackerel. Low-mercury fish like salmon is a great choice.

🍚

Rice drinksDon’t use rice drinks as a milk substitute for under-fives, due to arsenic.

A note on choking

The theme with choking hazards is shape and firmness, not the food itself. You don’t have to wait: you modify. Grind or thin nuts into butters, quarter grapes lengthwise, cook carrots soft, and skip round, firm pieces. Always stay within arm’s reach at meals.

What’s totally fine

The big 9 allergens are not on the avoid list. Current guidance is to introduce them early and keep them in the diet. Read the allergen guide →

Frequently asked questions

Can babies have honey?

No. Avoid honey (cooked or raw) before 12 months, because it can contain spores that cause infant botulism, a serious illness. After the first birthday it is fine.

When can babies have cow’s milk?

Cow’s milk can be used as a main drink from 12 months. Before then, breast milk or formula is the main drink, though dairy foods like yogurt and cheese are fine from around 6 months.

What are the main choking hazards for babies?

Whole nuts, whole or halved grapes, popcorn, hard raw vegetables, chunks of firm cheese or meat, and anything round and firm. Modify these (grind, quarter lengthwise, cook soft) rather than waiting.

Can babies have salt or sugar?

Keep both to a minimum. Babies’ kidneys can’t process much salt, and added sugar has no benefit. Season their food with herbs and let fruit provide sweetness instead.

😋 🤢

Track it in Yummy Yucky

Log first tries, get nudged through the 3-day allergen watch, and keep every bite in one place you can share with your pediatrician.

Start tracking for free

How we write these: from widely published pediatric guidance (AAP, NIAID 2017 guidelines, the LEAP study), with sources cited on every page. Pending review by a pediatric professional.

This is general information, not medical advice, and has not been individually reviewed for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

Some links in our guides are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only suggest things we'd actually use, and it never changes our guidance.