“Many foods such as milk, nuts and fruit contain fats and sugars.”[1]
“Cows’ milk should not be given before the age of one year as the main milk source, as it is low in iron, although it is fine to use in cooking. A baby is born with enough iron stores for the first six months, but after that age needs iron-rich foods. By one year a baby’s diet should be varied enough to contain iron and cow’s milk can then be introduced. Remember that milk is a food and often your baby will just be thirsty. Water is the best thing to offer, and for babies under six months use boiled and cooled tap water. Avoid bottled waters as these often have a high mineral and sodium content.”[2]
“Sugar-laden drinks tend to dull a child’s appetite and this can lead to poor weight gain.”[3]
“Always be very careful with baby rice: if left at room temperature for several hours, cooked rice can cause food poisoning and further cooking or reheating will not destroy the bacteria.”[4]
“Other foods to avoid giving your baby are salt, sugar and honey. Honey can harbour the spores of Clostridium botulinum. An adult’s digestive system can deal with these spores but in a baby the spores can grow and produce life-threatening toxins.”[5]
Again, Note that there are differences of opinions in many things, as with most things to do with child care (I believe it is in the States that Clostridium botulinum really poses a problem, for example, but that it is not found everywhere… – don’t quote me on that, though).
[1] P11 Valerie Barrett Healthy Meals for Babies and Toddlers 2007 Parragon: Bath [2] 14 Valerie Barrett Healthy Meals for Babies and Toddlers 2007 Parragon: Bath [3] 14 Valerie Barrett Healthy Meals for Babies and Toddlers 2007 Parragon: Bath [4] 15 Valerie Barrett Healthy Meals for Babies and Toddlers 2007 Parragon: Bath [5] 16 Valerie Barrett Healthy Meals for Babies and Toddlers 2007 Parragon: Bath
