For Babies

First Year Nutrition No-no’s

One of the most amazing parts of having a baby is watching him change and grow during the first year. And while you want to give him the world, there are a few things you should hold off on.

No falling asleep with a bottle.

Sending your baby to sleep with a bottle increases his chances of tooth decay and ear infections. Try an hour before bedtime instead.

No propping up bottles.

Feeding time is prime bonding time—for both of you.

No microwaving bottles.

The uneven heating could seriously burn your little one.  To warm a bottle, put it in a pan of warm water for no longer than 15 minutes, or hold it under warm tap water.

Learn More On How to Prepare Your Baby’s Bottle

No mixing cereal into bottles.

Putting solids into a bottle upsets your baby's nutritional and caloric balance. Start feeding cereal by spoon at around 6 months.

When your baby is ready for solids, learn some kid-tested tricks for healthy eating.

No solids before 6 months.

The Canadian Paediatric Society, Dietitians of Canada and Health Canada recommend introducing iron-rich foods at 6 months of age. 

If you start your baby on solids too early, your baby may:

• Have lower iron levels
• Have a diet low in protein, fat and other important nutrients
• Breastfeed less often causing you to make less breast milk
• Stop breastfeeding too early
• Not get all the benefits of breast milk such as protection from illness and allergies

Learn more about introducing solid foods

Not too much juice.

The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends introducing 100% pasteurized fruit juice after 6 months of age and limiting fruit juice to 120 to 180 mL (4 to 6 oz) a day, in a cup, as part of a meal or snack. Too much juice can cause diarrhea and early childhood tooth decay.  It can fill up small stomachs and decrease your baby’s appetite for nutritious foods.

No tea.

The tannins in tea inhibit your baby's ability to absorb iron, which can put him at risk for anemia. And the caffeine in tea interferes with calcium absorption, which is critical to bone building.

No cow's milk until 9-12 months of age.

Cow’s milk lacks the proper amount of iron that your baby needs to develop.  Plus, it contains higher levels of proteins and some minerals that are not appropriate for baby.

Also, fat free and low fat milk don't have the fat babies need for their rapid weight gain. 

You may introduce pasteurized whole cow’s milk from 9-12 months and continue up until he is at least 2 years of age.

See What Other Nutrients Your Baby Should Be Getting Every Day

No honey in the first year.

Honey or baked foods containing honey should be avoided until 1 year or age.  Honey can cause botulism, a serious type of food poisoning.

No solids that can be choking hazards.

Many foods need to be mashed or pureed so your baby can swallow them easily. Whole or chunky foods can get caught in his windpipe, blocking air from his lungs.

Avoid giving him:

• Chunks of hot dogs
• Whole grapes
• Nuts
• Popcorn
• Chips
• Lumps of peanut butter
• Pieces of hard, raw vegetables
• Hard candy or chewy candy like gummy bears or jelly beans

No nitrates.

Processed meats and even some drinking water contain nitrates, which may pose a potential health hazard to your baby.

Avoid:

• Bacon
• Bologna
• Ham
• Hot dogs
• Sausage
• Nitrate-contaminated drinking water, such as some well water

No added sugar or salt.

The less salt and sugar you add to his diet, the more he'll learn to enjoy the natural flavour of foods.