I believe you have all heard of things that babies under one year old cannot eat, such as egg whites or whole eggs, cold food, etc. In fact, these claims are not supported by scientific evidence. Can children under the age of one really eat anything? no. There are some foods that babies under one year old cannot eat. Some can even be fatal if eaten incorrectly.

1 Foods that pose a choking risk

Representative foods: hard fruit and vegetable pieces (such as apple pieces, carrot pieces), whole nuts, popcorn, hard and chewy cookies, whole hard candies, high-viscosity gummies or snacks, whole grapes, whole Small tomatoes, sausages or sausages with membranes, fruits with stones such as cherries and dates, meat with bones or harder pieces of meat.

We need to be extra cautious with foods that pose a choking risk. Once a child suffocates and fails to rescue in time, he may pay the price with his life. In addition, this kind of food is not only for children under one year old, but also for children under 3-5 years old.
Some foods that pose a choking risk can be given to children after being simply processed to reduce or eliminate the risk. For example, hard vegetable pieces can be boiled until soft, hard fruits can be sliced for children to eat, and those with cores and bones can be removed. Round fruits and vegetables can be cut in half, and whole nuts can be chopped or ground. Broken etc.

Some choking-risk foods, such as hard candies, highly viscous soft candies or snacks, popcorn, etc., are not recommended for children from a nutritional perspective, so it is better not to eat them directly.

2 Foods with potential food safety hazards

Representative foods: honey, milk from animals that have not been sterilized, eggs, meat or seafood that have not been thoroughly cooked, raw bean sprouts, etc.
This type of food may contain pathogenic bacteria, which may have serious consequences for infants under the age of one whose immune systems are not yet fully developed, so be careful to avoid them.
Honey may contain botulinum spores. The human immune and defense functions of infants and young children are not yet perfect. When an infant under one year old eats honey contaminated with botulinum spores, the spores will germinate in the intestines and release toxins, which may cause infant botulism. Infant botulism mostly occurs in babies under 6 months old. To minimize the risk of botulism, babies under one year old should avoid eating honey.
Unsterilized freshly expressed milk may contain E. coli, salmonella, campylobacter and listeria, which may cause serious health hazards to infants, young children, pregnant women and the elderly. The above-mentioned meat, seafood, eggs, bean sprouts, etc. that are not thoroughly cooked are also concerns about bacterial contamination and should be avoided.

3 Plant-derived milks such as cow’s milk, goat’s milk, soy milk, etc.

Representative foods: whole milk, goat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc.
Babies under one year old should use breast milk as the main source of milk. If for various reasons they cannot breastfeed until they are one year old, the only alternative is infant formula.
Pure milk cannot be used as the main milk source for babies under one year old. Because the nutritional content of pure milk cannot fully meet the needs of the baby’s growth and development, and contains high concentrations of protein, sodium and potassium, which may cause damage to the baby’s immature kidneys.
However, when the baby is 9 months old, milk can be used as one of the ingredients for making complementary foods. Similarly, when the baby is about 9 months old, full-fat cheese or full-fat yogurt can also be added and tried as complementary food. When the baby reaches one year old, he can drink full-fat pure milk, and after he is 2 years old, he can drink low-fat pure milk.

For babies after one year old, if soy milk is used instead of pure milk, the calcium content of soy milk must be at least 100 mg of calcium per 100 ml. Soy milk without calcium fortification, such as home-made soy milk, is not recommended for infants and young children.
Goat milk and cow milk are similar in nutritional value. However, compared with cow’s milk, goat’s milk lacks certain nutrients, such as folic acid. Therefore, if your baby only drinks goat’s milk after one year of age, you need to pay attention to including other folic acid-rich foods in the daily diet, such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, etc.

Coconut milk should not be used as a substitute for cow’s milk in children after one year of age. Coconut milk is low in protein, very low in calcium, and contains no vitamin B2. Coconut milk is high in calories. If you drink a little, your child may feel full and affect the intake of other foods. Therefore, if children after one year old really want to drink coconut milk, they can only try it as a drink in small amounts occasionally.

4 Salt, sugar and food/drinks containing high salt and sugar

Representative foods: salt, sugar, freshly squeezed juice, fruity drinks, etc.
The sodium required for the growth of babies within one year of age comes from the naturally occurring sodium in breast milk, formula milk and complementary foods, and there is no need to add additional salt. Adding extra salt to the food of a baby under one year old or feeding the baby salty food may put a burden on the baby’s kidneys.
Whether before or after one year of age, it is not recommended to allow children to eat too much sugar or drink high-sugar drinks. Too much sugar, sweets, or sugary drinks in the diet may lead to unhealthy eating habits in children, leading to dental health and weight concerns. We should try to limit sugar and sweets as much as possible. I believe this is easy for everyone to understand and accept, but the most confusing thing is freshly squeezed juice.
Words such as 100% pure juice and freshly squeezed juice easily make us associate freshly squeezed juice with healthy food. In fact, although freshly squeezed juice contains some of the vitamins and minerals of fresh fruit, it is high in sugar and has less fiber than fresh fruit. Therefore, juice is not recommended for children under one year old, and should be consumed as little as possible after one year old. According to the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is not recommended for babies under one year old to drink fruit juice; for 1-3 years old, it should be controlled within 120 ml per day; for 4-6 years old, it should not exceed 120-180 ml per day; for babies over 6 years old, it should not exceed 240 ml per day.

5 Caffeine and alcohol

Representative foods: tea, coffee, all alcoholic beverages
Not only are these not allowed for children under one year old, they are also not allowed to drink after one year old.
Tea and coffee contain few nutrients but are rich in caffeine. Caffeine affects the body’s absorption of iron and may also affect your child’s sleep. Alcohol is a poison to children. Alcohol can depress the central nervous system and cause hypoglycemia. Children who drink alcohol can cause epilepsy, coma, and even death. Therefore, do not give alcoholic drinks to your children under any circumstances.
The next time we are confused: Can children eat this? You can compare it with the five major categories above, maybe you will have the answer. In addition, if a child has special health concerns, he or she should receive individualized responses under the guidance of professionals and should not blindly avoid food.