Your little one grows every day, and with it, his needs increase. Little by little, he will need to have more food besides breastfeeding. A balanced diet is very important to start establishing healthy habits in children. We tell you the foods that babies should not eat.
Breastfeeding during the first six months of life is essential for development. Still, after that age, it is necessary to start complementary feeding, the gradual consumption of solid foods, since energy and nutrient needs increase as one grows.
You must be careful with certain foods because their ingredients can affect your little one’s health or are more difficult to digest, causing discomfort in your baby.
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Healthy habits from a young age
Your child’s first two years are very important; a balanced diet will reduce the risk of suffering from malnutrition and developing chronic diseases such as obesity, explains the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Few children receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary feeding. In many countries, less than a quarter of children aged 6 to 23 months meet age-appropriate criteria for dietary diversity and meal frequency”.
A balanced diet in the first 24 months is crucial to maintain the necessary iron reserves for the neurological development and proper growth of the child; it is very difficult to reverse the deficiencies of energy, proteins, vitamins, and inorganic nutrients that occur during this stage, warns the Medical Gazette of Mexico.
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Forbidden foods for babies
The eating habits that you teach your children from an early age will influence their growth. For this reason, pediatric neonatologist Laxmi Chowath advises parents not to add salt or sugar when preparing baby food and warns that babies should not consume canned products due to their high salt and sugar content.
The Nemours Kids Health organization recommends not giving your baby these foods:
- Added sugars and sweeteners without calories: Their consumption can cause problems such as obesity, diabetes, or tooth decay.
- High sodium content: Two-year-old children should not have more than 2 grams of salt daily.
- Honey: It can cause botulism, so it should wait until after a year.
- Unpasteurized juice, milk, yogurt, or cheese: Young kids may have trouble digesting these.
- Cow’s milk or soy drinks: Do not give these products until 12 months; they contain proteins and fats that make digestion difficult.
- Grapes, popcorn, and nuts: Due to their size, they can cause choking.
- Fish: The contaminants in the sea, such as mercury, can harm your baby’s health. It is recommended to wait after two years to start its consumption.
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Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara
Spanish version: here
