Can Babies Eat Rice? - Netmums

Babies shouldn't eat honey until they're at least 12 months old. Honey can contain a spore called Clostridium botulinum. If these spores are swallowed, they turn into bacteria, which can lead to a serious illness called infant botulism.

From around the age of one, babies' developing immune systems can defend against these spores.

Too much salt can damage your baby's kidneys. Babies should only have up to 1g of salt (0.4g sodium) a day before the age of one and up to 2g (0.8g sodium) a day between the ages of one and three.

When you're cooking for your baby, avoid adding salt, using stock cubes or putting salt in the cooking water.

Salty foods like sausages, bacon, gravy, crisps, salted chips, takeaways, adult ready meals, fast food and crackers are also off the menu.

Whole nuts and peanuts are a choking hazard. They shouldn't be given to babies or children under the age of five.

You can give your baby finely crushed or ground nuts from around six months old, as well as smooth nut butters.

If you have a history of allergies in your family, the NHS advises talking to your GP or health visitor before introducing nuts or peanuts to your baby's diet.

Babies don't need sugar. Too much sugar can cause tooth decay and encourage your child to have a sweet tooth.

As well as avoiding sugary snacks, look out for sugary drinks including squashes, sodas and flavoured milks.

While fruit juices and smoothies contain vitamins, they also contain a lot of natural sugars and acids, which can damage your baby's emerging teeth.

The NHS says that babies under 12 months don't need to drink juices and smoothies. If you choose to give them to older babies, it recommends diluting with 10 parts water to one part juice or smoothie, and only giving them to your child at mealtimes. This will help reduce the chance of tooth decay.

Children aged five and over can drink undiluted juice, although it's recommended they only have one glass a day with meals.

You can give your baby full-fat pasteurised cheese from around six months. This includes hard cheese such as cheddar, and soft cheeses like cream cheese and cottage cheese.

The NHS says it's best to avoid giving babies and young children cheese made with unpasteurised milk, though.

Unpasteurised cheeses have a higher risk of carrying a bacteria called listeria. In rare cases this can cause an infection known as listeriosis, which is more serious in babies, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.

Other types of cheese to avoid include …

Brie, Camembert and other mould-ripened soft cheeses contain more moisture than many other cheeses. This means there's more chance they contain the listeria bacteria.

Cooking kills bacteria, so these cheeses are safe if cooked until steaming hot throughout.

Avoid giving your baby soft blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Danish blue as they also have a higher risk of containing the bacteria listeria.

They can be eaten when cooked till steaming hot though.

If you want to try giving your baby a taste for uncooked blue cheese, Stilton has a lower risk of food poisoning, and is safe to give your baby.

Your baby can start eating eggs when they're about six months old. However, it's best to look for eggs that have the red British Lion stamp.

These eggs have a very low risk of salmonella and are safe to eat when runny or raw in recipes like mayonnaise, mousse and uncooked cake mixture.

Eggs that don't have the British Lion mark should only be eaten when cooked until the whites and yolks are solid because of the risk of salmonella.

Duck, goose and quail eggs should be cooked until the whites and yolks are solid before giving them to your baby. This is to reduce the risk of salmonella.

The NHS warns against giving your baby too many foods that are high in saturated fat. These include biscuits, cakes and crisps.

Eating too much saturated fat can increase the chance of heart disease and obesity.

While your baby can eat fish from around the age of six months, you should avoid giving them shark, swordfish and marlin, right up until the age of 16.

Shark, swordfish and marlin contain high levels of mercury, which can affect the development of your baby or child's nervous system.

Avoid giving raw or lightly cooked shellfish, such as mussels, clams and oysters to babies. Raw and lightly cooked shellfish may contain bacteria and toxins, which can cause food poisoning.

Shellfish that's fully cooked until steaming hot is fine.

Rice milk and other rice drinks aren't recommended for children under the age of five. This is because they can contain high levels of arsenic.

Most cow's, sheep's and goat's milk sold in UK shops and supermarkets is pasteurised. However, you might come across raw or unpasteurised milk at farmers' markets and farm shops.

Unpasteurised milk can contain the bacteria listeria and cause food poisoning, so shouldn't be given to babies or young children.

You can use cow's milk in cooking for babies from around the age of six months. But they shouldn't have it as a drink in place of breastmilk or formula milk until they are 12 months old.

This is because cow's milk doesn't contain enough iron for young babies' needs.

Between the ages of one and two, children should drink whole milk rather than skimmed or semi-skimmed, as they need the extra calories and vitamins it contains.

If you have a good eater, they can drink semi-skimmed milk from the age of two, but children shouldn't have skimmed milk as a drink until they're five.

Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk are fine in cooking for babies aged one and above.

Like cow's milk, goat's and sheep's milk, soya and other alternative milks are only suitable as a main drink after 12 months of age, as they don't contain enough iron or nutrients for younger babies.

If you're using soya, oat, almond or other alternative milks, make sure you choose the unsweetened version to avoid giving your baby too much sugar.

Don't give you baby fizzy drinks as they contain lots of sugar, which can cause tooth decay. Diet fizzy drinks should be avoided, too, as all fizzy drinks are acidic and can damage tooth enamel.

The NHS lists raw jelly cubes as a choking hazard and says they should not be given to babies. Other common choking hazards include boiled sweets and popcorn, plus grapes and hot dog sausages, which should be cut lengthways.

Hard fruits and vegetables such as carrots and apples are also a potential hazard and should be peeled and lightly cooked before being given to very young babies.

You'll find a list of common choking hazards and how to prepare foods safely here.

Giving caffeine to babies and children is not advised because it has lots of side effects such as affecting sleep, dulling appetite and speeding up the heart rate.

Coffee and tea also contain tannins, which can affect how your baby absorbs nutrients from their food.

Caffeine-free babyccinos often contain sugar, which can cause tooth decay.