Food and Health Guidelines - Torfaen Family Information Service

2. Babies 0-12 months
Foods to avoid
Under 6 months
• If weaning does commence before
6 months of age, gluten containing foods
should be avoided. Foods containing
gluten are wheat, rye and barley.
These cereals are present in bread,
wheat flour, breakfast cereals and rusks.
• Eggs, fish and shellfish should also not
be introduced before 6 months because
of the potential for allergic reactions to
these foods.
• Cow’s milk should not be used in weaning
foods before 6 months. However it
may be an ingredient of commercial
weaning foods before 6 months as the
heat treatment during the manufacturing
processes reduces the allergic potential of
the cow’s milk protein.
During infancy
• Salt, sugar and strong spices such as chilli
and ginger should not be added to food
during infancy.
• Honey should not be offered before
1 year of age as it may contain spores
of botulism. After 1 year of age the gut
is mature enough to prevent the bacteria
from multiplying but should still be limited
due to the high sugar content.
• Nuts - all babies and children should
avoid whole nuts and peanuts until
5 years of age due to the risk of choking.
(Children who choke on nuts should seek
medical advice as nut oil may cause
lung damage). Powdered nuts such as
powdered almonds and nut spreads can
be introduced from 6 months of age
as long as there are no allergies in the
family e.g. asthma or food intolerance.
For babies where the potential risk of
nut allergy is increased, groundnuts and
peanut butter should be avoided until the
child is at least 3 years of age.
• Goat’s and sheep’s milk- these lack
essential vitamins and minerals needed
for babies’ growth and development.
Providing a weaning menu
Some settings have weaning menus for
babies that enable them to gradually move
on to the regular menu. This helps babies to
try different tastes and they are more likely
to accept the regular menu than if they have
been fed predominantly on commercially
prepared weaning foods.
Pureed or well mashed fruit and vegetables
that are on the menu can be introduced
from the start of weaning. Alternatively,
some settings, especially where there may
only be one or two babies, find it easier to
freeze portions of pureed fruit or vegetables
in ice cube trays and store in dated freezer
bags. This allows different combinations
to be given once the baby has tried the
individual foods.
Meat, fish or pulses from the main menu
can be pureed / mashed from 6 months of
age as long as salt has not been added.
Finger foods can be offered to older children.
New flavours and textures can gradually be
introduced until the child is able to manage
the regular menu from about twelve months
of age.
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