Your A-Z of baby food and drink safety

First published on Wednesday 7 April 2021 Last modified on Tuesday 26 April 2022

Hannah Weiss

Writer

Wondering when it's safe to give your baby cow's milk? How about introducing eggs, chocolate and oranges? Here's the official advice on when your baby can try new foods and drinks, from almond milk to yoghurt.

We've identified the foods and drinks new parents ask about most, studied the NHS advice and consulted expert sources, to create this simple guide to when you can introduce new foods and drinks into your baby's diet.

Click on the name of any food or drink in the list below to find out more about why it is or isn't safe, and discover delicious recipe ideas and essential safety tips.

These are general guidelines. If your baby has an allergy, follows a special diet or has any medical complications, talk to your health advisor or GP for further advice.

Almond milk

The NHS says that babies can have unsweetened, calcium-fortified almond milk when they are at least 12 months old. However, almond milk is not a suitable substitute for cow's milk, as it does not contain enough of the vital nutrients that young children need, like calcium and protein.

Apples

Babies can eat apples from around six months, so long as they are peeled, cooked and have had the pips and stem removed. Raw apples are a top choking hazard for babies. You can reduce the risk of choking by stewing or pureeing an apple for your baby.

Avocado

It is fine for your baby to eat avocado from around six months. Avocado's soft, creamy texture means that it is ideal both as a finger food or for spoon feeding. It is loaded with healthy fats, which are essential for your baby's growth and development. It can also help relieve constipation for your baby, because it is rich in fibre.

Baked beans

According to the NHS, babies can eat most kinds of beans from around six months. However baked beans have a high sugar and salt content, which means they aren't a healthy food for babies. If you choose to give your baby baked beans, choose a tin with reduced levels of salt and sugar.

Blueberries

You can feed your baby blueberries from around six months. Be sure to remove the small stems and serve blueberries mashed or blended into a smooth puree, because whole blueberries can be a choking hazard.

Bread

Babies can eat bread from seven to nine months old, as they move towards eating three meals a day. Brown, wholemeal and wholegrain bread are fantastic sources of fibre, but serve in small amounts to avoid filling up your baby's tummy too fast. Seeded and crusty bread could be harder to chew and become a choking hazard, so take care.

Butter

According to the NHS, you can introduce butter into your baby's diet when they are six months old. Full-fat butter is best, as the energy in the fats will help your baby grow. Serve with pieces of toast as a fun finger food or mix into a potato or vegetable puree.

Cheese

Babies can eat most types of full-fat cheese from about six months. However, avoid giving your baby unpasteurised cheese, mould-ripened soft cheese and soft blue cheeses, as they can contain listeria bacteria that could make your baby ill.

Chicken

Babies can eat chicken from around six months, though you should stick to plain chicken (make sure you remove any bones first) or baby food containing chicken at first. Chicken nuggets and chicken sausages contain too much salt to give to your baby. Chicken liver products, like pate, have high levels of vitamin A, which can make your baby unwell if eaten too often.

Chocolate

Babies can eat chocolate from around six months. Introduce chocolate in moderation, as it could lead to tooth decay and doesn't contain any of the nutrients your growing baby needs. Sweet fruits are the perfect healthy treat for babies.

Cinnamon

You can add small amounts of cinnamon to your baby's food from around six months. Cinnamon makes a good substitute for sugar if you want to sweeten your baby's food, since sugar cause cause tooth decay. Avoid giving your baby cinnamon powder on its own though, as they could inhale it and choke.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is fine to use as an ingredient in your baby's food from six months, though you should be mindful of its high fat content. Babies can drink unsweetened, calcium-fortified coconut milk on its own from 12 months as part of a balanced diet. It is not a suitable substitute for cow's or breast milk for very young children, as it does not contain enough essential nutrients.

Corned beef

Corned beef is not suitable to give to your baby, because it has high levels of salt. The NHS says that babies should have less than 1g of salt a day, because too much salt can harm their kidneys and increase their blood pressure.

Couscous

The NHS says that babies are fine to eat couscous from six months. Couscous is a starchy carbohydrate, so it is a good source of energy to help your baby grow and develop. It can also be a good source of protein, though it contains lower levels than beans or meat.

Cow's milk

Babies can have full-fat cow's milk as their main drink from 12 months old. Before this, breastmilk or formula milk is best, though it’s fine to use cow’s milk in food from about six months.

Cucumber

You can safely feed your baby cucumber from around six months. Its stiff texture means that is makes good finger food for baby-led weaning, though you should make sure to chop it up as it can be a choking hazard.

Eggs

Babies can eat eggs from around six months. Eggs with a red British Lion stamp can be eaten runny, or raw in foods like mayonnaise and mousse. Eggs without a British Lion stamp should always be fully cooked through.

Fish fingers

The NHS recommends that babies only eat shop-bought fish fingers as an occasional treat from around nine months. This is because shop-bought fish fingers can be high in salt and too much salt could damage your baby's kidneys. Try a fish puree first and offer fish fingers sparingly as a fun finger food.

Gravy

You should avoid giving your baby gravy, according to the NHS, because it tends to contain high levels of salt, which is bad for your baby's kidneys. This is the case whether your gravy is homemade, shop bought, or made using gravy granules.

Green beans

Green beans are safe for babies to eat from around six months old, and are a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals for your baby's diet. They can be a choking hazard, so should be served either cooked (to make them easier to chew) or as a puree.

Honey

According to the NHS, it's safest to avoid feeding babies honey until they are over 12 months old. This is because honey can contain a type of bacteria that causes infant botulism, a potentially life-threatening condition. Try different fruits as a sweet alternative.

Hummus

Hummus is a fantastic healthy weaning food and can be introduced to your baby when they are six months old. Shop-bought and homemade hummus are both great options and your baby can enjoy them as a dip with vegetable sticks, bread and crackers.

Ice cream

Babies can eat ice cream from around six months, but the NHS advises against giving your baby ice cream because it's full of sugar. This can damage your baby's emerging teeth and encourage them to develop a sweet tooth. If you choose to offer your baby ice cream, find a low-sugar option and avoid any nuts or sprinkles.

Jelly

Babies can eat jelly from about six months, but because jellies are packed with sugar, they are best avoided to protect your baby's new teeth. Raw jelly cubes can also be a choking hazard. Serve made-up jelly as an occasional treat or try fresh fruit as a sweet healthy snack.

Juice

The NHS advises against giving babies fruit juice until they are at least 12 months old. This is because squashes, juices and fizzy juice drinks contain lots of sugars and acids. It's best to avoid these to protect your baby's emerging teeth and prevent tooth decay.

Kiwi

Babies can eat kiwi from about six months. Pop the kiwi into a blender and serve it as a smooth puree or mash until soft for your baby to eat. When your baby is ready, you can also serve small slices of kiwi as a finger food.

Lentils

It is fine to give your baby lentils from six months old. At seven months, when your baby starts to drink less breast milk or formula, lentils can actually help to replace some of the nutrients that your baby was previously getting from milk. This is because lentils are incredibly rich in iron.

Liver

Babies can eat liver from around six months. However the NHS advises that babies eat liver no more than once a week. This is because liver contains high levels of vitamin A, which can be harmful for your baby. The recommended intake applies to all kinds of liver, including fish, chicken, beef, pork and lamb, as well as liver pate.

Maple syrup

Although babies will be fine to have small amounts of maple syrup from around six months, you should avoid feeding your baby too much due to its high sugar content. The NHS says that babies do not need added sugar, as it can cause tooth decay. This is why maple syrup is not a suitable substitute for honey for young infants.

Marmite

Babies can eat small amounts of Marmite from about six months. It's best to wait until your baby is comfortable eating bread or crackers and then choose a low-salt option to avoid damage to your baby's kidneys.

Meat

Meat is fine for babies to eat from around six months. The NHS recommends that you start off with meats like chicken, turkey, lamb, beef or pork, which you can puree or serve as a finger food. You should avoid giving your baby bacon or sausages at first, as they can contain high levels of salt.

Mushrooms

According to the NHS, babies can eat mushrooms from around six months. Only feed your baby mushrooms purchased from a supermarket or fruit and veg market and always clean and cook them first to be on the safe side.

Olive oil

Olive oil is safe to give to babies from around six months, and is a good source of healthy fats that will help your baby grow and develop. But contrary to popular belief, there is no clinical evidence that olive oil can help relieve constipation for your baby.

Onions

Babies can eat onions from about six months. This includes red, white and spring onions. They have a strong flavour, so add to a vegetable puree or serve mixed into a family dish when your baby is comfortable eating solid foods.

Oranges

Oranges are a fantastic source of vitamin C and can be introduced into your baby's diet when they are six months old. Oranges are best served as finger foods. Be sure to remove the skin, membrane and rind, as well as any pips, when preparing oranges for your baby.

Pasta

Babies can eat pasta from about sixth months. Smaller kinds of pasta, such as alphabet pasta, pastina and macaroni are perfect for spoon-feeding, while larger shapes like penne and fusilli can be served as a finger food.

Pate

According to the NHS, babies can eat pate from around six months. However, meat and fish pate is often made using liver, which contains high amounts of vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can be harmful for your baby, so only serve meat or fish pate once a week until your baby is a year old. Vegetable pate is also a great healthy alternative to try.

Peanut butter

Babies can eat smooth peanut butter from about six months, as well as other types of nuts, providing they are crushed, ground or blended into a nut butter. However if there is a history of food allergies in your family, the NHS advises talking to your GP or health visitor before introducing nuts to your baby.

Pesto

Babies can eat pesto from around six months. However, your baby's tiny kidneys can't process much salt just yet, so serve in small amounts. Tomato or basil pesto can be a delicious healthy dip with finger foods or some cooked pasta.

Petits Filous

Petits Filous are a brand of fromage frais and can be introduced to your baby's diet when they are six months old. The NHS recommends avoiding sugary foods and Petits Filous offers a healthy No Added Sugar range to try. In addition to fromage frais, you can also feed your baby plain full-fat yoghurt from six months.

Pineapple

Babies can eat pineapple from about six months. Try feeding your baby a variety of fruits to help them get used to different flavours. Because pineapple is more acidic than some other fruits, it may take longer for your baby to become accustomed to the taste.

Prawns

According to the NHS, babies can eat prawns, shrimp and other kinds of shellfish from around six months, providing the food is properly cooked. Try offering your baby prawns pureed with their favourite vegetable or serve as a fun finger food, ensuring that the head, tail and shell are fully removed.

Raisins

The NHS advises against giving babies whole raisins until they are at least one year old. This is because small raisins can become a choking hazard. However you can feed babies chopped raisins mixed with some yoghurt or baby cereal from ten months.

Raspberries

Raspberries are a brilliant source of vitamins and can be introduced into your baby's diet when they are six months old. Try serving raspberries blended into a smooth puree before mashing them to help your baby adapt to different textures.

Ready Brek

Babies can eat Ready Brek from around six months. The NHS recommends it as a great source of iron. Ready Brek is fortified with vitamins and calcium, and contains no added salt, making it a brilliant weaning food.

Rice

Babies can eat any kind of rice from about six months. White rice is a better choice for babies than brown rice, because they need lots of calories to help them grow. The extra fibre in brown rice can fill up your baby's tummy before they get all the nutrients they need.

Rusks

The NHS advises against giving babies rusks because they contain high levels of sugar. Snacks like these can harm your baby's new teeth and encourage them to expect sweet foods. If you choose to feed your baby rusks, you can do so from around seven months.

Salmon

Babies can eat cooked salmon fillets without bones from around six months. Because salmon is an oily fish, it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which the NHS says is great for your baby's development. However, you should avoid feeding your baby smoked salmon, because it contains high levels of salt.

Salt

According to the NHS, babies less than 12 months old should have less than 1g of salt a day (the equivalent of a sixth of a teaspoon). Your baby's kidneys are not developed enough to process salt yet, so you should avoid adding salt to their food or feeding them processed foods with high sodium levels.

Sausages

The NHS advises against giving babies sausages because of their high salt content. Too much salt isn't healthy for your baby's kidneys. If you do choose to feed your baby sausages, be aware that they can also be a choking hazard, so always remove the skin and slice sausages lengthways into short thin strips.

Sesame seeds

Sesame seeds are fine to give to your baby from around six months, so long as they are crushed or ground. The NHS says that seeds are a common choking hazard for young children, so should be ground up and stirred into a larger meal. Sesame seeds are a very common allergy, so keep an eye out for any reactions when your baby first tries them.

Soya milk

According to the NHS, your baby can drink unsweetened, calcium-fortified soya milk from around 12 months. Sometimes younger babies are given soya milk if they are allergic to cow's milk, but only under medical supervision. Feeding too much soya milk to small babies may affect their reproductive development and also cause tooth decay.

Spaghetti hoops

You can feed your baby spaghetti hoops on occasion from around six months, though you should be careful because of their high sugar and salt content. The NHS says that too much salt can be bad for babies' kidneys, while sugar can lead to tooth decay.

Spinach

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins, fibre and iron, and can be introduced into your baby's diet when they are six months old. Try cooking spinach first to soften, then blending into a smooth puree. Spinach is best served pureed rather than as a finger food, because the leaves can be tricky for your baby to eat.

Strawberries

Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins and can be introduced into your baby's diet when they are six months old. Try blended strawberries first and then mash them to help your baby become accustomed to a variety of textures.

Tomatoes

Babies can eat tomatoes from around six months. Eating a variety of vegetables will introduce your baby to different flavours and textures. Canned and tinned chopped tomatoes are perfectly okay, plus cherry tomatoes make a fantastic finger food when cut into small pieces (don't serve whole cherry tomatoes as they're a choking hazard).

Tomato puree

Tomato puree is safe to give to babies from around six months. Store bought tomato puree is fine, so long as it doesn't contain too much salt, or you can make your own. It is best to give your baby tomato puree as part of a varied diet, as tomatoes do not contain enough of the iron and protein that babies need when they start to drink less breast milk or formula.

Tuna

Tuna is an excellent source of protein and can be introduced into your baby's diet when they are six months old. Cooked or tinned tuna will be easier for your baby to eat, but if you do give your baby fresh tuna, be sure to check for any bones first.

Turmeric

It is generally thought to be safe to add turmeric to your baby's food between six months and nine months of age (don't give it as a powder though, as your baby could inhale it and choke). Because of its mild flavour, turmeric is a good first spice to introduce to your baby before they're old enough to try hotter flavours like chilli. Using turmeric can also help to liven up bland meals for your baby without needing to add extra salt or sugar.

Water

According to the NHS, breastfed babies don't need to drink water until they begin eating solid foods at around six months. Formula-fed babies can have extra water between milk feeds from birth, if needed during warmer weather. If your baby is under six months, always boil water to at least 70°C and leave to cool before serving.

Watermelon

The NHS advises that babies can eat watermelon from about six months, while Healthline recommends eight months. Always remove all the seeds before serving as a puree or mash. Watermelon slices can be slippery, so consider trying other types of melon first as a finger food.

Weetabix

Babies can eat cereals like Weetabix from around six months. The NHS suggests serving cereals mashed up with breastmilk, first infant formula or pasteurised full-fat cow's, goat's or sheep's milk. Remember your baby shouldn't have animal milk as a main drink until they are 12 months old, but it's fine mixed in with some cereal.

Yoghurt

Babies can eat plain yoghurt or fromage frais from around six months. Choose full-fat or Greek yoghurt to give your baby the nutrients they need to grow, but be sure to avoid unpasteurised yoghurts, as they can contain harmful listeria bacteria.

Looking for more baby weaning info? Take a look at our articles below, or swap tips with other new mums in our forum.

Your A-Z of baby food and drink safety

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