Foods to Avoid Before 12 Months (and Why)

Most foods are fine for babies once they have started solids, as long as they are prepared the right way. A short list of foods and drinks is best left out of the first year, though, and a few choking hazards need care for much longer. This guide explains what to skip, why, and what to offer instead. It is the same set of rules that every recipe and food guide in BabyJoy follows for babies under 12 months.

No honey before 12 months

Don’t give honey to babies under 12 months. Honey carries a risk of infant botulism, which is why the NHS and the CDC both advise against it in the first year. From 12 months, honey can be part of family food.

No added salt

NHS guidance is not to add salt to babies’ food. BabyJoy recipes for under-ones use no added salt, and cook vegetables, meat and fish without it. Salt is also hidden in many everyday foods, so these are worth avoiding before 12 months:

• No stock cubes or gravy. If a recipe needs stock, use unsalted or homemade stock with no salt added.
• No salty sauces and pastes, such as soy sauce, fish sauce and miso. Soy sauce is not for babies under 12 months because of its high salt content. From 12 months, use low-sodium soy sauce only, in tiny amounts stirred into family cooking rather than served as a dip.
• No processed meats, such as bacon, ham, sausages and salami, which are high in salt.
• No salty cheeses such as parmesan. Milder cheeses, such as pasteurised mozzarella, work well instead.
• No processed salty or sugary foods such as crackers, granola and ketchup.

For flavour without salt, try herbs, a little garlic, a pinch of spice, a squeeze of lemon juice or a little unsalted butter.

No added sugar or syrups

BabyJoy recipes for under-ones use no added sugar, in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. Before 12 months that means:

• no sugar of any kind, including brown, cane and coconut sugar;
• no syrups, such as maple, golden, agave, rice and date syrup, and no molasses;
• no sweetened products, such as sweetened yogurt or condensed milk.

Ripe fruit adds natural sweetness to porridge and baking: think mashed banana in pancakes or grated apple in porridge. Our rice pudding has no added sugar for under-ones, with cinnamon for flavour. For drinks and yogurts, choose plain and unsweetened versions such as plain full-fat yogurt or plain kefir.

No fruit juice before 12 months

Fruit juice is not recommended for babies under 12 months. Offer whole fruit, prepared safely for your baby’s age, instead. A squeeze of lemon or lime juice used as a flavouring in cooking is fine.

Cow’s milk: in food, not as a main drink

Cow’s milk can be used in cooking or mixed into food from 6 months, for example a splash in porridge, mashed vegetables or scrambled egg. It should not be the main drink before 12 months, though; breast milk or formula stays your baby’s main drink. From 12 months, whole (full-fat) pasteurised milk can be offered as a drink in an open or free-flow cup with meals and snacks. Lower-fat milks are not recommended as a main drink before age 2.

The same “in food only, not as a main drink before 12 months” rule applies to plant drinks such as unsweetened oat milk.

Never offer unpasteurised (raw) milk, and choose cheeses, yogurt and kefir made from pasteurised milk.

Choking hazards to avoid or modify

Some foods are a choking risk because of their size, shape or texture. These rules apply in the first year and, for several foods, for years after:

• Whole grapes: never serve them whole. Quarter grapes lengthwise, and keep quartering until age 4.
• Whole cherry tomatoes: quarter them; they still need cutting after 12 months.
• Whole cherries: remove every stone and stem and quarter cherries, or smash them flat; never serve them whole.
• Whole or chopped nuts: a choking hazard for children under 5. Use smooth, thinned nut butters or finely ground nuts instead.
• Thick nut butter: don’t serve peanut butter or other nut butters thick or by the spoonful. Thin with water, or spread very thinly.
• Popcorn: avoid it for babies and young children.
• Hard raw vegetables: avoid them; steam or roast until very soft instead. Raw carrot is still a choking hazard after 12 months.
• Raw apple: a choking hazard at 6 to 9 months, so cook it until soft. From 9 months, very thin raw slices are an option.
• Whole or dry raisins: not before 12 months. Soak raisins until plump and chop them finely before mixing them into food.

Our guide to cutting food safely by age covers the safe shape for each age.

Fish: choose lower-mercury options

Fish is one of the common allergens to introduce early. Choose lower-mercury fish. If you use canned light tuna, keep amounts limited and mix it with other foods. The FDA/EPA advice about eating fish lists which fish are lower in mercury. For a mild first fish, try our white fish with pea puree.

What this looks like day to day

None of this means plain, boring food. A typical meal for an under-one in BabyJoy might be steamed broccoli trees with a little olive oil and lemon, flaked fish, and ripe fruit. When you cook for the family, take your baby’s portion out first, so it has no added salt, salty sauces or sweeteners.

If you are unsure about a specific food, look it up in the BabyJoy food guide or ask your pediatrician.

This guide is based on published guidance, including the NHS page Foods to avoid giving babies and young children, the CDC’s Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit and Choking Hazards, the AAP’s Choking Prevention and Starting Solid Foods, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 and the FDA/EPA Advice about Eating Fish.