Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit for Babies and Toddlers

Healthy eating for young children is about balance. Babies can start complementary foods at about 6 months — but some foods and drinks aren't safe for them, and others are less healthy choices.

At a glance

Honey

Don't give honey before 12 months — not in food, water or formula, and not on a pacifier.

Added sugars

Infants and young children shouldn't have added sugars. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans say they have no room in their diet for them: complementary foods and drinks should be nutrient-dense, without extra calories from added sugar. Foods that can contain it include muffins, flavored yogurts and cookies. Use the Nutrition Facts label to find foods with none.

Sugary drinks

Sugar-sweetened drinks contain added sugars — and they're not the same as 100% juice. They include:

• soda, soft drinks, cola or pop;
• flavored milk;
• sports drinks;
• flavored water with sugar;
• juice drinks.

Best choices: drinks with no added sugars — water and plain, unsweetened milk. Low-lactose or lactose-free milk and unsweetened, fortified dairy alternatives are healthy too.

Salt

Avoid foods high in salt (sodium), such as:

• some canned foods — choose low-sodium or no-salt-added;
• processed meats — lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs, ham;
• some frozen dinners;
• some snack foods and store-bought packaged toddler foods.

The Nutrition Facts label shows which have less sodium.

Fish high in mercury

Too much mercury over time can harm the brain and nervous system. Avoid giving young children:

King mackerel · marlin · orange roughy · shark · swordfish · tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico) · bigeye tuna

But don't cut out fish: many kinds are lower in mercury, carry nutrients that support brain development and the immune system, and belong in a healthy diet. The FDA has advice on which fish to choose. Before serving fish that family or friends caught, check local fish and shellfish advisories.

Unpasteurized foods and drinks

Unpasteurized juice, milk (often called raw milk), yogurt and cheeses can carry harmful bacteria that cause severe diarrhea. Don't give them to your child.

Cow's milk before 12 months

Cow's milk before a baby's first birthday:

• may risk intestinal bleeding;
• has too much protein and too many minerals for a baby's kidneys to handle easily;
• lacks the right balance of nutrients a baby needs.

Juice

• Before 12 months: no fruit or vegetable juice at all.
• After 12 months: it's unnecessary. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 4 ounces of 100% fruit juice a day for children aged 1 through 3. Check the label that it's 100% juice: fruit drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and juice drinks contain added sugars.
• Better still, whole fruit. It's healthier than juice. CDC's Good Nutrition Starts Early has tips for introducing fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods.

Caffeine

Children under 24 months should avoid caffeinated drinks — soft drinks, tea, coffee and sports drinks. There's no established safe limit of caffeine for young children.

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These lists are examples, not everything to avoid or limit. Ask your child's doctor or nurse if you have questions. See also CDC's foods and drinks to encourage.

Sources

Based on "Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit," Infant and Toddler Nutrition, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The page's stock photograph is not reproduced.