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What foods should babies avoid? The NHS list, and what we were careful with
The NHS website lists foods to avoid giving babies and young children, including added salt, sugar, and sweeteners, honey until a child is over 1 year old, whole nuts for under 5s, some cheeses, and raw or lightly cooked eggs that are not stamped with the red lion.[1]
How this page works. Every health fact here comes from the NHS website and links to the page it came from, with that page's review date. The "In our house" box is our own experience. Nothing here is advice. For advice, go to the NHS page, your health visitor, or your GP.
Salt
The NHS says babies should not eat much salt, because it is not good for their kidneys. It says not to add salt to a baby's food or cooking water, and not to use stock cubes or gravy, which are often high in salt. Salty foods to avoid include bacon, sausages, chips with added salt, crackers, crisps, ready meals, and takeaways.[1]
Sugar and sweeteners
The NHS says a baby does not need sugar or sweeteners. For children aged 4 or younger, it says to avoid food and drink with sweeteners or sugar, including the natural sugar in honey, syrup, fruit juice, and smoothies. It says eating fruit is fine, and that avoiding sugary snacks and drinks helps prevent tooth decay.[1]
Saturated fat
The NHS says not to give a child too many foods high in saturated fat, such as crisps, biscuits, and cakes, and that nutrition labels can help you choose.[1]
Honey: not until over 1 year old
The NHS says honey occasionally contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines, leading to infant botulism, which it describes as a very serious illness. It says not to give a child honey until they are over 1 year old.[1]
Whole nuts and peanuts
The NHS says whole nuts should not be given to children under 5 years old, because they can choke on them. Nuts can be given from the start of weaning, usually around 6 months, if they are crushed or ground and added to food. Nut butter can be given spread onto food such as toast, but not on its own. If there is a history of food allergies in your family, it says to talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing any type of nut.[1]
Some cheeses
The NHS says babies can eat pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months, including hard cheeses such as mild cheddar, cottage cheese, and cream cheese. It says babies and young children should not eat mould-ripened soft cheeses such as brie or camembert, ripened goats' milk cheese, or soft blue-veined cheese such as roquefort, because there is a higher risk they carry listeria. It says many cheeses are made from unpasteurised milk and are better avoided, that you can check labels for pasteurised milk, and that these cheeses can be used in a cooked recipe because cooking kills listeria.[1]
Raw and lightly cooked eggs
The NHS says babies can have eggs from around 6 months. Hens' eggs stamped with a red lion, or boxes marked with a red lion and the words British Lion Quality, are fine to give raw or lightly cooked. It says hens' eggs without the red lion mark should be cooked until both the white and yolk are solid, and so should duck, goose, or quail eggs. It also says to avoid raw egg in things like uncooked cake mixture, homemade ice cream, or homemade mayonnaise unless you can confirm the eggs are red lion stamped.[1]
Rice drinks
The NHS says children under 5 should not have rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula, or for cows' milk after 1 year old, because they may contain too much arsenic. It says this does not mean a baby cannot eat rice, and that there is no immediate risk if a child has already had a rice drink.[1]
Slush ice drinks
The NHS says children aged 7 and under should not have slush ice drinks, because they may contain too much glycerol.[1]
Raw jelly cubes, raw shellfish, and some fish
- Raw jelly cubes can be a choking hazard. The NHS says to follow the manufacturer's instructions when making jelly from them.[1]
- Raw or lightly cooked shellfish, such as mussels, clams, and oysters, can increase the risk of food poisoning, so the NHS says it is best not to give them to babies.[1]
- The NHS says all babies and children under 16 should avoid shark, swordfish, and marlin, because the mercury in these fish can affect the development of a baby's nervous system.[1]
Choking hazards from the first solid foods page
The NHS also says to avoid hard foods like whole nuts, raw carrot, or raw apple, and to cut small, round foods like grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters.[2]
In our house
The two we were most careful about were nuts and honey. We also kept early foods mostly savoury, with plenty of vegetables, rather than sweet. Now that they are older, we often give them the same meals we eat, with reduced added salt and no unnecessary sugar. This is what we did, not a recommendation.
If you are worried
This page is a summary of NHS information plus our own experience. It is not medical advice. If you are worried your child may have eaten something on this list, you can speak to your health visitor or GP, or use NHS 111. The NHS also has pages on botulism and food allergies in babies and young children.
Sources
- NHS website: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children. Page last reviewed 18 February 2026; next review due 18 February 2029; page last updated by the NHS on 29 September 2026. I checked it on 3 October 2026.
- NHS website: Your baby's first solid foods. Page last reviewed 19 February 2026; next review due 19 February 2029; page last updated by the NHS on 10 March 2026. I checked it on 3 October 2026.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This page summarises NHS website content in our own words, and an adaptation may not carry the NHS's formal clinical approval. Tiny Tummies is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NHS.