Salt
Don’t add any salt to the foods you give your baby because a young baby’s kidneys cannot cope with it: babies under a year should have less than 1g salt per day, which is less than 0.4g sodium.
Baby foods are not allowed to contain added salt. But any foods you buy that are not targeted at babies, especially cheese, sausages and bacon, can often be high in salt, so limit how much of these you let your baby eat.
Most of the salt we eat comes from the food products we buy, so check food labels so you can compare products. Food labels often give figures for sodium rather than salt. Choose lower salt (or lower sodium) versions for your baby whenever you can.
It’s best not to encourage a liking for salt at any age, so when you’re cooking for the family, leave out the salt so your baby can share the food. This is healthier for the rest of the family too.

Sugar
Sugary foods and drinks can encourage a sweet tooth and lead to tooth decay when your baby’s teeth start to develop. Only add sugar to foods if it is really necessary. Sweet puddings, biscuits, sweets and ice creams are not recommended for babies under a year.

Honey
Do not give honey, even for easing coughs, to your baby until they are a year old. Very occasionally honey contains a type of bacteria that can produce toxins in babies’ intestines. This can cause a very serious illness called infant botulism.
Honey is also a sugar, which means, like sugar, it can encourage a sweet tooth and lead to tooth decay.

Low-fat, low-calorie and high-fibre
It is not advisable to give ‘low-fat’, ‘low-calorie’ or ‘high-fibre’ foods to babies. Babies have small tummies, but are growing fast. They need foods that provide lots of calories and nutrients within a small intake, rather than large quantities of high-fibre foods.
Fat gives them energy and provides some vitamins that are only found in fat. So choose full-fat dairy foods.
Do not give your baby high-fibre versions of foods, especially those with added bran as they prevent babies from absorbing important minerals such as calcium and iron. It is better not to give your baby brown rice, wholemeal pasta or bran-enriched breakfast cereals until they are older, though brown bread is largely fine.

Fish
Avoid giving any shark, swordfish or marlin. This is because the levels of mercury in these fish can affect a baby’s growing nervous system.
You should also avoid giving raw shellfish to babies to reduce their risk of food poisoning.

Eggs
Raw or lightly cooked eggs are not suitable for young babies.
Eggs can be given to babies over six months, but make sure they are thoroughly cooked until both the white and yolk are solid.