As excited as your little one may be to explore new foods, there are some items that should be avoided until their delicate tummy has had time to develop.

As exciting as it is to introduce new foods when you start solids with your baby, there are a few things that should stay off the menu for the first year. Some foods pose a choking hazard to young eaters, while others are not well suited for babies.

Here’s your guide to foods to avoid during your baby’s first year, along with recommendations for when it’s safe to introduce them.

Honey

Honey (or foods made with honey) is off-limits for the first year because it may contain the spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Although harmless to adults, these spores can cause infant botulism in babies under 1. This serious but rarely fatal illness can cause constipation, weakened sucking, poor appetite, lethargy, and even potentially pneumonia and dehydration. So, wait until your baby’s first birthday to serve your sweetie honey.

Cow’s Milk

It may do a (bigger) body good, but babies under 1 year old should steer clear of cow’s milk, since it can be hard for infants to digest. Cow’s milk also doesn’t have all the nutrients (such as iron and vitamin E) a baby needs to grow and develop during the first year, which is why breast milk or formula are the best milk sources.

Most doctors, however, will approve whole milk yogurt, cottage cheese, and hard cheese by around 8 months (and possibly even the occasional sip of whole milk). Once your baby is past the 1-year mark, whole cow’s milk is fine in moderation. Be on the lookout for a milk intolerance or allergy (though milk allergies are rare).

Fruit Juice

Fruit juice isn’t much better than sugar water, containing calories but none of the fat, protein, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, or fiber that babies need. It can fill tiny stomachs and reduce the appetite for breast milk or formula, which should be the primary source of nutrition in the first year. Too much juice can also cause tooth decay, diarrhea, and other digestive issues.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that fruit juice not be given at all to babies younger than a year old. Even after their first birthday, avoid giving juice at bedtime, and offer it only from a cup in small amounts during the day (no more than 4 ounces total daily for children up to the age of 3).

Sugary Treats

Babies who haven’t tasted a cupcake don’t care about frosting yet — and that’s a good thing. While baby taste buds naturally prefer sweet flavors, they are also open to sharp, tangy, tart, and even bitter flavors at this age.

There’s no need to ban naturally sweet baby favorites like bananas, which provide nutrients. However, avoid sweetening everything with fruit and keep sugary treats off the menu until at least the first birthday. This is especially important for chocolate (which also contains caffeine) and hard candies (like M&Ms, Skittles, and jelly beans), which pose a choking hazard.

Unpasteurized Foods

Just as these foods were off-limits during pregnancy, you should never serve your baby unpasteurized (raw) dairy products, juice, or cider. These can contain dangerous bacteria that may cause life-threatening illnesses in babies and young children.

Smoked and Cured Meats

Most smoked or cured meats (like bologna and bacon) contain nitrates and other chemicals and are high in sodium and animal fat, which means they should be given to babies rarely, if at all. The same goes for most smoked fish.

High-Mercury Fish

Research suggests that regularly feeding fish to babies and toddlers may boost IQ. However, avoid fish with high mercury levels, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and fresh tuna. Also, steer clear of fish from contaminated waters (especially if you go fishing; check with your local health department).

Instead, choose safer options like haddock, hake, pollock, ocean perch, whitefish, wild salmon, tilapia, flounder, trout, sole, shrimp, and scallops. Canned tuna is also fine; just opt for chunk light tuna, which has less mercury than albacore tuna, and limit to no more than 1 ounce per 12 pounds of your baby’s weight.

Refined Grains

Not all carbs are nutritionally equal. Complex carbs retain natural nutrients that are lost during the refining process, which turns whole grains white. Whole grains are also rich in fiber, helping to maintain steady blood sugar levels.

Keep refined grains like white bread off the menu and choose 100% whole grain pasta, bread, cereal, rice, and crackers instead. Even when making muffins or waffles at home, opt for whole grain flour over white flour. Starting this habit early helps your child make healthier food choices later in life. (Always cut breads, pastas, muffins, and waffles into tiny pieces for your baby.)

Top Choking Hazards for Babies and Toddlers

Because of the risk of choking, avoid giving your baby foods that won’t dissolve in the mouth, can’t be mashed with the gums, or can easily be sucked into the windpipe.

These include:

• Uncooked raisins
• Whole peas (unless mashed)
• Whole grapes
• Raw firm-fleshed vegetables (carrots, bell peppers)
• Raw firm-fleshed fruits (apples, unripe pears)
• Chunks of meat or poultry
• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Chunks of peanut butter
• Hot dogs
• Chewing gum

Once your baby’s molars come in around 12 months, you can add foods that require more chewing, like firm-flesh vegetables or fruits (e.g., raw apples grated or cut into very small pieces), small slices of meat and poultry (cut across the grain), and seedless grapes (skinned and halved).

Hold off on common choking hazards like raw carrots, popcorn, nuts, and whole hot dogs until your child is chewing well, usually around age 4 (though it may be earlier for some children and later for others). Even then, make sure they’re diced, cubed, or very thinly sliced when possible.

When Can I Feed My Baby Allergenic Foods?

You may have heard that allergenic foods — including peanuts, eggs, wheat, dairy, and shellfish — should be avoided during the first year. However, the AAP now recommends introducing allergenic foods early, between 4 and 11 months, to help prevent food allergies.

This is great news, as many of these foods, especially nuts, are packed with healthy protein, folate, and other essential nutrients. Just be sure to talk to your doctor first before introducing them, especially if allergies run in your immediate family. Introduce these foods one at a time at home so you can monitor for any reaction.

Avoid whole nuts before age 4, as they pose a choking hazard. Instead, start with smooth nut spreads and butters, spread very thinly.