Babies can have a tiny taste of ice cream after 6 months, but it's best to wait until after 12 months for occasional treats, avoiding added sugar and honey until age 2, as recommended by health experts. Focus on small amounts, ensuring it's pasteurized and free from choking hazards like nuts or large candy pieces, and introduce allergens like dairy separately. Homemade, fruit-sweetened "ice cream" is a healthier alternative for younger babies.
Ice cream may seem like a fun food choice, but added sugar makes it unhealthy for your growing tot. While it is safe for your baby to consume ice cream after six months of age, the CDC recommends waiting until 24 months to include added sugars in your baby's diet.
Sugary foods and drinks can encourage a sweet tooth and may lead to tooth decay once your baby's teeth start to come through. Sweet puddings, biscuits, sweets and ice creams are not recommended for babies under 1 year. Don't give any whole nuts, including peanuts, to children under 5 because they could cause choking.
12 months old +:
Serve ice cream in a cup or bowl for the child to scoop with their hands or a spoon. Do not offer ice cream that is unpasteurized or contains raw or undercooked egg, or common choking hazards like candy or pieces of nuts.
Do not give your baby:
Toddlers between 12 and 24 months should avoid:
The American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization recommend babies exclusively consume breast milk or formula ideally until 6 months of age; following those guidelines, we'd advise against offering babies fruit popsicles (or any other solid foods) until at least 6 months old.
Assuming they're not allergic to dairy, it's not going to make your baby sick or physically hurt them, like honey or a choking hazard could. It's just generally not a healthy choice.
Occasional tiny tastes after 12 months are usually safe, but regular servings should wait until your child is at least two. Babies eating ice cream too early may develop a preference for sweet foods. Early exposure to sugar can also affect your child's metabolism and increase the risk of weight problems later.
Honey given to children younger than 12 months may cause a severe food poisoning called botulism. Do not give your child honey before 12 months.
Introducing peanut butter to babies around 4-6 months is an ideal time to test. To introduce peanut butter, we recommend mixing 1-2 teaspoons of peanut butter with 2-3 teaspoons of water, breast milk or formula to thin it out. “I would recommend picking a peanut butter without too many fillers in it,” said Dr. Anvari.
Most major medical organizations recommend avoiding or modifying choking hazard foods until your child is age four – that's the age when most kids have adequate oral-motor strength and coordination to properly handle these foods.
Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
However, be mindful of choking hazards—especially during Halloween, when hard and round lollies, such as skittles, m&m's, lollipops and gum balls, are common. These treats can pose a serious risk for babies and toddlers, so they should be avoided entirely until they are over 4 years old.
Babies can start trying mild, softly spiced food from around 6–7 months, once they've got a few veggie purees under their bibs! We've rounded up our yummiest, and most colourful baby curry recipes – perfect for making baby-friendly curry part of your regular family meals.
Hot dogs. This cookout staple is a choking hazard due to the tube shape and compressibility. If you do choose to give hot dogs to children, it is safest to cut them length wise and in small pieces.
While we generally recommend waiting until closer to 2 years of age as it tends to contain high levels of sugar, a taste of ice cream before then won't hurt. 🍦 If sharing with a baby under 12 months of age, make sure it does not contain honey, which is associated with a risk of infant botulism.
Strawberries may be introduced as soon as a baby is ready for solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.
The "3 Bite Rule" for kids encourages children to try a new food by taking three small bites to help them get used to unfamiliar flavors, popularized by the "Pete the Cat" books; it aims to reduce picky eating pressure by making trying a low-stakes, routine step, but some experts caution against forcing bites as it can create mealtime stress, recommending gentle exposure instead. The rule involves the first bite to taste, the second to savor, and the third to decide if they want more, though the core idea is repeated, gentle exposure to new foods, not necessarily eating the whole thing.
There's no single "number 1" unhealthy food, but ultra-processed items like sugary drinks, processed meats (bacon, hot dogs), deep-fried foods (fries), and refined snacks (donuts, chips, sugary cereals) consistently top lists due to high sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and additives linked to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. These items offer little nutritional value while increasing risks for chronic diseases.
When your baby is just starting solid foods, don't serve whole, raw berries – they could be a choking hazard. Start off by serving your baby cooked, pureed berries with no extra ingredients. It's okay if you don't strain the seeds out of your baby's food – they're not a choking hazard.
Eggs may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Ensure that egg is well-cooked to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Start with iron- and zinc-fortified baby cereals or pureed/mashed meats, particularly for babies who have only had breast milk. By 6 months breast milk does not provide enough of these nutrients.
Frozen foods such as pizza, chicken nuggets, burgers or chips can be high in fat and salt. If you do offer any of these, only give 1 of them once a week. Avoid processed meat like ham or bacon. If you do offer these, you should also limit them to a small amount once a week.