What can my baby eat?

(Includes cheese, plain fromage frais, custard, milk sauces and plain yoghurt.)

For babies over 6 months.

Cow's milk may be used in cooking but not to drink until at they are at least one year old.

Goat's and sheep's milk are not suitable for those under 12 months and must be pasteurised.

Cows’ milk does not give all the nutrients that children aged under one require. It’s also low in iron and high in sodium, and lacks the essential energy levels that babies need.

(For example: wheat, rye, barley and oats.)

Suitable for babies over 6 months.

Avoid giving rusks, pasta, bread, flour, and breakfast cereals containing gluten, including porridge, to babies under 6 months old.

For babies over 6 months.

Not recommended or needed. Continue breastfeeding or using first formula as there is no medical or nutritional benefit from follow-on or second-stage formula.

Your wee one probably won’t sleep any longer on second-stage or follow-on formulas.

For babies over 6 months.

Juices aren’t recommended for babies because they have too much natural sugar but if you do want to give them they should be provided in a 50:50 dilution and kept to meal times.

Fruit drinks (like fruit shoots) are never recommended for babies and should be avoided.

Suitable for babies over 6 months.

For babies over 6 months.

Children under 16 years should avoid eating shark, marlin and swordfish. Probably unlikely to be on the kitchen table but useful to know!

Eggs can be given before 6 months as soon as they start eating first foods.

Cook eggs until the yolk and white are solid, unless they have the British Lion stamp which means runny yolk is fine.

However, if your child already has a known allergy, such as diagnosed eczema, a food allergy, or a family history of food allergies, you should talk to your GP, health visitor or medical allergy specialist before you give eggs, peanuts or foods containing peanuts for the first time.

You may have heard the previous advice to avoid giving a child food containing peanuts before 3 years of age if there is a history of allergy in the child’s family (such as eczema, hayfever, food allergy or other types of allergy). The advice has now changed - the latest research shows that introducing eggs and peanuts as soon as you start first foods will reduce the chances of your child developing a peanut or egg allergy.

However, if your child already has a known allergy, such as diagnosed eczema or a food allergy, you should talk to your GP, health visitor or medical allergy specialist before you give eggs, peanuts or foods containing peanuts for the first time. If you’re introducing nuts, peanuts or seeds from 6 months, they should be in paste form or very finely chopped to avoid choking.

For babies over 6 months.

Only low salt nut pastes or butters or finely chopped to avoid choking. Not whole nuts.

For babies over 6 months.

Yes, soya can be eaten. Soya-based infant formula should only be used on the advice of a health professional for rare medical conditions. Soya baby formula is not usually vegan.

Steer clear of other soya-based drinks until your baby is 12 months old. Also, it’s helpful to note that the vitamin D in soya milk is usually not vegan.

For babies over 6 months.

Liver can be eaten. However, if you’re giving your baby infant formula or vitamins, you should only give your wee one small amounts of liver – otherwise they might get too much vitamin A.

Only feed your baby honey when they reach 12 months old.