Bub’s First Christmas- Foods to share and those to avoid!

How to handle well meaning friends and family wanting to feed bub:

Firstly, it is a great idea BEFORE you arrive to Christmas lunch to give everyone a heads up about what you do and don't feel comfortable with, when it comes to feeding your baby. If you don't want anyone else to feed them- let everyone know.

You can simply say something like....

"We have only just started solids and there are lots of foods that aren't safe or okay for bub just yet- so we would appreciate it if everyone avoided giving any food to them this year"

or

"We are still working our way through introducing the common food allergens- we don't want bub to have a react to something at Christmas, so will avoid feeding them anything new. We have brought some food from home for them so it would be great if we can just make sure bub doesn't eat anything else at Christmas lunch".

or

 “We are very excited that (your bub’s name here) is able to enjoy some special Christmas foods with us this year. But, there are still some foods that aren’t safe for them yet. Are you able to check with us before offering them anything?”

We find that talking about this before Christmas helps parents feel relaxed and minimises any confusing or push back on the day!

So What Foods do you need to avoid?

Honey 

• Roasted veggies and salad dressings or even biscuits- always check that there hadn’t been honey added. Honey poses a higher food safety risk due to the potential risk of infant botulism. This is why we avoid honey for infants under 12 months of age.

Alcohol

• Many desserts and glazes for meat may contain alcohol. Even when cooked, we cannot guarantee that there is no alcohol left.

Choking Hazards

Often at parties and Christmas gatherings there are lots of platters and food aplenty on offer grazing style. This means it is easy for little people to get their hands on things without you realising. Foods to keep in mind and avoid include:

• Dried fruit
• Whole nuts and popcorn
• Marshmallows 
• Cubed cheese 
• Any chewy or hard lollies
• Whole grapes, berries, cherry tomatoes
• Whole prawns or other chewier seafood like calamari or octopus 

Food Safety

Some foods pose more of a food safety risk than others. Especially during the holidays on warm days where foods can sit out on platters for long periods of time. Foods to avoid may include:

• Deli meats 
• Mould ripened and unpasteurised cheese 
• Undercooked meat 
• Cooked and cooled seafood that is sitting around 
• Mayonnaise made with raw egg

New foods and Allergens

Other foods to keep in mind may include:

• Foods containing top 9 allergens that haven’t been introduced yet 
• If your little one has food allergies, foods that might contain allergens (sauces, glazes,  stuffing, cakes etc)
• New foods that are not texture appropriate yet (i.e pieces that are too big or too hard)

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list but just some common foods that tend to make an appearance with the holiday festivities! 

Do you need to worry about sugar or salt?

You might also be concerned about foods that have more sodium or sugar than you would usually offer. However, this is just one day of the year! If your little one has something with more sugar or more salt than usual, this is okay too! It is what you do most of the time that matters most.