Salt and sugar

3 min read

A baby’s kidneys cannot handle much salt, and too much can strain them. Do not add salt to your baby’s food or the cooking water, and avoid stock cubes and gravy made from them.

Read labels. Salt hides in bread, cheese, breakfast cereals, ready meals, sauces, ham, bacon, sausages and snacks. When you cook one family meal for everyone, take your baby’s portion out before you season.

Sugar is not needed either. Added sugar teaches a sweet tooth and harms teeth, and no sugar is recommended for children under 2. Choose fruit for sweetness, and skip juice, biscuits, cake and sweets.

Flavor food with herbs, mild spices, garlic, onion and lemon instead. When the first tooth appears, start gently brushing twice a day with a smear of fluoride toothpaste, as your dentist advises.