Babies and festive meals

| With Christmas, family gatherings and special meals arrive and it is precisely at this time when we usually incorporate foods that are not the usual ones on our table. If this year, there is a baby in the family, it is time to consider whether or not you can consume certain products. If in doubt, consult a nutritionist.

In each house, Christmas is celebrated differently and meals have their own variations. There is a common denominator: we tend to incorporate preparations and foods that are not common on our daily table. Therefore, in the event that there is a baby In the family it is time to consider whether or not you can consume certain products, and if we are going to have to prepare something special, depending on your age and the foods that have already been incorporated into your diet. And it is not very advisable to offer new and potentially allergenic foods in full parties. If you are old enough to take some typical Christmas, they can be introduced a few days before.

• It is convenient to monitor what is given to the baby at parties, days in which we usually incorporate different foods and preparations.
• Honey, shellfish, nuts ... can be dangerous for babies for different reasons.
• On the other hand, soups, soft meat and fish, and sweets without honey or sprinkles are a good option for them.

Some foods to avoid

It should always be personalized, but here are some typical holiday foods that can pose a risk to your baby:

• Honey

It is a common product in Spanish sweets and especially in nougats (Jijona, Alicante ...) and some guirlaches also contain it as the main ingredient. Well, in children under one year of age it is not advisable to consume honey due to the risk of food poisoning. Some cases of infant botulism have been linked to honey due to the presence of spores in it. Babies under 12 months may not have a mature digestive system and spores, if they reach their intestines, can germinate and multiply to produce the neurotoxin of botulism. It is a different botulism from that suffered by an adult who consumes the toxin.

• Shellfish

If our pockets allow it, seafood is not usually missing on Christmas tables. In one way or another we usually use it to give the table a showy and exclusive look. The moment of introducing shellfish to a child will depend to a great extent on the allergy history that may exist in the family and the food variety that we have been introducing since we began to diversify their diet. We must bear in mind that shellfish should always be eaten well cooked, and also it is not advisable to consume regularly or in quantity of: prawn heads, crayfish or prawns or the body of crustaceans similar to crabs due to their cadmium content.

• Nuts

The consumption of nuts is usually common on some tables, as an aperitif, dessert, as part of the capon filling or as an accompaniment to some meat. We will take into account that whole nuts or in large pieces constitute a choking risk and therefore it is necessary to avoid them approximately until children are older than 3 years. Generally, the nutritional composition of these is interesting, so if the baby has already taken them at some time (the moment of introduction must be personalized if there is a history of allergies), they can be offered crushed as part of a dish or dessert.

BEWARE OF THE NEGLECTED

• On these dates, the tumult and uproar of people, the presence of alcoholic beverages and the festivity itself can be a perfect combination to lower our guard and mislead our attention on the little ones. This can lead to children trying foods or drinks that are not yet touched on their own risk, and this can pose a direct risk to their health. Therefore, be careful not to leave nuts, coffees and alcoholic beverages within your reach.

Perfect foods for them

Each baby is different, but some things tend to like most and do not pose a risk to their health unless it is a little one with a health problem or a specific allergy.

Soups! meat, fish, with pasta ...

We know you love them and they are usually a typical dish of the Christmas holidays in many houses. For the little ones, it will be ideal to prepare the typical vegetable broth with chicken, to which you can add ham bone to give more flavor. We will just try not to be too greasy. We can also make it from fish, and in this case the only thing we have to take into account is not to use crustacean heads and make sure that no spines slip through us. If we want to succeed for sure, we can use the broth without stumbling and add pasta or rice to the taste of the children of the house.

Tender meats and fish with little bone

The typical capon or turkey stuffed with fruits and dried fruit in the oven can be a good alternative. We only have to avoid the part that has been too dry and if we have put whole nuts inside, remove them from the baby's plate or crush them if they have already taken them before and do not present allergy problems.

Another option is a tender meat stew in a sauce that is honeyed but without wine or the like, or an excess of salt. A good example would be a mild beef stew with mushrooms. If we opt for fish, possibly the best option is a dish of monkfish with sauce or suitable accompaniment, since it is a valued fish that is often used at parties and that does not have bones, so it will be the ideal example. Of course, depending on the age of the baby, an accompaniment of mussels or chirlas may not be the most indicated.

Sweets without honey or liquor

Those that contain honey in babies under 1 year, but they can enjoy sweets such as marzipan or waffles. Of course, we must not forget that although a day is a day and the little one can take certain special things, we should not abuse the consumption of sweets neither they nor we and it is not a good idea to start babies too quickly in the taste for sweets , as they will easily show a predilection for it. Another thing that we must take into account is not to offer sweets that contain liquor, coffee or a lot of chocolate or with large pieces of which are dangerous due to the risk of choking.