Sweet, wonderful honey!
I just know my daughter, Ava, would love to try honey. As I’ve written before, there’s just about nothing she turns down (creamed spinach is one thing so far she won’t eat… but that’s OK). However, we’ve all been told not to feed honey to infants. But, were you told why not to do so? This is what I know: honey contains the deadly bacterium Chlostridium botulinum. Botulinum spores are also commonly found in dust and some uncooked foods. When they grow in contaminated foods or inside the digestive tract of a young child, they can produce a toxin that causes botulism, a rare but sometimes deadly disease.
Studies identifying honey as the source were done in the ’80s, and most pediatricians recommend no honey for the first year. It is probably best to check with your own for even later updates.
It’s paradoxical, at least I think so, that it’s perfectly safe for a pregnant woman to eat honey. Wouldn’t you think that somehow the fetus would ingest some honey? Well, here’s an explanation. When adult eats honey containing botulinum spores, a protective acid and other mechanisms in the intestinal tract inhibit the spores from growing and producing the toxin. But a young child’s digestive system isn’t yet protective enough to inhibit the growth of the bacteria and production of the toxin. A pregnant woman can safely eat honey because her digestive tract will keep the botulinum bacteria from growing, and her honey consumption poses no danger to her fetus.
This form of food poisoning in babies or young children affects the nervous system and can result in death. The signs of infant botulism may include difficulty breathing; visual disturbances; lack of appetite; poor reflexes; weakness in the neck, arms, or legs; inability to suck or cry normally; and persistent constipation. The incubation period for infant botulism varies.
Although infant botulism poisoning is extremely rare, you can take some simple steps to prevent your baby from becoming infected: don’t add honey to baby food, water, formula, or medicine; and don’t dip a baby’s pacifier in honey. As children get older, stomach acid, bacteria, and the maturing intestinal tract make them less susceptible to botulism spores. By age 1, these defense mechanisms seem to be in place and honey can be safely consumed… but go at your own comfortable pace on introduction the food.
The good news is that when your kid starts to enjoy honey, you can use it virtually all recipes as a substitute for granulated sugar. The National Honey Board has published a great 16-page recipe book titled “7 days, 7 ways,” which includes recipes to enjoy honey everyday. Here’s a sample of one recipe, honey cherry almond granola bars, and there are many more yummy recipes with kids in mind.
Honey Cherry Almond Granola Bars
Makes 12-16 bars
Ingredients:
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
3 cups low-fat granola
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup dried cherries
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350oF. 2. Whisk together honey, butter, egg whites, cinnamon, and almond flavoring. 3. Stir in granola, almonds and cherries. Pat into 9-inch non-stick (or well-greased) square pan. Using a piece of wax paper, firmly press granola mixture in pan. 4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Place pan on a cooling rack. 5. Cool completely; cut into bars. (From The National Honey Board)
Honey is a great ingredient to use in all types of recipes from bread making to salad dressing to marinades. And, there are so many different varieties of honey with vanilla, eucalyptus, strawberry, orange, lime, clover, and a myriad of other tastes.
Although Ava is past the 1-year mark, my wife and I are holding off a bit longer to give her honey. But I can wait to let her start enjoying it… especially when we order a cheese plate at dinner. Happy eating!
