Can babies have Honey Graham Crackers? No, babies under 12 months of age shouldn’t have Honey Graham Crackers. Ingesting honey can be dangerous for infants under one year because honey can include the Clostridium botulinum bacteria and result in infant botulism (a severe type of food poisoning). Symptoms of infant botulism include muscle weakness, trouble swallowing, and breathing problems.
Parents are always cautious about what they feed their babies and for a good reason. Infants (0-12 months) have developing digestive systems that are delicate. For that reason, they can’t digest some ingredients, like honey. So, if you’re wondering whether you can feed your baby Honey Graham Crackers or Ritz Crackers, we can help.
This Graham Cracker-centric article will walk you through all aspects of feeding babies this snack. From an ingredients list to a nutritional breakdown, we will cover everything. All you have to do is stick with us to learn more.
Table of Contents
Can babies eat Honey Graham Crackers?
Babies under 12 months can’t eat Honey Graham Crackers because the dry crackers include honey as an ingredient. Pediatricians warn against feeding infants (babies in the 0-12 months age range) honey because it can contain the Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
This gram-positive bacteria thrives in dust and soil and can cause infant botulism in infants upon ingestion.
Infant botulism is an intestinal toxemia (poisoning). Once the spores of the Clostridium bacteria find their way to an infant’s large intestine, they start producing the botulinum neurotoxin.
Symptoms of the disease include weak muscles, poor appetite, trouble swallowing, and respiratory distress.
Infant botulism is generally diagnosed via stool testing and related symptoms. Babies with botulism require immediate medical attention.
If you suspect your precious bundle of joy has botulism, we highly recommend that you call your pediatrician right away. Babies with botulism requires hospitalization.
Once there at the hospital, doctors will try to control the problems created by the toxins. Treatment usually includes the botulism immune globulin intravenous (BIGIV) antitoxin.
What are Honey Graham Crackers?
Graham Crackers are sweet, flat, and dry biscuits. Honey Graham Crackers are made from graham flour (a coarse whole wheat flour) and include honey as an ingredient. These crackers or biscuits are typically eaten as snacks and are available in various flavors.
The origins of Graham Crackers can be traced back to the 19th century and the preaching of the Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham. He was part of the temperance movement and believed that minimizing pleasure of all kinds would lead to a healthier lifestyle.
He introduced the first Graham Cracker, made from unsifted flour. These wafers were also unsweetened.
While the Crackers became popular among the proponents of the temperance movement, Graham did not profit from them or other variations of Graham Crackers.
Do all Graham Crackers have Honey?
Graham Crackers are manufactured by several biscuit and cookie manufacturers. That’s why they can vary in ingredients and flavor. Generally, Graham Crackers are available in their original form and are sweetened using sugar.
However, some manufacturers, such as Nabisco, produce Honey Maid Honey Graham Crackers that include pasteurized honey as an ingredient. They also sometimes add cinnamon to the mixture to give the flavoring of dry, baked biscuits a slight twist.
What are the ingredients in Honey Maid Graham Crackers?
As stated earlier, the ingredients of Graham Crackers can differ based on the manufacturer. If you’re wondering what the components of Honey Maid’s Honey Graham Crackers are, this section can help.
We will first list out all the ingredients. Then, we will discuss each of them in details.
Honey Maid Graham Crackers ingredients
- Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate Vitamin B1 , Riboflavin Vitamin B2 , Folic Acid).
- Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour).
- Sugar.
- Soybean And/Or Canola Oil.
- Honey.
- Leavening (Baking Soda And/Or Calcium Phosphate).
- Salt.
- Soy Lecithin.
- Artificial Flavor.
Unbleached Enriched Flour
Unbleached enriched flour simply means wheat flour fortified with added supplements. These include components like Thiamine mononitrate (also known as vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and folic acid.
While vitamins B1 and B2 are beneficial in terms of human diet, enriched flour still comes second to plain whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour has a high fiber content and includes natural nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, calcium, and protein. That’s why they’re easier to digest and don’t impact the glycemic index too much.
Graham Flour
Honey Maid’s Honey Graham Cracker ingredient list also mentions graham flour (unsifted whole-grain wheat flour). This is a plus point because it can help up the biscuit’s fiber content, making it easier on your baby’s digestive system.
Sugar
Honey Maid Crackers list sugar as an ingredient too. While sugar isn’t necessarily a ‘bad’ ingredient, too much can be troublesome.
Honey Maid Graham Crackers list sugar and honey as ingredients, which is why it may not be advisable to feed too many to toddlers (babies over one year), as it can affect their energy levels and sleep patterns.
Vegetable oil
Soybean and Canola Oil used in Graham Crackers might be problematic ingredients for babies. Soybeans in the US are generally GMO (genetically modified organisms). The oil extracted from these beans can affect digestion and cause flatulence in babies.
Honey
Honey generally has a lot to recommend it. It’s naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It’s also an antioxidant. However, the presence of the Clostridium bacteria makes it dangerous for infants (babies aged 0 to12 months) to consume.
Leavening
Baking soda is added to baking goods to help them rise or become light and airy. However, consuming too much baking soda can cause side effects like muscle spasms, frequent urination, and diarrhea in infants.
Salt
As a naturally occurring compound, salt is generally used to flavor foods. It can also help you stay hydrated and supports a healthy nervous system.
On the other hand, excess salt intake can increase the risk of heart disease (even for babies) later in life.
Soy Lecithin
Derived from soy and other sources, soy lecithin is a food additive. It’s generally used as a flavor protectant and is safe for babies with soy allergies to consume.
Artificial Flavor
Artificial flavor can be described as non-natural substances used to flavor foods and beverages. It’s not the healthiest of ingredients for babies, but it can be consumed in measured quantities.
Honey Maid Graham Crackers nutrition facts (1 Cracker or 3.8 grams)
Now that we’ve covered ingredients, let’s focus on Honey Maid Graham Crackers nutrition facts.
But before we discuss nutrients and their pros and cons in detail, here’s a helpful table to help you understand the nutritional breakdown.
| Name, Unit | Amount |
| Calories, cal | 16.3 |
| Total Fat, g | 0.4 |
| Sodium, mg | 16.3 |
| Total Carbohydrate, g | 3 |
| Dietary Fiber, g | 0.1 |
| Total Sugar, g | 1 |
| Protein, g | 0.3 |
| Calcium, mg | 1.3 |
| Iron, mg | 0.1 |
| Potassium, mg | 6.3 |
As you can see from the table, a single Honey Maid Graham Cracker includes about 16.3 calories. Compared to other baked goods on the market, 16.3 calories are relatively lower and safe for adults and babies to consume.
Graham Crackers are also relatively low in fat content, with each cracker containing only 0.4g of fat. The biscuits contain 6.3 mg of potassium, which is good for fluid balance and muscle control.
The cons include 16.3 mg of sodium and 0.1 g of dietary fiber. Eating too many Graham Crackers might affect your overall salt intake, whereas the low fiber content can affect the digestion of toddlers by causing constipation or flatulence.
Do Honey Maid Graham Crackers have dairy?
The Honey Maid Graham Crackers ingredient list doesn’t mention any milk, lactose, casein, or whey. They are safe for those with lactose intolerance to consume.
Do Honey Maid Graham Crackers have eggs?
No, Honey Maid Graham Crackers do not contain eggs. The product’s ingredient list doesn’t mention soy, dairy, or eggs. It’s safe for those looking for dairy-free crackers but is not considered vegan due to honey.
Is the Honey in Honey Maid Graham Crackers pasteurized?
If you go through the list of ingredients of Honey Maid Graham Crackers, you’ll see that the label says, ‘Made With Real Honey.’ However, there is no mention of pasteurization on the Honey Maid Graham Cracker box.
Yet, when you dig in a little deeper and visit their website, you’ll discover that Honey Maid makes it evident that they bake all their biscuits at such high temperatures to pasteurize all of the ingredients of their Graham Crackers, including the honey.
Nonetheless, one cautionary recommendation that even Honey Maid makes to their consumers is to take advice from pediatricians before feeding babies Graham Crackers or honey Graham Crackers.
And when it comes to pediatricians, most advise keeping away honey-flavored processed foods or products with honey from babies below one-year-old.
Are Honey Graham Crackers safe for babies?
Graham crackers make quite a tasty treat for most adults and kids. However, when you’re thinking of offering Honey Graham Crackers to babies, you need to take into consideration many aspects.
Babies have delicate constitutions and fragile immune and digestive systems. Hence you can’t just add different foods to their meals without proper knowledge.
Pediatricians advise that babies younger than six months of age should only be on mother’s milk or infant formula.
After seven months of age, you can start giving your baby a meager amount of boiled and pureed food like apples, peas, and potatoes. These pureed snacks should be offered in small quantities. This will help you analyze how your baby takes to the food provided.
Offering Honey Graham Crackers to babies under 12 months can result in complications. Here are a few of them.
- Honey Graham Crackers are flat, crisp biscuits. So, these sweet treats present a choking hazard for your baby. The dry biscuit can get lodged inside the esophagus or trachea.
- Honey Graham Crackers are made from graham flour which is coarsely ground. The texture and consistency of the biscuit are grainy and hard. It can also scratch your baby’s tender gums, mouth, or throat lining.
- The high amount of sodium in Honey Graham Crackers is terrible for your tiny tots. Honey Graham Crackers have a sodium level of 16.3 mg per cracker. For an infant under a year old, too much sodium can cause damage to the kidneys, high blood pressure, and a higher risk of heart disease.
- Processed finger foods are not a food category you want your baby to eat from such an early age. The healthier your baby eats, the healthier your baby will be. Often processed foods contain artificial preservatives, flavorings, colorings, and GMO ingredients – all of which are harmful to your baby.
- Honey Graham Crackers also contains canola oil. Canola oil is extracted using a chemical named Hexane. The heat and the chemical can impact the stability of the oil’s molecules. And in the process, the omega 3 in the oil is destroyed, and trans fat is generated, making it unhealthy for consumption.
- Honey Graham Crackers contain honey. Babies under one have an underdeveloped immune system. These little ones can quickly get botulism from honey, even when the honey has been pasteurized.
- One of the crucial elements that parents tend to overlook is that Honey Graham Crackers are made from graham flour. Graham flour is essentially wheat flour. And wheat flour contains gluten. So, unless you’re sure your baby isn’t allergic to gluten, you should avoid gluten-based products.
Can babies get botulism from Honey Graham Crackers?
Yes, babies can get botulism from Honey Graham Crackers. Babies under one year of age have weak immune systems. Therefore, even a tiny bit of honey is enough to give your infant botulism.
Signs of botulism in babies
The symptoms of botulism in babies include the following:
- Weak and altered cry
- Floppy with no tones
- Respiratory difficulties
- Sluggish pupils
- Poor feeding
- Diminished gag reflexes
Other signs of botulism in baby could be respiratory arrest, severe constipation, and flattened facial expressions.
When can babies have Honey Graham Crackers?
It is safe to offer babies Honey Graham Crackers once he or she is older than a year. But you should be careful about introducing a new food source into your baby’s diet.
Giving babies small and chewable bites in tiny quantities is the best way to go. And it is best to monitor how your baby physically responds to Honey Graham Crackers.
Ensuring that your baby has regular bowel movements, shows no irregular facial expressions, and eats properly will go a long way in keeping your baby fit.
I accidentally gave my baby Honey Graham Crackers! What should I do?
If your baby has had their first birthday, you don’t need to stress out too much about giving your baby Honey Graham Crackers. You will have to monitor your little one more carefully to ensure he or she shows no signs of botulism.
But, as you already know, babies older than a year old can digest Honey Graham Crackers without suffering from any adverse symptoms.
However, you will need to consult a pediatrician if you accidentally gave baby Honey Graham Crackers before they turned a year old. It’s wise not to panic. Booking an appointment as soon as possible with a pediatrician will ease the problem.
No one really knows how long it would take for the symptoms of botulism to appear. The signs could appear anytime between 3 to 30 days.
If the child is acutely ill, the doctor may recommend treatment in an ICU, put your child on a respirator, or even suggest feeding through an IV or tube.
But, if your baby is only mildly unwell, the doctor may treat the baby with an antitoxin called botulism immune globulin intravenous (BIGIV). These meds are given to babies as soon as possible.
Babies with infantile botulism recover much faster with BIGIV and need to spend very little time in the hospital than infants who haven’t been treated immediately.
11 month old ate Honey Graham Crackers! What should I do?
If your 11 month old ate Honey Graham Crackers, what should you do? The first order of business is not to panic.
If your baby has only eaten a cracker or two, they’ll be fine because Honey Maid Graham Crackers are baked at high enough temperatures to pasteurize the honey.
However, you can always contact your baby’s pediatrician and get their input.
If your doctor asks you to watch out for certain symptoms, observe your infant closely over the next few days. If no symptoms appear, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
Can 1 year old eat Honey Graham Crackers?
It’s best not to give one-year-old babies Honey Graham Crackers because these biscuits include honey as an ingredient.
Honey can contain spores of the Clostridium bacteria, which can cause food poisoning in young babies aged 1to 12 months old.
Infant botulism can cause muscle weakness, constipation, and other serious side effects. It can be highly debilitating for babies and should be avoided.
Babies over the age of one can eat Honey Graham Crackers because their digestive systems are developed enough to handle honey without being affected by the Clostridium bacteria.
Honey Graham Crackers for babies
Honey Graham Crackers can safely be given to babies one year and up because their digestive systems are mature and equipped to fight off the effects of the Clostridium bacteria (upon ingestion).
Nonetheless, it’s always best to refer to your child’s pediatrician before introducing anything new to your baby’s diet.
Since babies are unique in that they all grow at their own pace, your doctor may not find it advisable to add Honey Graham Crackers to your tiny tot’s diet.
On the other hand, if the pediatrician gives you the go-ahead, you can feed your baby Graham Crackers without any worries.
Can babies have Honey Maid Graham Crackers?
Toddlers aged one to four can generally have Honey Maid Graham Crackers without any concerns. But, babies within the 1 to 12 month age range shouldn’t be given Honey Maid Graham Crackers or any other food/snack with honey as an ingredient.
Honey can be contaminated with the Clostridium bacteria, which is known to cause infant botulism.
Since Clostridium is gram-positive bacteria, it’s more challenging to treat. It also requires the Botulism immune globulin intravenous antitoxin for infants to recover quickly.
Best Graham Crackers for kids
Be it Honey Graham Crackers or honey graham sticks, if you’re looking for healthy alternatives to crackers with honey, this section can help. Scroll below to discover another equally tasty snack that’s safe for your infant to snack on.
Annie’s Organic Bunny Grahams
Annie’s Organic Bunny Grahams are USDA Organic certified, which means parents don’t have to worry about GMO ingredients and related health concerns.
Besides that, these biscuits make use of real organic cheese and organic wheat flour. That means they include all the natural goodness of whole wheat flour, a high fiber count, and natural vitamins and minerals.
Finally, Annie’s Organic Bunny Grahams do not contain any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Plus, the bunny-shaped snack is sure to appeal to the little ones.
So, can babies have Honey Graham Crackers?
To reiterate, babies aged 1to 12 months shouldn’t have Honey Graham Crackers due to several reasons. The biggest concern with feeding infants Honey Graham Crackers is the presence of honey as an ingredient and the fact that it can be a choking hazard for babies who can’t handle finger foods.
Toddlers (in the 1 to 4 years old age range) can be given Honey Graham Crackers if their pediatricians are okay with it.
Always remember that your pediatrician is your number-one source of vetted information specific to your baby. That’s why it’s best to consult with doctors before introducing anything new to your infant’s diet.
Related Questions
Babies in the 1 to 12 month range shouldn’t be given Honey Graham Crackers because of the presence of Clostridium bacteria in honey, as it can cause infant botulism. If your baby is one year old or older, he or she can eat Honey Graham Crackers safely. However, it’s always advisable to get your pediatrician’s input before adding anything new to your baby’s diet.
While the honey in Honey Maid Graham Crackers is pasteurized, it’s best to avoid giving these crackers to infants because of the risk of infant botulism. The same holds true for other baked goods with honey as an ingredient.
Not all Graham Crackers have honey as an ingredient. However, you can be sure whether a company’s crackers have honey in them by going over the ingredient list at the back of the product’s packaging.
You can feed your baby a Graham Cracker once they’re old enough to handle finger foods. Babies one year and older have the fine motor skills to bring food to their mouths to suck or chew. That’s why babies eating Graham Crackers will generally chew on the hard biscuits to soften them and then take bites to chew and swallow.
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