What is the best way to introduce peanuts, when your baby has no history of allergy?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions during our Weaning Wednesday Q&A’s ( join in Weekly on Instagram). Introducing allergenic foods takes place after six months of age. Each allergenic food is introduced separately preferably in the morning and you would introduce egg before you test for nuts. I sat down with Dr Lisa Ní Chuinnegáin Guthrie to talk all about how her experience with a nut allergy, and you can read all about it here. 


What to look for when choosing a nut butter. 

• Make your own -  check out my recipe in my Lunchbox Made Easy Recipe Book
• Choose 100% nut butter varieties
• Look out for ones with no added sugar or salt

I use a brand called Meridian myself which is 100% pure nuts. However do make sure to check out for supermarket own brands which can be much better value. 

Lets talk about how you will introduce peanuts. 
The introduction of peanut butter will take place around six months when your baby is getting used to new tastes and texture so its also the best time to introduce nut butter which has a very different taste and texture to their usual purée.

A good tip is to mix it in with their usual foods such as:

• Stir into porridge or their breakfast cereal.
• Spread it onto a finger of toast and allow them to self-feed
• Mix it in with some plain yogurt and use it as a dip with a finger food.
• Add it to your baby’s curries to add some flavour
• Stir into mashed sweet potatoes or your baby’s favourite purée.

Its important to remember to keep including peanuts in your baby’s meals throughout their weaning journey. 

Introducing other nuts? 
Over the course of your baby’s weaning journey you will need to introduce all kinds of nuts and treat them just as you would with a new allergen. 
These include:

Types of nuts and seeds
almonds.
Brazil nuts.
cashew nuts.
hazelnuts.
macadamias.
pecans.
pine nuts.
pistachios.

Our Weaning Advice page provides information and advice on weaning your baby. It includes recipes, tips, and articles on a variety of topics related to weaning, such as introducing finger food, adding herbs and spices to baby food, and healthy snacks for your baby, and lots more