When and How to Introduce Nuts to Babies

It's nerve-wracking to give your kid nuts for the first time--some parents even wait until their kids are in preschool or later to introduce them to tree nuts and peanuts (the latter are technically a legume, but they're often lumped in with nuts). Still, more than 95 percent of kids aren't going to develop a nut allergy no matter when nuts are introduced to them. One to 2 percent of kids will get it because they're genetically predisposed, and for the remaining kids, feeding them nuts at an earlier age may even help stop them from developing an allergy to begin with, says Robert Wood, M.D., director of pediatric allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, in Baltimore.

Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) changed its policy of avoiding ground nuts and foods containing nuts until age 3. Now the group recommends that parents offer nut products to babies, which may help prevent nut allergies altogether. The group says, "There is now scientific evidence that health care providers should recommend introducing peanut-containing products into the diets of 'high-risk' infants early on in life (between 4 and 11 months of age) in countries where peanut allergy is prevalent because delaying the introduction of peanut can be associated with an increased risk of peanut allergy." Questions? Talk to your child's pediatrician.

Of course, whole nuts or spoonfuls of peanut butter are still a choking hazard, so avoid them until age 4. But ground nuts or nut butters baked into foods are super nutritious. 

Kids under age 2 need about half of the calories in their diet to come from fat, and most types of nuts supply the healthy unsaturated kind.

Other nutrients supplied by nuts include:

*omega-3 fatty acids

*protein

*fiber

*zinc

Nuts are also a better choice of snack for kids than pretzels or animal crackers. In those snacks, kids get refined carbohydrates and very little protein, which causes a spike in blood glucose levels, and then a quick decrease of the same, which means kids could be hungry an hour later, whereas nut eaters stay full longer.

Even knowing all the health benefits of nuts, it's still a little scary to take the plunge. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) offers these guidelines: 

--Don't introduce nuts if your baby has a cold or any other illness.

--Do it in the morning on a day you'll be with your child so you can be on the lookout for symptoms of an allergic reaction (see next slide).

--Prepare a full, baby-sized portion of peanut or nut-containing food, such as 2 tsp. of creamy nut butter or peanut powder mixed with 2-3 Tbs. of fruit or vegetable puree.

--Give your baby just a taste of the nutty food. Wait 10 minutes.

--If there's no allergic reaction, offer your baby the rest of the portion and over the coming days continue offering your baby nuts and peanuts in new, age-appropriate ways. 

According to NIAID, here's what you should look for:

Mild symptoms can include:

- A new rash

- A few hives around the mouth or face

More severe symptoms can include:

- lip swelling

- vomiting

- widespread hives over the body

- face or tongue swelling

- any difficulty breathing

- wheezing

- repetitive coughing

- change in skin color (pale or blue)

- sudden tiredness/lethargy/seeming limp

If you have any concerns, get immediate medical help or call 911.

* Stir a few tablespoons of nut butter into pancakes or muffin batter, or mix 1 to 2 teaspoons into oatmeal, rice cereal, or yogurt.

* Stir a few teaspoons of finely ground nuts or nut butter into fruit or vegetable purees. 

* For toddlers or baby-led weaning, use finely ground nuts as a coating for finger foods, like fish sticks and chicken nuggets.

* Mix equal parts nut butter and light cream cheese with a little milk for a dip you can serve with sliced banana.

* Blend together 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, 1/4 cup frozen fruit, and a few teaspoons of nut butter for a fun drink older babies will love.