Can my baby eat Nuts

Are nuts healthy for children?

There are many different kinds of nuts, but in general nuts are a very healthy source of fats, fiber and protein. They're really a great addition to your baby's diet, especially if you don't serve meat. Nuts also are a common allergen. One big category are the tree nuts, which among others include walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios and pecans. Tree nuts are among the top 10 of common allergens. Peanuts are also in the top 10. The same goes for pine nuts. Studies show that an early introduction of allergens, in this case nuts, can help in preventing allergies. Important fact: being allergic to one type of nut, or even one kind of tree nut, doesn't mean you're necessarily allergic to all. However, chances of being allergic to other nuts are higher if your baby is allergic to one type of nut. Go through the introduction process with each nut individually. Start with small amounts of nut butter, just the tip on a knife. See how your baby reacts and work your way up to bigger portions. Nuts are really a great source of nutrition to add to your baby's diet from a young age, and nut butter makes it easy to do that.

How to serve nuts

Don't serve whole nuts to your baby to prevent choking. Always serve them as a paste, making sure to buy pure nut paste without added sugar. You can use nut paste in your cooking or spread it on bread or a rice cracker.