Introducing nuts to babies
Nuttery Buttery is created by mums, for mums. We have created a range of nut butters, which contain no added salt, sugar or oil, as we are passionate about getting parents to introduce nut butters into their children’s diet to avoid allergies. We have written a blog on some of the facts and information around how, and when, to introduce nuts into your children’s diet. We hope you find it helpful.
We often find diet advice for adults is riddled with contradictions and it can be so confusing that we tend not to engage with it and we found that advice for children is not that dissimilar. We both found the weaning period fraught with anxiety and parent’s can worry about many things: “Are they eating too much?” “Are they eating too little?” or “Should I start with purees?” It goes on and on…
Advice has changed over the years on when exactly is the right time to introduce nuts (specifically peanuts) into our children’s diets.
For years, parents were advised by medical professionals to avoid giving nuts (specifically peanuts and peanut based foods) until children were at least three years old. However, it is now widely believed that instead of reducing the amount of sufferers of nut allergies, it has in fact done the opposite. Prof Alan Boobis, from Imperial College London, said: “The previous view that delaying the introduction of allergenic foods decreases the risk of food allergy is incorrect”.
NHS guidance on this changed very recently and you are now encouraged to introduce peanuts and nuts in the form of butters or ground from around 6 months. Research by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has demonstrated that by introducing nuts (in the form of a butter or powder) can help protect babies from developing an allergy to nuts (if your baby already has any allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever you should speak with your GP first).
Nut butters also have lots of amazing benefits and are packed full of essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals that help support growth and development.
- Nuts are an excellent source of protein to support your baby’s developing muscles (this makes them the perfect choice for vegetarian or vegan babies)
- They are rich in heart healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids), making them a great source of energy for your growing baby
- They contain fibre to support your baby’s digestion
- Nuts provide iron to support the production of healthy red blood cells
- They’re a great source of calcium to help your baby build and maintain healthy bones and teeth
- They contain antioxidants, such as vitamin E, to support your baby’s immune system
- Finally, nuts are rich in B vitamins, such as folate, which help to keep your baby’s nervous system healthy
- Add to porridge and pancakes
- Use as a sandwich filling e.g. banana and peanut butter sandwich
- Use in curries and stews
- Nut butter is a great topping for toast, crackers and rice cakes