Allergen guide
🌰 Introducing Tree Nuts to Your Baby: UK Guide
Tree nuts such as almond, cashew and walnut can be introduced from around 6 months, one nut at a time, as smooth nut butter or finely ground nuts. Never give whole or chopped nuts to children under 5.
When to introduce tree nuts
From around 6 months, once your baby is enjoying a range of first foods, you can begin offering tree nuts. Each nut is different, so introduce them one at a time, for example almond one week and cashew the next. Always use smooth nut butters or finely ground nuts, as whole and chopped nuts are a choking risk for under 5s. If your baby has severe eczema or already has a food allergy, speak to your GP or health visitor before you start.
How to start
- Choose one nut to start with, such as ground almonds
- Offer it earlier in the day when your baby is well and you are at home
- Start with a small amount, around a quarter of a teaspoon, mixed into a familiar food
- Keep it as the only new food that day
- Once that nut is going well, move on to the next one
First ways to offer it
- Ground almonds stirred into porridge
- Smooth cashew butter thinned and mixed into yoghurt
- Finely ground walnuts in mashed banana
- Thinned smooth hazelnut butter on toast fingers
Keep it going
Once a nut suits your baby, keep it in their diet regularly, ideally once or twice a week. Rotating a few nuts across the week is an easy way to keep them all going, such as almonds in porridge one day and cashew butter on toast another.
Signs of a mild reaction
- A red, blotchy or raised itchy rash, often around the mouth or on the face
- Mild swelling of the lips, face or around the eyes
- Itchy or red skin
- A runny or blocked nose, sneezing or watery eyes
- Being sick, tummy ache or diarrhoea
If you notice mild signs, stop offering the food and speak to your doctor or health visitor before trying again.
Signs of a severe reaction
- Swelling of the tongue or throat
- Trouble breathing, or noisy, fast or hard breathing
- Wheezing, or a cough that will not stop
- A hoarse voice, or trouble swallowing
- Becoming pale and floppy, or suddenly very sleepy
- Collapse, or not responding to you
Call 999 straight away and say you think your baby is having a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). If your baby has been given an adrenaline auto-injector, use it now. Do not wait to see if it settles. If you only see mild signs, stop offering the food and speak to your GP or health visitor before trying it again.
Where tree nuts can hide
- Pesto
- Cakes, biscuits and marzipan
- Cereals, muesli and granola
- Nut milks and dairy-free products
- Some curries and sauces
- Chocolate spreads
Foods in our database that contain it
Allergens with OBubba
OBubba paces new allergens one at a time.
Log a food and OBubba recognises the allergens in it, reminds you to keep tolerated allergens in the diet, and keeps a clear record to share with your doctor. Free to download.
Questions parents ask
Does an allergy to one nut mean an allergy to all of them?
Not necessarily. Many children react to only one or two. If your baby has reacted to a nut, your GP can advise on the others.
Are coconut and pine nuts tree nuts?
They are not counted among the UK tree nut allergens, though some people do react to them. Introduce them the same calm way as any other new food.
Can I give my baby almond milk?
It can be used in cooking, but it is not a suitable main drink for babies. Breast milk or formula remains their main drink in the first year.
Other allergens
Sources
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- BSACI: Early feeding guidance
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).