Tree nut allergies are one of the 9 most common food allergies. The most common tree nut allergies are walnut, almond, hazelnut, pecan, cashew, and pistachio (1). It’s possible to be allergic to only 1 kind of nut, but about half of kids who are allergic to 1 nut are also allergic to another.
Tree nut allergies are usually lifelong with only about 9% of children outgrowing their allergy.
Up until around 6 months, your baby has been completely reliant on breast milk or formula for all of their needs. Then you get the all clear from the pediatrician to introduce solids and water, but how do you actually do it? And how much water does your baby actually need?
Luckily, not very much at first. We recommend introducing water around 6 months to give your baby plenty of time to practice before they really need to be drinking it for hydration.
Pineapples often bring to mind tropical vacations or heated pizza debates. They have an intense flavor that can enhance a wide variety of dishes from sweet to savory. Due to that intense flavor, adding pineapple to a smoothie can take it from dull to delish.
Pineapples are often used in sweet dishes like fruit salads as well as savory, like a slice on a burger. They can be blended into drinks like smoothies and pina coladas.
Choking is a leading cause of injury and death in the United States, so it’s no wonder that many parents are very concerned about it. Gagging, however, is a very normal process. It causes no harm to your baby, but can be extremely difficult for you. Knowing the difference between gagging and choking can really make mealtime less stressful.
Every baby will probably gag at some point in their feeding journey. Knowing what to look for and how to handle it will make the experience less challenging for everyone.
Put simply, food chaining is a technique where you make gradual changes over time to introduce your child to a new food. You start with a food that your child prefers and make small changes to it. The change can be as small as cutting a sandwich horizontally instead of diagonally. Once your child has accepted one small change, you can begin working on another. Over time, you can introduce brand new foods.
Soybean allergy tends to be more common in babies and young children, with many outgrowing it as they age. It is estimated that about 0.4% of infants in the US are allergic to soy.
Soybeans are legumes, just like beans, peas, lentils and peanuts. Up to 88% of people with soy allergies are also allergic or significantly sensitized to peanuts, although the reverse isn’t true. People with soy allergies are more likely to be allergic to major allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, egg, milk, and sesame, than to other legumes.
If you are just starting solids, you may have heard that iron is a crucial nutrient for your baby. Or you may have had an iron test done and realized your child’s iron stores are a little low. Either way, you may be looking for iron foods to include in your child’s diet. Luckily there are a lot!
When I polled my Instagram followers, less than one quarter of them had offered bok choy to their children! It’s not one of the first vegetables we instinctively think of as “baby food.” Bok choy is commonly used in Chinese cooking and can often be found in stir fry.
As with any leafy, green veggie, bok choy should be cooked down and chopped before giving it to your baby. The tough stalk can be used as a teether before your baby is able to break off a chunk of it.
If you have a picky eater at home, you know how challenging it can be to come up with healthy snack ideas day after day. One of biggest recommendations for picky eaters is to try and offer variety as much as possible. This can be extremely tricky if your child only like a handful of foods.
