01/06/2026
👩🏼⚕️ Introducing allergenic foods: what you actually need to know
👶🏼 1 in 10 babies now has a diagnosed food allergy, which means introduction matters, and how you do it matters too.
⏰ Timing first. Always introduce a new food when your baby is wide awake and well, after a morning nap is ideal. You want to be able to watch them closely for at least 1-2 hrs.
🥄 Start small. Then build.
Start with ⅛ tsp → wait 20 mins → ¼ tsp → wait 20 mins → ½ tsp.
👌🏼 No reaction? Great. But you’re not done yet.
Keep it in the diet. Offer the same food the following day and the day after that. Three days in a row.
After that, in line with guidelines, that food needs to stay in the diet, at least weekly. (It used to be 2–3 times a week, but weekly is realistic and achievable.)
The top allergens to work through: peanuts, tree nuts, cow’s milk, egg, sesame, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.
Have you started introducing yet? Which food are you working on? Tell me below 👇🏼
