Rebecca Hughes
Why Early Introduction Matters
For years, parents were advised to delay giving babies foods like peanut, egg and dairy, in the hope that it would protect them from allergies. We now know the opposite is true. Research has shown that introducing these foods early — from around six months, alongside other solid foods — and then keeping them in your baby's diet regularly can actually reduce the risk of developing a food allergy.
It's a shift that has changed official guidance in the UK, and it's genuinely good news for families. Rather than tiptoeing around allergens, you can approach them calmly, deliberately and as an ordinary part of weaning. The key is timing, the right form of the food, and consistency.
Getting Started: When and How
Start from around six months, when your baby is showing the usual signs of readiness: sitting up with support, holding their head steady, and reaching for food. Introduction should not begin before four months (17 weeks). If your baby is younger than six months and you're keen to start, speak to your health visitor or GP first.
Begin with one allergen at a time, ideally on a day when your baby is well and you have no other plans. Offer a small amount — around a quarter to half a teaspoon — and then wait. If all is well, keep offering that food regularly for a few days before moving on to the next one. This way, if a reaction does occur, you'll know exactly what caused it.
It's sensible to introduce allergenic foods earlier in the day, rather than at bedtime, so you can watch your baby for a couple of hours afterwards. Never leave your baby alone while they're eating, for allergen introduction or any other meal.
Serving the Four Key Allergens Safely
The form of the food matters as much as the food itself. Here's how to offer the most common allergens safely to a baby:
- Peanut: Use smooth peanut butter thinned with a little warm water or stirred into baby porridge, fruit purée or plain yoghurt. Aim for a teaspoon or two. Never give whole nuts or chunks of nut butter to a child under five — they're a choking risk. Peanut puffs designed for babies are another option.
- Egg: Give well-cooked egg — hard-boiled, scrambled or in an omelette — mashed or cut into soft strips. Both the yolk and the white should be offered, as the proteins in the white are the ones most often linked to allergy. Raw or lightly cooked egg is not suitable for babies.
- Dairy: Full-fat plain yoghurt, fromage frais or a little grated pasteurised cheese are ideal. Cow's milk can be used in cooking and mixed into food, but should not replace breast milk or formula as a drink before twelve months.
- Wheat: Infant wheat-based cereals, soft cooked pasta, or fingers of toast (without honey, which isn't safe under one) all work well. Wheat is also found in many everyday foods, so it often appears naturally in the diet.
You may also want to include well-cooked, puréed fish or shellfish, sesame (such as smooth tahini thinned into purée) and soya, using the same one-at-a-time approach.
Keeping It Going: The Regular Exposure Rule
Introducing a food once isn't enough. The protective effect depends on ongoing, regular exposure. Once your baby has tolerated a food, aim to include it in their diet roughly once or twice a week, in age-appropriate amounts.
In practice, this might mean peanut butter on toast fingers, egg at weekend breakfasts, yoghurt with fruit, and pasta in a family meal. If you stop offering a food for several weeks or months, the benefit can be lost — so building these foods into your normal routine genuinely matters.
If your baby is unwell, teething or off their food, simply pause and pick up again when they're better. There's no need to start from scratch.
What to Watch For — and When to Get Help
Most babies will take to these foods with no trouble at all. Mild reactions can include a flushed or blotchy rash around the mouth, a few hives, or mild vomiting shortly after eating. Stop offering the food and speak to your GP or health visitor for advice.
Call 999 immediately if you notice swelling of the lips, face or throat, difficulty breathing or noisy breathing, sudden widespread hives, or your baby becoming floppy, pale or unresponsive. These are signs of a severe reaction and need urgent help. If your baby has already been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector, use it and call for help.
If your baby has severe eczema, an existing food allergy, or a close family history of allergy, talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing allergens. You may be referred for assessment and, in some cases, advised to introduce these foods in a supervised setting.
Making It Part of Family Life
Holistic wellbeing for you and your baby comes down to rhythm and reassurance. You don't need a special plan or a separate menu — just a calm, steady approach that includes these foods often, in safe forms, alongside everything else your baby is learning to eat.
Keep offering a wide variety of flavours and textures, sit together at meals where you can, and let your baby set the pace. If you're ever unsure, your health visitor is there for exactly these conversations. Trust your instincts, ask for support when you need it, and remember that a few spoonfuls offered regularly is all it takes.
