While the American Academy of Pediatrics maintains waiting until 4 to 6 months to introduce solids foods, for most babies the common allergens no longer need to be limited. Below are more details on many common first foods. But remember, this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the possibilities for feeding an infant. As always, talk with your pediatrician about their insights on when your baby can start solids and what types of foods might be best to begin with. Stick with cheeses made from whole milk, and do be mindful to avoid unpasteurized or uncultured cheeses. However, those new studies have found that there is not a need to delay the introduction of cooked eggs. Bottom line: Peanuts and peanut products are no longer suggested to be delayed when starting to feed an infant solid foods, for the majority of babies. As always, speak to your doctor to see what they suggest regarding your baby’s unique health and development needs. While most infants can safely have peanut products incorporated as some of their first foods, high-risk infants who have eczema or an egg allergy will need more testing and incorporation of allergenic foods under close watch of their doctor. Remember that whole nuts are a choking hazard and shouldn’t be given to kids until age four. In addition, large amounts of nut butters can also be choking hazards. It’s safest to incorporate nut butters into things like oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies, or thinly spread on small pieces of whole grain toast.
