Peanut butter picks from a baby and child dietitian
🥜Should I give my baby or child peanut butter? Which peanut butters are best?
Peanut butter and other nut butters like cashew and almond are super nutrient dense and a fab way to boost your little one’s diet! They can be added to all kinds of recipes to fortify them with energy, protein, iron, zinc and healthy fats!
👉 Introducing peanut butter early (in smooth form) can help reduce the risk of peanut allergies later in life! Check in with me first if your little one has an existing food allergy or if they have moderate to severe eczema as you may benefit from early introduction of peanuts and other common allergens
Tip: Mix peanut butter into porridge, spread it on whole-grain toast fingers, or add a swirl to some full fat Greek yogurt (or coconut yoghurt) for a quick, nutrient-dense snack your little one will love
My top picks:
ASDA smooth peanut butter
2. Meridian smooth
3. M&S smooth peanut butter
4. Morrisons smooth
Why I chose these:
⚡️Smooth: Babies can’t have whole peanuts or chunky peanut butter due to the choking hazard. You can use smooth peanut butter or ground peanuts. The texture of nut butter can be tricky, so in babies try diluting with a little milk first (1/4 tsp nut butter plus 1 teaspoon of usual milk) when offering
⚡️No added salt and sugar: Avoided added sugar - babies don’t need extra sweeteners in food! Try to avoid salt where possible too
⚡️Oil free: Oil is sometimes added to nut butters to limit separation, but it isn’t really needed. Palm oil is common, and isn’t the most sustainable oil to buy and contains less healthy fats too
Note: The preparation suggestions I offer are for information only and do not a substitute for child-specific advice from a health professional or feeding therapist. It is impossible to fully eliminate all risk of a baby or child choking on any liquid, puree, or food