8. Nuts and Nut Butters
Whole nuts, including peanuts, should never be given to a young child under the age of five because they are a choking hazard. It might be tempting therefore, to give your child peanut butter, but this is a controversial topic, too.
Children under five should never be given crunchy peanut butter, again due to the choking risk. Smooth peanut butter (or other nut butters) don’t pose this risk, but there is still a risk of an allergy to the nuts.
If you have a family history of nut allergies, avoid giving your child any nut butters until you’ve had an allergy test performed on them. If you have no history, cautiously introduce a tiny amount of nut butter by placing it on their lip for a moment, wiping it off, and waiting at least two hours to check for no reaction. Always supervise a child consuming nut butters.
Summary:
Whole nuts pose a choking risk to a child, and nut butters should be given slowly and under supervision with no distractions.
