When to start peanut, egg and the other top allergens, how to give each one safely, and a tracker to keep them in your baby's diet.
Based on the NIAID 2017 peanut guidelines, the 2021 AAAAI, ACAAI and CSACI consensus, EAACI 2020 and ASCIA 2026. Guidance to discuss with your pediatrician, not a diagnosis.
Around 6 months, with other first foods
No eczema or food allergy: peanut, egg and the other common allergens can go in freely alongside other first foods, one new allergen per meal.
Offer each allergen your baby tolerates at least once a week (ASCIA 2026). For peanut, aim for about 6 to 7 g of peanut protein a week over 3 or more feedings (NIAID 2017): roughly 2 teaspoons of thinned smooth peanut butter, three times a week.
The nine major food allergens under US law. Mark each one as your baby tries it, and tap Given today after each serving so you can see what is due this week.
0 of 9 in your baby's diet
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Not tried yet
First try: 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter thinned with 2 to 3 teaspoons of warm water, or peanut powder stirred into a purée your baby already eats.
2.2% of US children are allergic
About 1 in 5 children outgrow it.
Stop giving peanut and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Not tried yet
First try: Plain whole-milk yogurt, or milk used in cooking. Not as a main drink before 12 months.
1.9% of US children are allergic
Most children outgrow it, many by age 3 to 6.
Stop giving cow's milk and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Not tried yet
First try: Well-cooked shrimp, chopped very finely or blended into a purée.
1.3% of US children are allergic
Usually lifelong.
Stop giving shellfish and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Not tried yet
First try: Smooth cashew or almond butter thinned with warm water. Introduce each nut separately over time.
1.2% of US children are allergic
About 1 in 10 children outgrow it.
Stop giving tree nuts and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Not tried yet
First try: Well-cooked egg: hard-boiled and mashed, or scrambled through. Never raw or runny.
0.9% of US children are allergic
Most children outgrow it, often by school age.
Stop giving egg and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Not tried yet
First try: Well-cooked white fish or salmon, flaked, with every bone removed.
0.6% of US children are allergic
Usually lifelong.
Stop giving fish and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Not tried yet
First try: Infant wheat cereal, or soft cooked pasta cut small.
0.5% of US children are allergic
Often outgrown in childhood.
Stop giving wheat and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Not tried yet
First try: Mashed silken tofu, or soy yogurt.
0.5% of US children are allergic
Often outgrown in childhood.
Stop giving soy and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Not tried yet
First try: Tahini (sesame paste) stirred into a purée or yogurt.
0.2% of US children are allergic
About 1 in 5 to 1 in 3 children outgrow it.
Stop giving sesame and talk to your pediatrician before trying it again. Keep introducing the other allergens.
Prevalence: Gupta et al., Pediatrics 2018, children under 18. Shellfish means crustaceans such as shrimp, crab and lobster.
Never give whole nuts to children under 5, or spoonfuls of thick nut butter: both are choking hazards. A few red marks around the mouth with no other symptoms can be skin irritation rather than allergy, but mention them to your pediatrician.
Not suitable for cow's milk protein allergy: goat and cow milk proteins are so alike that most allergic babies react to both (ESPGHAN 2023).
Partly hydrolysed formulas are not a treatment for milk allergy, and current guidelines say they do not prevent allergies either (AAP 2019, ASCIA 2026).
Your pediatrician will usually start with an extensively hydrolysed formula, and an amino acid formula for severe cases. Both need medical guidance.