Is peanut butter good for babies? When can babies eat peanut butter? What are the health benefits of peanut butter for toddler? How to introduce peanut butter for babies? You must be struggling to find out the answer to these questions. Well, just relax!!
Peanut butter is not just good with the taste but health benefits as well. It is kid friendly food ensuring you can use it as a snack or meal. Peanut butter is healthy and rich in nutritious values that add to the kid’s nutrition.
In this article, you will have a fair share of information about the benefits of peanut butter for babies as well as the possible side effects of peanut butter in babies. We will also cover some recipes with peanut butter for babies.
Is Peanut Butter Good For Babies?
Peanut butter is packed with all the essential nutrients that are required in a baby’s diet. It plays an important role in boosting the immunity of the baby as well as decrease the risk of heart diseases, diabetics, and other chronic health problems.
As per the research and studies, the babies who don’t have any allergy to food especially with regards to peanut allergy can be administered with this.
Peanut butter can be a staple in any of the healthy diets. As per the studies of FARE, (R) at about 3 million people in the United States are allergic to the peanuts and tree nuts. It is said that the peanut allergy is the most common allergies in infants and children.
As per other study, introducing the peanut butter helps in deceasing the chances of baby developing the nut allergy at a later stage in life. Make sure that you follow through the needed precautions before administering the same.
You Can Read on: sign and symptoms of food allergy in babies
When Can Babies Eat Peanut Butter?
You can introduce the peanut butter to the babies as early as possible. As per the American Academy Of Allergy, Asthma,and Immunology, (R) it is best to give peanut butter to the baby only after other solid food has been fed to the baby without any allergic reaction.
Well, as per the experts you can give peanut butter between 6 to 8 months of age. It is also recommended to avoid giving the peanut butter under 4 months old as it can be a choking hazard for the babies.
The children having the family history of the allergies like egg allergy , eczema, are at high risk of food allergies. But as per the experts, the risk of peanut allergy decreases with the early introduction of the peanut butter to infants.
The National Institutes of Health has also issued an addendum to support the most current research on early introduction as a method of preventing peanut allergies. (R)
As per the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a study released in 2017, it found 81 percent reduction in peanut allergies among 600 high-risk infants. The study founded the guidelines such as-
Guideline 1:
It is said that the infants who are at high risk of developing a peanut allergy can be introduced to peanuts containing food between 4 and 6 months of age, as I said above too.
Guideline 2:
For the infants or babies who are suffering from mild or moderate eczema, the peanut butter can be introduced at 6 months of age.
Guidelines 3:
As per the studies, the infants can have peanut butter in their diets freely.
Signs Of A Peanut Allergy:
As per the American Academy Of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), some of the symptoms of peanut allergy include:
Skin Problem:
- Hives
- Skin rashes (eczema)
- Itching or tingling
- Swelling
Breathing Problems
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Shortness of breath (wheezing)
- Throat tightness
Stomach Problems
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
Circulation Problems
- Pale skin
- Light-headedness
- Loss of consciousness
Benefits Of Peanut Butter For Babies:
There are amazing benefits of peanut butter that helps a baby during their growth and development. Some of them are as follows-
- Peanut butter is a great source of energy which is rich in vitamins and minerals like niacin.
- It is also rich in fibers, protein and manganese. It is rich in high energy content.
- Peanut butter is a great way to infuse any food with the classic texture and flavor of peanut butter, but using fewer calories.
- Peanut butter is high in monounsaturated fats, which are good for the heart.
- Peanuts butter also helps a lot in gaining the weight for the babies as a tablespoon of peanut butter to a six-meal-a-day diet could help you pack on the pounds fast.
- It reduces the peanut allergies in babies in future.
How To Introduce Peanut Butter To Bay?
Give the peanut butter to the babies that are smooth and not lumpy. The thick peanut butter can be hard for the baby to digest and swallow. Before giving the peanut butter, do consult the doctor.
In general, certain steps are needed to be considered while giving peanuts butter to infants
- Dilute the peanut butter in little hot water and then make into a puree consistency.
- Give a bit of peanut butter to see for any allergic reaction like hives, rashes etc. If the baby is non-allergic, then you can continue with feeding the peanut butter.
- Make sure you start giving a very small amount of peanut butter to your baby even if the baby doesn’t have any allergic reaction.
- You can give the peanut butter adding to the breast or formula milk and then stir it into the oat meals.
- You can also mix a little peanut butter into chicken stock or bone broth.
- You can also whip the peanut butter and plain whole milk Greek yogurt in order to make a dip for the fruits and can be given to your baby.
Recipes With Peanut Butter For Babies:
There are certain recipes that you can try with peanut butter. Some of them are as follows-
1. Smoothie:
This is a kid friendly delicious smoothie that they simply love. It is a simple and easy recipe with peanut butter for babies. You can serve this as a snack for the babies.
All You Need:
- Banana- 2
- Milk-2 cups
- Peanut butter-2tps
How To Do:
- First Peel the bananas and slice them into pieces.
- Then Put the pieces in the blender and add some milk and peanut butter.
- Blend it all together.
- Then pour it out into glasses and serve chilled.
2. Peanut Butter Kulfi:
It is a delicious and yummy recipe loaded with a lot of nutrients.
All You Need:
- Milk – 1 litre
- Sugar – 2 tbsp
- Peanut butter – 2 tbsp
- Salt – pinch
How To Do:
- Boil the milk to a minimum level
- Then add sugar and let it boil till it boils down to half.
- Once it is done, add the peanut butter and salt.
- Whisk it well.
- Then pour the mixture in to the kulfi moulds.
- Deep freeze for 6-7 hours
- Chill and serve.
3. Peanut Butter Teething Biscuits
This is one of the tasty and organic recipes that you can give to your baby. It just takes some minutes to make it. Kids will love it.
All You Need:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup quick oats
- ½ cup peanut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 mashed banana
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 Tablespoons oil
How To Do:
- Mix all the ingredients together.
- In another bowl mix together banana, applesauce and oil and mix all together to a stiff batter.
- Then shape it into small slightly flat finger like biscuit shape.
- After that, bake it for 10 mins and then flip it up for another 10 mins.
- Leave it overnight.
- Then serve it.
4. Peanut Butter and Butternut Squash:
It is an easy and quick recipe with peanut butter for babies. Just try it, kids will love it.
All You Need:
- 1 10-oz package of frozen pureed butternut squash.
- ¼ cup peanut butter.
How To Do:
- First preheat the oven to 300-350 degrees.
- Then slice a medium butternut squash.
- Scrape out seeds and stringy flesh.
- Then Place the squash halves, and cut sides up, on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes
- After it, scoop out the flesh and puree in a blender.
5. Noodles with Peanut Sauce:
Kids just love to eat noodles. So you can make it healthy by adding a bit of peanut butter to it.
All You Need:
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 tablespoons dark sesame oil
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1/2 cup minced scallions, parsley, or cilantro
How To Do:
- Cook the spaghetti as per the instruction in the packet.
- Add some oil and toss them
- In it mix peanut butter, sugar, soya sauce and vinegar.
- Then add the salt and pepper to the heavy cream.
- Toss the sauce and noodles together.
Peanut is too good for the baby’s diet, but it should be introduced at right time and stage of the baby’s growth and development. I hope this article has given you a broader view of the benefits and possible side effects of peanut butter in babies.
