Shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and flavors
Research shows that when babies are exposed to a wide variety of colorful foods, tastes, and textures before 12 months of age that they are more likely to be open to exploring these foods, and new foods later on. Take this opportunity to let baby explore the rainbow: colors, flavors, textures, tastes, and smells. Bring baby into your unique food culture, and let them learn and experience what it’s all about. This module will expand baby’s palate (and skills!).
You will also continue to introduce common allergens to baby, and maintain exposure in baby’s diet. Here are a few quick reminders about allergen introduction:
Start small. The smaller the quantity served, the less severe an allergic reaction may be.
Introduce allergens early in the day if possible. Most allergic reactions occur within two hours of ingestion and often within minutes.
Introduce one food allergen at a time. Continue to offer multiple new foods each week, but avoid introducing two new allergens on the same day/same meal.
Don’t worry too much about volume: if your baby doesn’t consume the entire serving of allergen offered that day, that’s ok.
Regular exposure. Once you’ve safely introduced a food allergen to your child, keep that food in regular rotation at least 1-2x per week.
If your baby experiences a mild allergic reaction, stop serving that allergen and contact their medical provider for guidance. If your child is having multiple mild symptoms or a severe reaction, call 9-1-1/local emergency services immediately and request an ambulance with autoinjectable epinephrine. Do not wait.
*If your baby has had an allergic reaction to a food, discuss your allergen introduction plan with your pediatrician and/or pediatric allergist before introducing more allergens.
What if my baby is allergic to a food?
At any point in the plan, you may substitute ingredients to meet the circumstances of your child. You can, simply swap the allergenic food for a suitable substitute. Here are some common substitutions:
Cow’s Milk. Try a plant-based alternative like soy milk or pea milk once soy and/or pea have been safely introduced. Soy milk is often fortified with iron—an added bonus. Once tree nuts have been safely introduced, you can use a milk made of these common food allergens.
Yogurt. Consider a plant-based alternative like coconut yogurt. After soy and tree nuts are safely introduced, you can use a yogurt made of these common food allergens.
Egg. Eggs are the trickiest ingredient to substitute because they serve multiple purposes. Check out our egg substitution ideas and use a substitute that is appropriate for the recipe you’re preparing.
Peanut and Tree Nuts. For babies with peanut allergy, or an allergy to a specific tree nut, opt for sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter. Alternatively, try another finely ground-up tree nut or an unsweetened (honey-free) nut butter after that tree nut is ruled out as an allergen.
Finned Fish. For the purpose of this plan, try substituting freshly flaked fish with ground meat or beans.
Soy. Instead of tofu, use beans, ground meat, or a dairy-product like fresh mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, or yogurt. For recipes that call for edamame, use garden peas or bean of your choice.
Wheat. Like egg, the best wheat substitute depends on the recipe. Swap coconut flakes when a recipe calls for rolling slippery foods in breadcrumbs. Try lentil pasta instead of wheat pasta. Opt for corn tortilla or another wheat-free bread when bread is on the menu.
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