Buying Peanut and Nut Butter for Babies
Why introduce and use nut butter?
Nut butter is a super convenient way to introduce and then keep allergen exposure up. We do suggest adding something to it, so it isn’t so claggy. This reduces any choking risk there might be with a large glob of nut butter. We are also fortunate these days that there are so many different types of nut butters on the market. Thankfully this means we don’t have to continually grate and grind up our own nuts all the time for ongoing allergen exposure.
So, nut butters are convenient!
Nutrition:
As well as being an easy way to introduce nuts and then keeping them in bub’s diet to reduce allergen risk, nuts also offer a lot when it comes to nutrition. They are packed full of protein, fats, fibre and essential vitamins and minerals. Nuts are also super rich in phytochemicals, which work as antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to have many health benefits including reducing the risk of many diseases. Nuts are also a source of vitamin E, B6, niacin, folate, plant iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper.
Wow! Who knew something so small could be so mighty!
Now, whether you are looking for an almond, cashew or peanut butter there are a few things we are looking for and trying to avoid.
What to look for:
- No added salt
- No added sugar
- Smooth
- No added palm or vegetable oil
- 100% ground peanuts
Brands we like that meet the above criteria:
- Bega Simply Nuts Smooth
- Coles Organic Smooth Peanut Butter
- Woolworths Macro Smooth Peanut Butter
- Woolworths Macro Smooth Nut Butter Varieties
- Coles Wellness Road Nut Butters
- Aldi 'Oh So Natural' Smooth Peanut Butter
- Noya Brand But Butters
- Byron Bay Smooth Peanut Butter (No Added Salt)
- Nutty Bruce Almond Butter
- 99th Monkey Almond Butter
- Sanitarium 100% Peanuts Smooth Peanut Butter
As your little one gets older, nut butter with a small amount of added salt is less of a concern. However, we would recommend you avoid crunchy nut butters until 5 years of age as they can have large pieces that may be a choking risk. The above is not an exhaustive list of course, and products change all the time. These are some great options you can find at your local supermarkets with ease.
Are the combo nut butters okay to try without offering individual ingredients first? Or is it a case of offer the nut butter and if there’s a reaction there’s only 3 ingredients that could be the culprit?
Hey Emma,
The combo nut butters are fantastic for continued exposure but for the first few introductions we recommend introducing each alone. Focus on family foods and the ones you consume in your household mainly!