Sharing an update on early allergen introduction at six months, including simple foods I’m regularly incorporating into my baby’s diet.
A few months ago I mentioned that my baby had begun solids and that our pediatrician recommended introducing potentially allergenic foods early. Here’s an update on how things are going and a straightforward list of foods we’ve been using. I hope this gives other parents practical ideas for early allergen introduction.
We began solids at four months (see previous post), but the following month Baby B was uninterested and was sick twice, so we paused introducing new foods. At six months we resumed and regularly started offering several allergenic foods. Below are the examples we use often.
6 Month Food List
EGGS: Diced scrambled eggs, small pieces of omelet, hard-boiled egg yolk mashed into baby cereal, pancakes, muffins, French toast.
WHEAT: Baby cereal, wheat toast strips, pancakes, muffins.
PEANUTS: A very small amount of peanut butter stirred into fruit puree or baby cereal, soft peanut-butter oatmeal bars, and snack options like Bamba (offered in age-appropriate texture and amount).
MILK: Small amounts of dairy incorporated into cooked foods such as pancakes, muffins, French toast, and omelets.
SOY: Arrowroot or plain cookies and, when needed, soy-based supplemental formula.
FISH: Flakes of fully cooked, baked salmon checked carefully for bones and offered in soft, manageable pieces.
From the major eight allergens, the only ones left for us to introduce are tree nuts and shellfish. I’m planning to introduce tree nuts next and my main concern is preventing accidental exposure once those foods are in the home. If other parents have experience managing tree-nut introduction while keeping older siblings or household items safe, I’d welcome practical tips.
In practice, these foods are simple to prepare. At first I expected to buy specialty baby products, but after six months it became much easier to use everyday family foods. Brooks is starting to refuse purees, so I’ve been moving toward textures like soft pancakes and mixing a small amount of peanut butter into batter for added exposure.
If you’re introducing potentially allergenic foods to your little one, I’d love to hear what’s working for you—feel free to leave a comment below with your experiences or tips.
