Nuts. When's old enough?

[GoldenHaze]

I love nuts!

Being a vegan family I use nuts are fair bit in cooking, such as toasted cashews etc.

DD is 2 years, 5 months and I'm sure she's too young for whole nuts at the moment due to the risk of choking, but when is fair to introduce them, please?

Thank you! :)

My DC are mad for nuts. They are a big treat here. You may be better posting in the allergies topic as there are more experts there. I was very nervous with DS so he didn't have any til he was 3, but by the time DD came along I was a bit more chilled and she had flaked almonds and stuff from about 18 months.

I read Nigella's marvellous tip : try them for the first time whilst waiting in the doctor's surgery for an appointment. Brilliant.

Thanks taffetacat.

I give her plenty of flaked almonds, peanut butter, cashew butter etc, but not whole nuts. I don't think allergies are a problem - just the risk of choking.

Thanks again.

sorry didn't read your post properly. My DD had whole nuts when I was confident she had her back molars and was chewing things properly. Can't remember exactly when this was, probably a few months before she was 3.

I think the best advice re the Nigella tip would actually be to try them for the second time whilst at the drs or hospital - because you have to have been exposed to something once already to develop the allergic antibodies to it Then the second exposure would be the one which caused the reaction.

I waited till DD1 was 3 (PFB) but had heard that it was not too dangerous and have no nut allergy in the family by the time I had DD2, and she had peanut butter and almond butter from a bit before she was 2.

I think if they are ok with chewing things like raw carrots and raisins, they will probably be ok with nuts, as long as supervised!

And I wouldn't have given DD2 any whole nuts while she was going through her cramming-food-in-mouth-in-case-it-runs-away phase.