Why Include Nuts In Your Child’s Diet?
- Nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashews, pistachio, walnuts, etc.) are foods rich in healthy fats, dietary fibre, proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Nuts are a good replacement for less nutritious snack foods like chips and biscuits.
- Nuts are packed with healthy, heart-friendly fats. Various scientific studies have shown that children who eat healthy diets including nuts have a lower risk of heart disease.
How to Introduce Nuts In Your Child’s Diet?
You should be careful while introducing nuts in your child’s diet.
- Do not give whole nuts to your child until after 5 years of age due to the risk of choking.
- Grind nuts into a smooth paste or powder and add it to foods such as porridge, kheer, cereal preparations, suji halwa, dalia, pancakes, idli/dosa batter and chapati dough.
- Sprinkle nuts powder on fruit pieces, chapatti, toast.
- Mix nuts powder in your child’s regular milk drink.
- Nuts paste can be used in curry or vegetable preparations
When to Avoid Nuts?
You may have to avoid nuts and foods containing nuts in case your child is allergic to them.
Your child can be at high risk of peanut allergy if he/she already has a known allergy such as eczema or hay fever or a family history of asthma. In such cases, speak to your doctor before introducing your child to nuts or foods containing nuts.
Foods to Avoid
- Peanut butter, nutella spread, peanut oil, gravies made from cashew nut paste
- Praline used in butterscotch ice creams and cakes
- Muesli bars, cakes, muffins, breakfast cereals, pesto sauce
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